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Wines for the 10-course Chinese meal
Product selection and notes by:
Bruce Mathisen, Product Research Editor
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Wines for the 10-course Chinese meal
Q: I'm looking for a couple of suitable yet inexpensive wines to serve at my Chinese banquet. The food is typical of a 10-course Cantonese meal (similar to the food served at Chinese wedding receptions). What ones would you suggest?
A: It's almost given to have wine or some sort of beverage alcohol at any Chinese celebratory banquet. In the past, you'd most likely find cognac or brandy on the table but nowadays, with the heightened interest in red wine (benefits), you are more likely to see a bottle each of red and white wine on the table. The challenge in finding the right wine to pair with the traditional Chinese banquet is the delightful mélange of flavours, something that has long been regarded as a minefield for wine and food pairing. In the past, you would have been given two choices: serve an off-dry Gewürztraminer or no wine at all. In my opinion, however, you do have a choice. Just keep in mind that due to the wide range of flavours, you'll need to choose at least one red and one white wine. Also, I suggest including a dessert wine.
Let's start with the food. The traditional 10-course meal usually begins with a cold appetizer dish that may include cold meats such as barbecue duck and pork and cold seafood such as jellyfish. Then it is followed by a procession of dishes that may include: soup (sometimes shark fin), whole steamed fish in a soya-based sauce, crispy-skin chicken, braised lobster or crab, vegetables (stir-fried or braised), other seafood such as shellfish, fried noodles with shitaki mushrooms, and fried rice. The flavours range from mild to spicy and even sweet and sour, creating an overwhelming taste experience for some.
Now for the wine. Two important rules of thumb in choosing the right wine for the meal: 1) white wines should have little or no oak, good acidity, and a hint of earthiness; 2) red wines should have restrained tannins and forward fruit to go along with an earthy quality. Pick dry whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc because they will go well with the shellfish, soup and fish dishes. For a complementary red wine (especially for the meat dishes), a Pinot Noir, light-bodied Shiraz/Syrah, or a blended wine from the South of France are all good. Both your red and white should also go well with the vegetable and noodle dishes.
Finally, we can't forget the dessert. Most often served is the red bean soup or other sweet soup-like dish served hot. This is accompanied by petit fours consisting of sesame and/or almond cookies. A late harvest Riesling (or Optima and Ehrenfelser) would be the crowning touch here with the dessert.
With this information in hand, below are a few suitable suggestions. We also suggest talking to a product consultant at any of our BC Signature™ Liquor Stores.
WHITE WINES
RED WINES
DESSERT WINE
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All prices are subject to change without notice. Not all products shown are available at all BC Liquor Store locations.
Prices shown do not include container deposit cost where applicable.
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