good wine for chinese food

[sophia chang]

what's a good wine to serve with chinese food... mainly fish and chicken...

[hotwine]

Due to the variety of spices used with Chinese food, it's difficult to suggest a single wine for all occasions. However, a very mild white like a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc might serve to get you started experimenting. At a later time, you might try a German Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese with the same foods, and note the differences in the ways the wines complement the foods. Both wines should be served well-chilled.

[Innkeeper]

Very good recommendations from Hotwine. You may also want to consider a "pink." Tonight, for example we had the world's lowest low carb sweet & sour pork stir fry with our current favorite, McDowell Valley Vineyards, Mendocino, Grenache Rose'.

[Bucko]

I'm going to have to take you boys out behind the woodshed, !@#$%^&*

My tasting group meets monthly in Seattle for Pac Rim food. We open German Auslese level wines, Loire sweets such as Coteau du Layon wines or Bonnezeaux wines, Alsatian Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer on the slightly sweet side, with an occasional Pinot Noir thrown in for the inevitable duck dish. They work GREAT.

You take them out of the countryside, put shoes on them, wash their ears....... ;-)

Bucko

[hotwine]

There you are, the voice of experience!

[Innkeeper]

Bucko, do you want us to sic Randy C. on you?

[Bucko]

Yikes!!! NOT the "C" word!!!!

BuckTremble

[Randy Caparoso]

Okay, guys. You've driven me out of my cave. Been on the road a lot recently, and more than a little depressed by our fearless leader's (Jerry Mead) passing on to greener pastures.

Actually, the last few times I've eaten Chinese, I've been extremely surprised by the performance of Rhone style REDS -- especially Gigondas and St. Joseph from France, Shiraz from Australia, and softer Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blends from California -- with dishes like pork, beef or even shrimp in sweet toned natural sauces, with crispy vegetables and/or water chestnuts, with seasonings like Chinese 5 spice and hoisin. Power against power, along with sweetness of the dishes against sweetness of red wine fruit flavor.

But still, by and large, the easiest bets with Chinese dishes overall have been:

1. German Riesling Kabinett or Halbtrocken

2. Soft, Rhone style reds from France, California or Australia

Sauvignon Blanc? Too severe, and doesn't have the intrinsic sweetness of fruitiness.

Bucko, of course, is the voice of experience. HIS experience. Nothing wrong with that, of course. I agree that Alsatian grown Pinot Gris has the fullness and sweetness fo natural fruit flavor to match the richest Chinese dishes (especially the porks). But Alsatian grown Gewurztraminer? To me, that's always a stretch -- too much alcohol and natural grape bitterness to match the sweet/sour qualities common to Chinese cooking.

To each it's own. I'll see you soon in Healdsburg, I guess, Bucko! We can commensurate together!

[mrdutton]

Innkeeper, Bucko................

Too late........

Randy struck!! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]