How to pair wine with a Chinese meal

Chinese cuisine has a reputation for being difficult to match with wine, thanks to complex sauces and the sweet and sour notes that underpin almost every dish. We spoke to Hakkasan Group wine buyer Christine Parkinson to get some tips on what to do the next time you are presented with a wine list at a Chinese restaurant.

Fancy a glass of white? Choose a German or New Zealand riesling, or almost any Italian white wine

"We find the biggest problem is that there's often a sweet component to the dish, particularly if the dish is of Cantonese origin," Parkinson says. This sweetness can clash with a fruity wine and make it taste hard and bitter."

So go for a neutral wine like the above, or find whites with a delicate floral note or only a bit of sweetness, such as a viognier.

Chinese food can definitely go with reds

"I'd say either fairly young simple crisp reds like an Italian barbera, a basic red burgundy, or New World pinot noirs and shiraz as they have lots of sweet fruit flavor," Parkinson says. She also suggests Spanish reds with their sweet oak flavor such as riojas.

Try it with sherry

"Dry sherry can be tremendous with Chinese food. Get a takeaway and just try it for yourself."

Avoid Bordeaux

Just about the only grape Parkinson advises against is this heavy red, at least at the bottom end. "Bordeaux has to come from a fairly good vintage and good site because most are likely to have this green note and tannins that will clash with the sweet notes or sour notes in Chinese food," Parkinson says.

"Unless you've had a chance to taste it first, or the sommelier recommends it, this is best to avoid."

Don't over-think

If the sommelier has done his or her job, a wine list should be able to be matched to its menu.

"I really do feel that people should not worry too much what they should drink," Parkinson says. "They should experiment because it's probably going to be OK with most of what you're eating. We should demystify all this a little bit."

For China Daily

(China Daily 04/05/2013 page25)