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What wine to drink during a meal with Chinese cuisine?
On February 10th we celebrate the Chinese New Year, the year of the rabbit ends and the year of the dragon will begin, the perfect opportunity to pair wine with the classic Chinese dishes that have now entered our daily lives.
It is necessary to start from the cuisine, when on the menu we find a great wealth of tastes and ingredients we must be careful, the Chinese culinary tradition and the different regional styles make the dishes rich in contrasting flavours, think of all the dishes characterized by sweet and sour or with spicy sauces or spicy.
There are many doubts that enthusiasts ask themselves when pairing a dish of Chinese ravioli or a tempura, as in all pairings, the search for balance is the focal point, especially in this case where there are flavors that are too strong which can cause difficulties , especially the spiciness of some sauces.
For example, Peking-style lacquered duck, a dish originally intended only for imperial tables, is certainly one of the best-known dishes, a recipe based on duck glazed with a syrup of honey, soy and five different spices.
Let's not forget the passage in the pan at the end, passage together with red bean sauce, salt and pepper, in short a dish with strong aromas that make the choice of wine fall on red, in particular the Trentino Pinot Nero Doc Cantina Di Cembra , a wine of mountain that has depth, grace and complexity, perfect to accompany the strong flavors of the dish.
Already want to prepare lacquered duck? ⇒ CLICK HERE , otherwise continue reading to discover other dishes.
What are the rules of Chinese cuisine?
Chinese cuisine is rich and complex, probably one of the richest in the world, this cuisine is a complete art that is not limited only to the processing and cooking of the ingredients, but also to the seasoning according to ancient and profound organoleptic and philosophical principles.
There are different styles, particularly on the use of ingredients and cooking techniques, however the common thread is the ingredients present everywhere in the country and forming the basis of gastronomic culture, not to mention that this helps a lot for wine pairings .
In Chinese cuisine, the use of vegetable ingredients is predominant, including rice, cabbage, bamboo, soy, onions, ginger and many others; the most common meats are pork and chicken, followed by beef and sheep meat often accompanied by soup, in fact the broth is also an essential and present ingredient.
Given its typical styles, the rules of pairing wine with this cuisine can sometimes become a difficult undertaking, furthermore the Chinese traditionally do not consume wine during meals and quench their thirst with tea or water, soups and broths to play the role of “drink”.
In general it is possible to create combinations with aromatic and soft white wines, such as Gewürztraminer , while among red wines certainly Pinot Noir , elegant and delicate, ideal for roast meat dishes or stews or alternatively wines based on Sangiovese, like Chianti .
Another possibility is to choose a wine with good acidity, in fact Chinese dishes can be fatty or fried, a wine with acidity will tone down the fats allowing for an absolute balance, while soups and rice-based dishes can be paired well with white wines fresh and fragrant, such as Arneis or Fiano .
In a thousand-year-old cuisine like the Chinese one, there are many important dishes and as always the combination is determined by the ingredients, as in the case of the recipe for Peking lacquered duck which dates back to 1330, even if the dish's success only occurred with the Ming dynasty, becoming a delicacy on imperial tables.
The dish, traditionally, is served with a thin and crispy skin together with vegetables and a red bean sauce, here I choose the Trentino Pinot Nero Doc Cantina Di Cembra , a beautiful red wine that has depth and grace without forgetting freshness, given by the very particular area.
This Pinot Noir was born in Cembra, in Trentino, where the vineyards at altitude acquire the qualities to make this red a real gem, yet another wine of the highest quality produced by this winery, resulting fruity and very elegant together with a taste full of vitality, perfect characteristics to accompany an ancient and delicious dish such as Peking duck.
Trentino Pinot Nero Doc - Cantina Di Cembra
What about spicy and complex dishes?
Another good rule is to prefer an aromatic and soft product, in fact if you want to prepare Singapore-style rice spaghetti you need to choose aromatic vines that have a portion of residual sugars, perfect for enhancing the taste of both food and wine.
For these spaghetti you have to take into account the curry, therefore a spice with a well-defined flavour, for this dish a dry Muscat or Gewürztraminer, these are the horses to bet on, in particular I choose the Alsace Gewurztraminer Reserve Dop Hunawihr , a wine that imitates the spicy and enhances the spiciness of Asian cuisine, a combination of guaranteed quality.
This wine was born in vineyards located in the Haut-Rhin area, in France, it is produced exclusively with grapes harvested and selected entirely by hand in an area that gives the grapes an intense and aromatic olfactory framework, while on the palate it is enveloping and soft, with balanced acidity.
Gewürztraminer Reserve Dop Hunawihr is the aromatic wine par excellence and that of Alsace is one of the most important and loved vines, quite alcoholic which together with the spicy notes goes very well with curry.
Alsace Gewurztraminer Reserve Dop - Hunawihr
Finally, the classic meat or fish ravioli, also called Jiaozi, a dish that has many interpretations where chefs have developed the classic style of ravioli with other ingredients.
The characteristics that each variety of ravioli have in common is the consistency of the dough and the flavor of the filling, as well as the accompanying sauces, clues that lead us to avoid full-bodied reds with a strong tannic imprint, which would cover the flavor and increase the acidity and the bitter notes of the accompanying sauces.
So few tannins and softness, I choose “Poggio de' Paoli” by Tenuta Lenzini , an organic blend of five grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet.
Intriguing and multifaceted with an extremely varied aromatic bouquet with a full, rich and material sip, without however giving up juice and freshness, a Tuscan red in which the international grapes give shape to an intriguing, engaging and unique glass.
Toscana Igt Poggio De Paoli - Lenzini
We have explored different types of wine to pair with Chinese cuisine, remember, take into account the various ingredients that will make up the dish but what matters most is finding that pleasantness that makes the moment magical.
See you at the next pairings!
