The right wines for New Year banquets
Print Edition
Chinese New Year banquets are typically accompanied by strong baijiu (distilled liquor made from sorghum), but wine is healthier, in moderation, and increasingly popular.
Taking the right bottle to a dinner and serving the right one is considered a sign of taste in China these days. Since face (mian zi) and status are important, choosing an excellent bottle with a well-known label is recommended.
Choosing the right wine to complement food is important. Champagne is always a safe choice since it is considered “noble.” Its complexity and lively character suit diverse food styles. People with big budgets can impress their hosts and guests by choosing famous Bordeaux first-growths.
Since the color red is auspicious and popular for Spring Festival, red wine is very appropriate.
There are not fixed rules for food pairing, especially for Chinese banquets in which food is shared. However, some general pairing rules can be applied.
“The single most important aspect of a wine for food matching is not color but body (which corresponds closely with alcoholic strength),” says Jancis Robinson, one of the most influential wine critics, in her book “Jancis Robinsons’s Wine Course.”
Delicate New Year’s foods, such as steamed fish and poached chicken, go well with many white wines and light reds such as Rose and Beaujolais. Robust foods such as beef, smoked sausage, preserved ham and dishes with rich sauces and spices are enhanced by full-bodied wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Rich food
Chinese New Year’s foods are usually rich, dominated by da cai, literally big food, meaning expensive ingredients and elaborate cooking. Many are slightly oily or fatty, such as “shizi tou” (literally “lion’s head,” or minced pork balls) and Peking roast duck. Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon with good acidity can cut the greasiness.
Some people serve spicy hotpot on Chinese New Year’s Eve. There are two schools of thought about pairing. Some Western wine critics recommend off-dry and sweet wines since the sweetness can relieve some of spiciness of chili. Some Asian food critics recommend tannic wines with spicy food, however, since they accentuate the heat.
Dinners end with sweet desserts suggesting sweetness for the year to come. Popular dishes include tangyuan or glutinous rice balls filled with black sesame and niangao, sweet glutinous cakes filled with mashed jujube or red bean. Wines that are not sweeter than the food taste too acidic. Recommended are Moscato d’Asti, ice wines and noble rot wines.
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