Pairing wine with Asian food

Cheat sheet for all you busy people

Are you in a hurry because your takeout dinner is about to be delivered shortly? Check out our cheat sheet to quickly decide on the perfect wine pairing!

• Avoid full-bodied red wines and go for the lighter body and aromatic whites

• Sweet wines and high-acid wines are generally safe choices

• Sparkling wines like Prosecco and Cava also do well

• Asian food often includes spicy dishes and needs wine with fruity flavors

• Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewurztraminer are among the best white wines for Asian food

• In some cases, Gamay, Grenache, and Pinot Noir can also work

What to drink with Asian food

For many of us, beer is the obvious choice when selecting a drink to accompany Asian food. But the fact of the matter is that a large variety of wines (especially the aromatic whites) will get the job done just as well and even obtain a gastronomical symbiosis.

And before we begin in earnest, we acknowledge that the term “Asian food” is extremely broad and diverse, and that it doesn’t necessarily do justice to the uniqueness of the individual dishes from the respective countries situated in Asia.

In this article, the best wines for Asian food revolve around dishes, ingredients, and spices from China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, and as such, the wines that make a good wine pairing for them.

Asian wine culture – lost in translation

Until recently, Asia in general hasn’t really had a wine culture of its own. And even though this is changing rapidly with wines emerging from China, Japan, and Thailand, their relatively new arrival means that these wines aren’t naturally intertwined with the local food.

Case in point, to match a wine with a meal isn’t as straightforward as, for instance, in France or Italy, where Pinot Noir and Chianti Classico will instinctively and naturally pair well with coq au vin and bistecca Fiorentina.

Furthermore, common to many Asian dishes is that they pack a punch in both flavor and aroma. Even more challenging is the fact that many of the ingredients are so-called wine killers, because they overpower the wine. For instance, oyster-, fish-, and soy sauce with their an extremely salty taste.

These contrasts and challenges mean that we must turn our sights to Europe and other established wine areas like the U.S., South Africa, and Australia when we make our food and wine combinations.

Whites over reds

There is no escaping that Asian food prefers white wine over red when it comes to pairing wine and food. The main reason is the combination of higher acidity and more freshness in both the food and the wine. The low tannins and lighter body of white wines also naturally pair well with spicy food and complex dishes.

Asian cooking is full of explosive flavors, heat, and intense seasoning, which all collide with tannic and full-bodied red wines. As a result, there are three key components when pairing wine with asian food: Acidity, dryness, and residual sugar.

A high amount of acidity will complement and match the fresh herbs and vegetables and act as a palate cleanser, whilst the dryness will offer some much-needed texture to the wine.

Residual sugar also provides texture and softness to the wine as well as counter counterbalance to the spicy and hot dishes. Large amounts of chili (and other spicy ingredients like curry) need to be softened and mellowed, and for this, a little sweetness in the wines comes in handy.

Grapes

Across Asian cuisine, there are several different grape varieties that each complement and match various dishes. Some wines, like Riesling, can be applied to many different dishes, both sweet and sour, and others, like Gewurztraminer, are more limited to strong curry dishes, where it excels.

Other white wines include Sauvignon Blanc with its high acidity to match dishes with lime, lemon, and lemongrass or crisp, dry Albariño for ginger, garlic, and chili.

Like Riesling, Chenin Blanc, and Viognier have the ability to be both sweet and low on acidity. This doesn’t make them dessert wines (although both Riesling and Chenin Blanc produce outstanding dessert wines), but it allows them to withstand larger amounts of chili and other spicy flavors.

Awesome alternatives

The hotness of Asian food (both in terms of temperature and spiciness) calls for equally cool and chilled wines. This includes razor-sharp and clean rosé and even fino sherry, which can match anything from garlic to chili and still leave your palate perfectly cleansed.

Last but not least are sparkling wines. Whilst this may be one of the few instances where champagne meets its match, other varieties do exceedingly well when paired with Asian food.

Prosecco from Italy is a wonderful mixture of freshness and round smooth bubbles in a velvety mousse with a touch of sweetness. Likewise, sparkling rosé also contains the necessary combination of acidity, fruityness, and sweetness to match many Asian dishes.

The thin red line

If you insist on red wine (no objection here), there are a few that are reasonably well-suited for spicy dishes. Gamay from Beaujolais (a small subregion of Burgundy) is possibly one of the lightest, juiciest, and most easy-drinking red wines available. Its great acidity, fruity flavors, and low alcohol are further highlighted when it is served chilled.

Pinot Noir is also worth mentioning as it contains both elegance, fruityness, and a hint of sweetness, which matches the bold and intense flavors of Asian cuisine. It is also great slightly chilled, but it is recommended to select a fairly young vintage and without oak aging, as this will collide with the spicy aromas and flavors.

If you do go for a Pinot Noir, it is worth noting that this is not the moment to splash the cash on grand cru selections from Burgundy. Instead, go for lighter, cheaper, and less complex Pinot Noir from, for instance, the Loire Valley, Germany, or Austria.

Lastly, and perhaps most surprisingly, is Grenache (AKA Garnacha). Though it is mostly used as a blend, it is possible to find wines of 100% Grenache. Both light and fruity, but also seasoned with black pepper and a touch of sweetness, this red wine is well worth remembering for your next Asian adventure in the kitchen.

Fun fact: Did you know that Grenache is the world’s most widely planted grape?

