We’re going out for Chinese Food tonight which prompts the question: “What wine pairs well with Chinese?”
Beer pairs well with Chinese
Like the Dude in the photo, a nice cold beer sounds just about right. But, what if beer makes you bloated or you’re just not a beer-kind-of-person? A great choice for a spicy meal is a Spanish Cava, which is a dry white sparkling wine similar to Champagne. A personal favorite to quaff with spicy Asian food is Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut. If you’ve never consumed this magical wine in the classic black bottle, try it the next time your meal is too spicy for a traditional choice. For example, with our Texas Grilled Shrimp recipe, with a Curry, even with BBQ.
Now, back to the issue of wine pairing with Chinese cuisine. It seems the Chinese have quickly become the greatest consumers of French Bordeaux wine even though it does not pair well with their ancient cuisine. We learned this while in Hong Kong last year during some cocktail conversation on the Club Floor of the JW Marriott.
JW Marriott Hong Kong Club Lounge
One tidbit I recall is the story of a wealthy Chinese businessman ordering a $3,000 USD French Bordeaux for his guests in a fancy Hong Kong restaurant, and then –get this- accompanied by Coke, 7UP, and ice! Waiter, theres Coke in my wine.
Now, you might be thinking this guy is living the Chabernet lifestyle.
Wrong!
Chabernet is all about eliminating pretense in Food and Wine in order to enjoy more of what this world has to offer. While this clever Chinese man discovered that doctoring his pretentious wine with sweetness and ice improved the match with his meal, it destroyed an iconic flavor.
That is not Chabernet, it’s just stupid.