Chinese food is simply delicious. Chinese food is loaded with so many tasty flavors that are enjoyable.
However, there is a secret that makes Chinese food even better: wine. That’s right, wine makes Chinese food better, but it has to be the correct type of wine. If it’s the wrong wine, it could ruin your delicious Chinese food.
Contents
Does Chinese Food Pair Better With White or Red Wine?
Whether red or white wine is best with Chinese food depends on the dish. For example, red wines work better with robustly flavored meats.
In contrast, white wines pair better with fish and chicken Chinese dishes.
What Wine Goes Pairs Chinese Food?
The key to Chinese food wine pairings is balancing the wine’s flavor with the meal’s flavor. Pair the sauce with the wine if the Chinese food is served with a sauce.
Vegetable Lo Mein
Vegetable Lom Mein has an intense soy sauce flavor. Therefore, a crisp herby Sauvignon Blanc works well.
Sauvignon Blanc is an acidic, dry white wine full of complex mineral flavors. The Sauvignon Blanc will cut through the soy sauce’s salty taste.
Egg Rolls & Fried Dumplings
Egg rolls and dumplings consist of different vegetables and meats encased in a crispy shell.
Both egg rolls and fried dumplings pair well with Franciacorta.
Franciacorta wine is produced using the same method as Champagne. However, Franciacorta has dominant flavors of lemon, peach, and cherry.
Franciacorta has a low alcohol content and is high in acidity. It is the perfect wine for fried, greasy dumplings and egg yolks.
The wine cuts through the greasiness, and the bubbly texture refreshes the palette.
Beef and Broccoli
Beef and broccoli work well with Malbec. Malbec is a heavier wine, but it enhances the beef and broccoli’s flavor without overpowering it.
Malbec is an inexpensive French wine with black cherry, plum, and blackberry flavors. These fruity flavors cleanse the palette of the rich beef and broccoli.
Crab Rangoon
Crab Rangoon is a delicious crunchy puffing filled with garlic, cream cheese, scallions, and fresh cream cheese. Crab Rangoons pair well with Vinho Verde.
Vinho Verde has flavors of citrus and white lowers. The acidity of the wine cleanses the palette of the dense fatty cream cheese, oil, and fried crispy shell.
The citrus flavors in the Vinho Verde wine will also accentuate the scallions and garlic flavors.
Sichuan Dishes
Sichuan Dishes are known for their spicy flavor. Light aromatic white wines are best for Sichuan dishes.
Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Blanc are excellent choices for Sichuan dishes. The acidic wines will help tone down the dish’s spicy flavor.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and sour chicken pairs perfectly with a sparkling Moscato wine. This lovely wine is known for its lemon, orange, honeysuckle, and pear notes.
Sweet and sour chicken is sweet and spicy, but it is also occasionally spicy.
Moscato has a low alcoholic content giving it a sweeter flavor. The citrus and fruity notes amplify the chicken’s sweet and sour flavors.
Ma Po Tofu
Ma Po tofu is a rich, dense dish with lots of onions and bell peppers. Ma Po tofu pairs perfectly with crisp white wines such as Riesling or Pinot Gris.
These acidic white wines will refresh the palate and offset the spicy flavor of the Ma Po tofu. If you want to pair Ma Po tofu with red wine, choose a soft red wine such as Cotes de Rhone.
Cotes de Rhone will balance out the spicy flavor of the dish without ruining the dish’s flavor.
Sesame Chicken
Sesame chicken has a dominant sweet flavor with a mild soy flavor. Sesame chicken pairs well with Lambrusco.
Lambrusco is a sparkling white wine that can have an off-dry flavor. It has a bubbly texture that cleanses the palate and contrasts beautifully with the sweet sesame chicken.
Moo Shu Pork
Moos Shu pork has a subtle mild flavor. Moo Shu pork typically contains pork, mushrooms, and cabbage.
It pairs well with bright white wines that have a touch of sweetness. Pinot Gris and Beaujolais provide the perfect balance of acidity without overpowering the pork’s mild flavor.
Fried Rice
Fried rice is a versatile dish served with meat, vegetables, or tofu. Fried has a rich, heavy base of soy sauce, eggs, garlic, and oil.
Fried rice pairs perfectly with Lambrusco wine. Lambrusco is a fruity wine. The notes of hibiscus tea, raspberries, and strawberries are the dominant flavors, but Lambrusco also has a subtle, earthy hint.
Fried rice has a salty, aromatic, greasy, aromatic flavor, so the acidic, fruity, earthy tones and the soft tannins balance out the flavors of the fried rice.
You can also pair shrimp, vegetables, or shrimp fried rice with Lambrusco di Sorbara. This style of Lambrusco has a mild flavor and low tannins.
General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s chicken consists of chicken thighs tossed with hoisin sauce. The hoisin sauce creates a sweet and savory flavor.
A Light-bodied Gamay wine is perfect for General Tso’s chicken. Gamay wines have a floral fragrance and an earthy flavor. The earthy notes balance out the sweet and savory notes of the chicken.
Dim Sum
Dim sum are dumplings with shrimp and chive or pork, beef, or vegetable fillings. Sparkling wines are best for Dim Sum.
Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava wines pair well with Dim Sum. The bubbly texture of the sparkling wine will lighten up the flavor of the hearty dish and provide a burst of citrus flavor.
Peking Duck
Peking Duck is a Chinese-style roasted duck. In short, a whole duck is roasted in a wood fire oven. The intense heat renders out the fat and causes the skin to become brown and crispy.
The meat and skin are carved into thin slices and served with pancakes and condiments such as cucumber, hoisin sauce, and scallions.
Pinot Noir works well with Peking duck. The dominant berry flavors of Pinot Noir provide a subtle acidity that accentuates the crispy skin. The acidity also cuts through the rich, fatty duck.
Final Thoughts
Duck and wine equal a match made in heaven. Your duck will be highly delicious if you’ve got the right wine.