Classic Asian dishes and accompanying wine

Due to the vastness of Asian cuisine, we won’t be able to go through every single dish and provide adequate wine pairing suggestions. Thus, and at the risk of neglecting some delicious dishes and thereby stepping on toes, we will look at a few classic Asian dishes and accompanying wine matches.

Cheers to Chinese food

Peking duck

This classic and scrumptious Chinese snack includes crispy duck breast, sweet hoisin sauce, and crunchy bean sprouts, all wrapped in a soft pancake. This is one Asian dish where red wine isn’t completely off target.

The sweetness of the Peking duck and hoisin sauce calls for something more powerful than white wine. U.S. Pinot Noir or a velvety Grenache will work excellently. With the whites, a slightly sweet Riesling will work wonders with this savory pancake.

Kung Pao chicken

Depending on the level of spiciness, you can either go for a sweet Riesling or a Chenin Blanc. If you are more limited with the chili, Sauvignon Blanc is a refreshing and lush alternative.

Steamed dumplings

Perhaps too light for reds and too dense for some whites. The fatty dough, which has been both boiled, steamed, and fried, requires sweetness as well as freshness. Though possibly frowned upon in Italy, try these delightful bundles of joy with a well-chilled Prosecco.

Another option could be Viognier, which is as low in acid as a white wine can be. But what it lacks in acidity, it more than makes up for in texture, structure, and smoothness to complement the rich dumplings.

A wine passage to India

Butter chicken

This rather creamy and intense dish requires a wine that doesn’t get lost along the way. An equally creamy and aromatic wine could be a Gewurztraminer, preferably with some years behind it. If you insist on red wine, a Sangiovese is a cheeky and charming alternative, since its seasoned acidity goes beautifully with the tomato-based marinade.

Chicken Tikka Marsala

Again, Gewurztraminer is a wonderful example of how South Asian cuisine merges with European wine. Though Gewurztraminer can be found in many places, the go-to here is Alsace, France.

If you think that the word has a slight German ring to it, you aren’t completely wrong. Alsace borders on Germany and has, in fact, through history changed “ownership” between the two countries a few times.

But back to the wine and dish. Gewurztraminer in itself almost has curry notes and is among the most aromatic white wines in the world. Its depth, complexity, and richness allow it to embrace and match the intense curry flavor.

Wine ticket to Thai food

Pad Thai

Whether made with chicken or shrimp, this stir-fried rice noodle dish is characterized by its greens, freshness, and citrussy notes. As such, you need a wine that contains all of these elements, and what better than Sauvignon Blanc?

Crisp, lean, and acidic, Sauvignon Blanc often contains unmistakable notes of lemon, and it works as a perfect palate cleanser from the sticky rice noodles. For the more seasoned and herby Pad Thai, you will be well off selecting a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand with greener and fruitier notes.

Tom Yum Goong

Soup with shrimp. Basically. But with plenty of lime and lemongrass, it gives the soup a distinct acidic touch. To match and resist both acidity and spice, Riesling once again comes to the rescue.

The sweetness mellows the spicy flavors, whilst the acidity enhances the freshness with its lean and clean sharpness. Chenin Blanc also works well, and so does a crisp and chilled rosé.

Good wine(ing) Vietnam

Pho

Few dishes belong as uniquely to one country as pho does to Vietnam. Available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (or even a midnight meal), this rich noodle soup contains both herbs, vegetables, and often several different cuts of meat (most often beef).

In essence, the soup is a broth, which means that it has simmered for several hours. This adds to the intensity, which also influences the choice of wine. The relatively large amounts (both in quantity and size) of the meat also call for a wine with a certain degree of character and structure.

Riesling with some age but not too much residual sugar is a good bet, but this is also a rare yet opportune occasion to enjoy Chardonnay with Asian food. Due to the plentitude of protein and the richness of the broth, a more muscular wine is called for. It doesn’t have to be heavily oaked, but a smooth and buttery expression will go a long way with this famous, all-day meal.

Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls)

You can almost feel and hear the crunch before you sink your teeth into this lush and delicate little snack made up of rice paper rolls. The fresh vegetables often consist of carrots and bean sprouts, accompanied by either shrimp or pork and plenty of fresh coriander.

To accompany it is often a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Rosé and sparkling rosé alike match in color as well as flavor. This perfect combination of sweet, ripe fruit and crisp elegance is ideal to wash down a big mouthful of freshly wrapped spring rolls stuffed with delicious raw ingredients.

If you cut down on the dipping sauce, a dry, crisp, and crunchy Albariño is also a perfect serve for an afternoon snack or light appetizer before the main meal.

Should you come across a deep-fried spring roll, do not despair. A well-chilled Prosecco, along with many other sparkling wines, is one of the spring roll's most favorite pairings.

No one wine to rule them all

When it comes to food and wine pairing in Asian cuisine, there is no one wine that covers all the dishes. For this, the dishes are too complex, the ingredients too many, and the flavors too different.

Sweet marinades, salty soy sauce, and sticky rice are combined interchangeably, and therefore, the wine needs to be equally versatile. The trick is to focus on dominating ingredients and flavor and choose the wine accordingly.

Personal taste also comes into play, because at the end of the day, you are the one who is going to drink the wine. Luckily, the world of wine is as wide and versatile as the Asian kitchen. It is just a question of taking that journey with your taste buds.