Chinese food and German Riesling wine is a phenomenal pairing.
Selecting the right wine for Chinese food and even Thai cuisine requires identifying the dominant taste (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) sensation of a dish. The dominant taste sensations are sour (rice vinegar), sweet (sugar, coconut milk) and salt (soy).
Food
When it comes to German Riesling wines and Chinese food, sensory scientists have shown that the different taste qualities - sweet, sour, salty, bitter - inhibit or suppress one another. In the domain of wine and food, we say they balance or compliment one another.
For example, sour (acidity) and sweet also suppress one another; adding sugar to lemon juice reduces the tartness; the level of acidity or sourness has not changed but the nearnessy of sugar changes how we perceive it. It is the Riesling grape's ability to create high sugar levels while maintaining acidity that produces white wines that age very well and compliment Chinese food as well. Riesling wine is produced from dry to very sweet. Riesling wine is produced from dry to very sweet; the sweetness level of a Kabinett or Spatlese counterbalances the Chinese food's salt and sour.
German Riesling wine is not only good at quelling the heat of chilies but it is a exquisite wine for Thai and Chinese cuisine.
The approved wisdom of pairing Gewurztraminer wine and Chinese food with very spiced Szechuan dishes works except that Gewurztraminer's higher alcohol levels (13-14%) kick up the burn a bit.
Gewurztraminer positively means "spice grapes". The California variant has a "spicy-peach" flavor along with a hint of ginger. Other possible choices in the pairing of Chinese food and wine are a French Pouily Fuisse or a Sauvignon Blanc.
Cantonese, China's "haute cuisine", dishes are much more subtly seasoned. For this Chinese food and wine pairing try a sweet fruity German Riesling Kabinett or Spatlese, and you will enjoy phenomenal results. Meanwhile, a red Bordeaux wine pairing with Chinese food is particularly acceptable for Shanghai cuisine which tends to be quite rich so the tannin in the wine plays well against the fat article of the meat.
A Merlot from Pomerol or St. Emilion and Chinese food pairing compliments well with Peking cuisine, which often features heavier meats as duck and beef. So does a red Burgundy such as Pinot Noir.
Dishes with fruit such as bananas, mangoes and peaches, pair well with Pinot Noir, Riesling and Merlot. Sherry or tawny Port goes well with dishes that consist of generous amounts of almonds or peanuts.
Duck and smoked ham go well with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, little Sirah or Zinfandel wines compliment foods customarily transmit with fruit and spice, liberally laced with Szechuan peppercorns, chili peppers, wasabi, mustard or curry.
Chinese cuisine often consists of assorted dishes, some notably sweet, some spicy, others fruity or smoky or delicate. There will likely be chicken, lobster, pork and duck.
When it comes to Chinese food and wine selection, no one wine will adapt a vast range of flavors and textures.
There are a few wines that will work well paired with Chinese food. They are a medium-dry to lightly sweet Riesling, a Chardonnay, not too oaky, not too dry, and a mild, full-bodied Merlot with just the right whole of acidity. Riesling, Chardonnay and Merlot wines all the time go well with a collection of foods and are very safe to be among your choices when pairing a wine with Chinese food to heighten the experience.
The real key to the delight of wine and food is simply relaxing and enjoying conviviality with friends. Now that you know the best wine pairings, Chinese food anyone?
Chinese Food, Wine And The exquisite Pairing
