Red wine and mutton have been delicious partners for millenniums, just not in China. This week’s Ideal section introduces the diversity of delectable mutton dishes in Chinese culinary culture. Therefore, I thought it would be fun to introduce some wines to go with classic mutton dishes.

Noble meat

Sheep were first domesticated in Central Asia about 11,000-10,000 BC. Save the dog that was first domesticated some 20,000 years earlier, this makes sheep among the oldest domesticated animals. In the Chinese provinces of Gansu and Qinghai sheep were raised and mutton consumed over 5,000 years ago. By the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1271-1363) the meat was a favorite of nobles and rulers. Records indicate that an astounding 80 percent of the Yuan imperial palace dishes contained mutton.

Though substantially lagging pork in terms of popularity, mutton nonetheless remains an important meat in modern China. Depending on the preparation method and ancillary ingredients many lamb dishes make for perfect winter warming fare. The only thing missing is the wine, and we certainly know how to fix that.

Matching mutton or lamb dishes is not terrible difficult but when you throw in some Chinese spices one is best advised to be a little more selective. Two styles of red wines that pair beautifully with mutton and can stand up to some spice are Northern Rhone Syrah and Spanish Tempranillo reds. Let’s take a closer look at these deserving partners.

Northern Rhone

Enjoying a top Northern Rhone Cote Rotie or Hermitage red wine is one of life’s sublime pleasures. There are several eminently affordable and still delicious northern Rhone options. One is Crozes-Hermitage.

Surrounding the prized hilltop Hermitage vineyards are the Crozes-Hermitage vineyards that have rocky, sand and clay soils. Crozes-Hermitage is the largest AC in the northern Rhone accounting for half of the region’s production. While not as structured or complex as the great Hermitage and Cote Rotie wines, a good Crozes-Hemitage offers a more approachable style of wine. The best of Crozes-Hermitage wines exhibit some of the elegant fruity and spicy qualities of Hermitage wine, albeit in a lighter and simpler style.

Hermitage wines were first documented in the 10th century, but the first mention of Crozes-Hermitage only dates back to 1846. In 1937, Crozes-Hermitage was officially granted its own appellation and granted AC status. By law, all Crozes-Hermitage wines must have at least 85 percent Syrah grapes and may have up to 15 percent of the white wine varieties Marsanne and Roussanne. Today it’s common to find Crozes-Hermitage wines made with only Syrah.

The best of Crozes-Hermitage wines offer exhilarating black and red fruit flavors with notes of spice. A gentle application of oak adds some complexity and texture to the wines but too much oak dampens the desirable fruitiness. Judicious use of oak is a discriminator in choosing Croze-Hermitage wines especially when pairing with Chinese lamb dishes. The Shanghai market has several wines that fit the bill.

Cave de Tain is a large cooperative that accounts for about half the Crozes-Hermitage vineyards. They make some wines themselves and also sell grapes to other producers. Their Cave de Tain Croze Hermitage Rouge is a 100 percent Syrah, garnet-red wine with dark berries and vanilla aromas and spicy black current flavors and soft, mouth-coating tannins. This wine is a lovely partner to northern China style BBQ lamb dishes. Three important northern Rhone producers that also make consistently good Crozes-Hermitage wines that are easy to find in Shanghai are Paul Jaboulet Aine, E Guigal and M Chapoutier. All these wines reflect the true character of Crozes-Hermitage and pair beautifully with hearty Chinese mutton dishes.

Tempranillo

Spain makes many wonderful red wines from local and international varieties but the most Spanish of all red varieties is Tempranillo. This thick-skinned, early ripening black grape makes ruby to dark ruby red wines with cherry, red berry, tobacco and spice characteristics along with soft tannins. The origin of the grape is murky with some speculating that the Phoenicians or Moors brought the variety to Spain. The grape is not related to Pinot Noir as previously believed. All we really know is that Tempranillo wines have a history of at least 1,000 years in Spain.

Tempranillo is cultivated in most of Spain’s major wine regions but the best examples come from the cooler climates of the north. Being a low acidity grape, Tempranillo wines for hotter southern regions tend to lack acidity and taste flat. In prime northern regions with cool evenings and longer growing seasons the grape retains its natural acidity and this results in more balanced and complex wines. The best regions for Tempranillo are Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro in Castilla de Leon. These northern, elevated regions make wines of depth, character and distinction that represent some of Spain’s greatest wines.

This mysterious grape of many regions may be a bit confusing but what’s most germane to this column is that Tempranillo wines are fabulous partners to Chinese mutton dishes.

Since most Chinese restaurants with mutton dishes are casual and their dishes contain spices, I’d counsel going with a Crianza or perhaps Reserva level Tempranillo.

The fruit in both these levels of wines is still vibrant enough to stand up to the savory and zesty nature of many Chinese mutton dishes while the soft tannins cleanse the palate of any residual greasiness.

Some excellent producers of Crianza and Reserva Tempranilla wines include Marques de Riscal, Marquis de Mundaiz and Ibericos in Rioja, Condado de Oriza and Celeste in Ribera del Duero and Vinas Elias Mora and Pintia in Toro.

Where to buy in Shanghai

Region & Style at a glance

Varieties:

The two most important varieties are Syrah for red wines and Viognier for white wines with two additional white varieties Marsanne and Roussanne playing important supporting roles.

Key Term:

Continental climate is one of three major wine region climates (in addition to maritime and Mediterranean) and is known for distinct seasons and marked day and nighttime temperature differences.