The Beginners Guide to Drinks (at Weddings)
This is what the drinks menu looks like at an Asian banquet:
- Sparkling white
- Red wine
- White wine
- Beer
- Lemon Squash
- Cola
The 3 Minute Guide to Wine
Western meals are balanced on 4 tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter. The objective is to achieve a balance in palate. Wine helps on the sweet and sour side of that balance.
With Asian food, there's no wine tradition. There are many dishes in a meal, all of them shared, texture plays a significant role (think fishballs or tofu with century egg), and food is balanced on 6 tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, plus 2 others - umami and pungency.
It isn't designed to match wine. Yet the insistency to match wine with food is pervasive.
Also, chilli doesn't go well with high alcohol, oak or tannins. As a result, unoaked white wines are often the better choice for many Asian dishes.
It's worth noting that it's not worth spending money on fine wine either, as you'll lose all the subtle nuances and complexities. Anything expensive or cellar-aged won't pair with any of these dishes.
Salty sauces like soy and oyster sauce accentuate tannin and alcohol. Avoid red, stick to whites.
Red wine in China is a status drink. It's a luxury good aimed at conspicuous consumption, like designer clothing and prestige cars.
There are many instance where wine connoisseurs don't get wine.
Crispy skin suckling pig, peking duck and gamey meats like quail call for pinot noir, with it's bright acidity and luscious fruit. Grenache Shiraz Mataro is also a good option.
Cantonese cuisine is the most common style of Asian banquet in Melbourne. Fresh seafood with garden vegetables means salty sauce with lots of umami characteristics and delicate flavours. This calls for versatile, crisp, dry aromatics like sauvignon blanc, semillon and riesling.
With Asian food, there's no wine tradition. There are many dishes in a meal, all of them shared, texture plays a significant role (think fishballs or tofu with century egg), and food is balanced on 6 tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, plus 2 others - umami and pungency.
It isn't designed to match wine. Yet the insistency to match wine with food is pervasive.
Also, chilli doesn't go well with high alcohol, oak or tannins. As a result, unoaked white wines are often the better choice for many Asian dishes.
It's worth noting that it's not worth spending money on fine wine either, as you'll lose all the subtle nuances and complexities. Anything expensive or cellar-aged won't pair with any of these dishes.
Salty sauces like soy and oyster sauce accentuate tannin and alcohol. Avoid red, stick to whites.
Red wine in China is a status drink. It's a luxury good aimed at conspicuous consumption, like designer clothing and prestige cars.
There are many instance where wine connoisseurs don't get wine.
Crispy skin suckling pig, peking duck and gamey meats like quail call for pinot noir, with it's bright acidity and luscious fruit. Grenache Shiraz Mataro is also a good option.
Cantonese cuisine is the most common style of Asian banquet in Melbourne. Fresh seafood with garden vegetables means salty sauce with lots of umami characteristics and delicate flavours. This calls for versatile, crisp, dry aromatics like sauvignon blanc, semillon and riesling.
A 10 Second Guide to Asian Food and Wine Pairing
The one wine in the world that goes well with most Asian food - Riesling. When you have spice, there's no better way to go than some residual sugar.
Sample Asian Banquet with Wine Matching
In an ideal world, this is what it looks like to drink wine at an Asian banquet:
Crab Claw - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling White
Peking Duck - Pinot Noir
Suckling Pig - Pinot Noir
Abalone Soup - n/a
Shark Fin Soup - n/a
Lobster with Ginger & Shallots - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc
Salt and Pepper Quail - Pinot Noir
Steamed Barramundi - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc
Unfortunately, most catering services provide only Shiraz and Chardonnay because of Reasons.
Crab Claw - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling White
Peking Duck - Pinot Noir
Suckling Pig - Pinot Noir
Abalone Soup - n/a
Shark Fin Soup - n/a
Lobster with Ginger & Shallots - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc
Salt and Pepper Quail - Pinot Noir
Steamed Barramundi - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc
Unfortunately, most catering services provide only Shiraz and Chardonnay because of Reasons.
