Chinese Food Wine Pairings | Wine Enthusiast

If you tend to grab a cold, malty Tsingtao lager to pair with that bag of Cantonese American takeout you just brought home, consider heading to a bottle shop next time. 

“Wine makes sense for this cuisine for me, even though it isn’t the norm or a classic thought,” says Ryan Bailey, partner and beverage director at acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurant Kato in Los Angeles. More and more high-end restaurants like his are dedicating a large amount of attention, craft and detail to sourcing wines. The same philosophy can be extended to take out.

While Chinese cuisine offers a dizzying array of enticing flavors, American Chinese dishes tend to hew to sweeter, richer, saucier and stronger tastes, many of which evolved from Cantonese dishes. The smokiness and sweetness of many dishes and their sauces (think black bean sauce, sweet and sour sauce or garlic sauce) can make wine pairing a challenge. But certainly not impossible—and we’d venture that an ethereal pairing can only make the dish soar higher.

There are some rules of thumb that can make these pairings easier. We asked experts for insights, plus some of their favorite bottles to go alongside a handful of the most popular take-out items.

Dan Dan Noodles: Manzanilla or Kabinett Riesling

Dan dan noodles are a beloved Sichuan classic of flour noodles—topped with minced pork, scallions and a sweet sauce of sesame paste, soy sauce, chili oil, vinegar and roasted Sichuan peppercorns—that crave a dry wine. Bailey recommends a Manzanilla from Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain. The light-bodied fortified wine “works very well with dishes that incorporate nuts or seeds, whether it be as a component or as sauce,” he says. 

Wine director and sommelier Jordan Chen of Yang’s Kitchen, a Chinese American restaurant in Alhambra, California, recommends an off-dry Riesling for this pairing since it echoes the dish’s flavor.

Fried rice is tough to pair on account of its myriad ingredients, smokiness from the wok and slightly oily texture. But Chen finds an excellent accompaniment in an easy-drinking bottle of dry Gamay—”something simple and easy with a good amount of acidity and a little fruitiness, too,” he says. 

Champagne is another option. “It’s really high in acidity, which lends itself well to fried foods,” Bailey says, adding that rosé Champagne, which adds fruity and floral flavors, is a great choice.

That smokiness beloved in lo mein comes from rapid, high-heat contact with the wok and the oil, and needs a strong pairing. Chen finds that a dry Syrah from Santa Barbara or Sonoma will stand up to it.

“These wines have a really nice freshness to them, but also have a little fruit and savoriness to match what’s in the lo mein,” he says. For pork, chicken or seafood lo mein, Chen likes a dry ouille Chardonnay with no flor (meaning not nutty or salty) from Jura, France. 

Steamed Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao): Furmint or Gamay

To follow the flavor punch of the sweet, mahogany-red roast pork in char siu buns, opt for Furmint, a white wine from Hungary. It’s barely dry, with a little sweetness. 

“A red wine would taste bitter with the char siu, so I prefer a white with good acidity and freshness, which most Hungarian whites have,” Chen says.Bailey suggests a Gamay. “I’ve had this pairing a few times and absolutely love it,” he says. “The ripeness from the fruit of semi-carbonic Gamay is not actually sweet, but gives the perception of sweetness, which is perfect for pork buns.”

Egg Rolls: Grüner Veltliner or Sparkling Chardonnay

You often taste the cabbage in crunchy egg rolls before anything else, so capitalize on that vegetal flavor with a Grüner from Wachau, Austria. Bailey likes how the wine’s herbaceousness aligns with the filling and complements the sweet-and-savory dipping sauce. 

Chen goes to a blanc de blancs Champagne or Champagne made solely from Chardonnay, specifically from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Champagne region. Choose a dry bottle—anything brut, extra brut, or brut nature. 

“You need something nice, crisp and very refreshing with egg rolls because they’re probably an appetizer,” he says. “Timing is important.”

Chen and Bailey agree that red Burgundy rules when it comes to Peking duck. “The classic pairing for duck has always been Pinot Noir,” Bailey says. He prefers Burgundies that are lower in alcohol and have little to no new oak. 

Chen suggests dry Burgundies from Chambolle-Musigny, which are light and fruity. He warns against Russian River Burgundy, “which is too powerful” to accompany Peking duck’s subtle flavors.

Orange Chicken: Chenin Blanc or Kabinett Riesling

The exceptional sweetness of orange chicken blends well with a Kabinett Riesling from Rheingau, Germany, which Bailey says conveys a bit of sweetness and, usually, a pleasing citrus profile. 
Chen believes the dish’s sweetness and hint of spiciness is best served alongside a demi-sec Chenin Blanc from Vouvray, in the Loire Valley. “It has a little more weight to it than a Riesling and has a nice subtle sweetness,” he says. “It’s very refreshing and won’t taste bitter next to the orange chicken.”

“Pork and cabbage are really such a humble pairing, and a really good savory combination, a little meaty, but also a little grassy,” Chen says. Since it’s a lighter snack, go for a lighter-style orange wine from Georgia that has some funky grassiness, especially a dry orange Rkatsiteli from Kartli.

Bailey recommends a grape bearing similarities to dry sherry, the Savagnin from Cote du Jura in Jura, France. “It has similarities to dry sherry and for that reason the saltiness it brings to the pairing works well with the savoriness of pot stickers,” he says.

Beef and Broccoli: Syrah or Grüner Veltliner

If the dish is heavier on the broccoli, Chen opts for a dry Grüner Veltliner to stand up to the vegetable’s crunchiness and flavor. He specifically likes Wachau Grüners from Austria, which tend to have a little more weight to them and are more savory and vegetal than other bottles of the same varietal.

If the beef is more forward, go for a Syrah from the Northern Rhône Valley of France, specifically regions like Saint Joseph or Hermitage. Bailey says that cooler climates and hilly regions lead to expressions of soft florals, charred meats and fresh cracked pepper that lend themselves well to meatier flavors.

More Ways to Pair Wine and Food

From the Shop

Find Your Wine a Home

Our selection of wine glasses is the best way to enjoy a wine’s subtle aromas and bright flavors.

Published: July 15, 2024