Examples of Australian and New Zealand Wines
Sparkling White
Under $10 -Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir, Wolf Blass Eaglehawk Cuvee Brut, Killawarra Brut
$10 - $20 - Henkell Trocken Dry-Sec Sparkling, Chandon Brut, Lindauer Brut Cuvee
$20+ - Grant Burge Pinot Noir Chardonnay, Jansz Premium Cuvee, Brown Brothers Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier
Riesling
Under $10 - Wolf Blass Eaglehawk Riesling, Jacob's Creek Riesling, Yalumba Y Series Riesling
$10 - $20 - Pikes Traditionale Riesling, Annie's Lane Riesling, Jim Barry Watervale Riesling
$20+ - Petaluma Riesling, Peter Lehmann Wigan Riesling, Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling
Sauvignon Blanc
Under $10 - Lindeman's Bin 95 SB, Jacob's Creek SB, Matua SB
$10 - $20 - Oyster Bay SB, Villa Maria Private Bin SB, Stoneleigh SB
$20+ - Shaw & Smith SB, Dog Point SB, Cloudy Bay SB
Pinot Noir
Under $10 - Jacob's Creek Pinot Noir, Mr Frog Pinot Noir, Cono Sur Pinot Noir
$10 - $20 - Sticks Pinot Noir, Taylor's Pinot Noir, Devil's Corner Pinot Noir
$20+ - Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir, Mud House Central Otago Pinot Noir, Stonier Pinot Noir
Under $10 -Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir, Wolf Blass Eaglehawk Cuvee Brut, Killawarra Brut
$10 - $20 - Henkell Trocken Dry-Sec Sparkling, Chandon Brut, Lindauer Brut Cuvee
$20+ - Grant Burge Pinot Noir Chardonnay, Jansz Premium Cuvee, Brown Brothers Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier
Riesling
Under $10 - Wolf Blass Eaglehawk Riesling, Jacob's Creek Riesling, Yalumba Y Series Riesling
$10 - $20 - Pikes Traditionale Riesling, Annie's Lane Riesling, Jim Barry Watervale Riesling
$20+ - Petaluma Riesling, Peter Lehmann Wigan Riesling, Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling
Sauvignon Blanc
Under $10 - Lindeman's Bin 95 SB, Jacob's Creek SB, Matua SB
$10 - $20 - Oyster Bay SB, Villa Maria Private Bin SB, Stoneleigh SB
$20+ - Shaw & Smith SB, Dog Point SB, Cloudy Bay SB
Pinot Noir
Under $10 - Jacob's Creek Pinot Noir, Mr Frog Pinot Noir, Cono Sur Pinot Noir
$10 - $20 - Sticks Pinot Noir, Taylor's Pinot Noir, Devil's Corner Pinot Noir
$20+ - Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir, Mud House Central Otago Pinot Noir, Stonier Pinot Noir
Don't Forget Beer
Beer goes with salty food well.
The most common beers served at Asian banquets is Crown Lager, followed Heineken.
The most common beers served at Asian banquets is Crown Lager, followed Heineken.
Spirits
Hennessy VSOP
Courvoisier VSOP
Remy Martin VSOP
Courvoisier VSOP
Remy Martin VSOP
Take Home Message
Drink whatever you feel like.
Asians LOVE Gewurtztraminer. Well they would, if they knew about it. It's an off-dry white with a fragrant bouquet of lychees. Goes well with most Asian cuisine.
If chilli, avoid high alcohol, tannins and oak.
For more information on Catering, check out 5 Things You Didn't Know About Asian Banquets and 4 Asian Traditions That'll Blow Your Mind
Asians LOVE Gewurtztraminer. Well they would, if they knew about it. It's an off-dry white with a fragrant bouquet of lychees. Goes well with most Asian cuisine.
If chilli, avoid high alcohol, tannins and oak.
For more information on Catering, check out 5 Things You Didn't Know About Asian Banquets and 4 Asian Traditions That'll Blow Your Mind