Zhi char wine pairing

The traditional Chinese meal is a cauldron of different flavors and style, usually served at short intermittent timings. It is therefore tricky to pick a single wine for pairing, nor an array of wines for different dishes. We can however control the dishes we order to suit the theme of the wines. 

Here are some interesting pairings you might want to try

1.) Chicken/Braised duck rice with Newton Johnson Family Pinot Noir
The umami flavors of these dishes come from the sauces, and the rice fragrance is rather distinct. Chicken and duck meats often display a medium flavour profile. An elegant pinot noir certainly would accentuate these flavors and fragrance. We suggest ordering roasted chicken or duck to match the aromatic scent of the Newton Johnson family range of oaked wines. 

2.)  Ginger and spring onion Vension with Newton Johnson Windansea Pinot Noir
Another favorite meat of ours is venison. Its profile is rather similar with duck and fish, but with a more chewy texture. With this in mind, we are sticking to a pinot noir pairing, but with a more intense bouquet and rich palate. It will integrate well with the slight peppery, sweet and pungent aroma of the ginger and/or spring onion.

3.) Pork ribs king with Newton Johnson Family Granum
From interviews, we learned that one of the most ordered dishes from a zhi char store is pork. The accompany sauces are often heavy like coffee, orange, etc.. You get the picture. The fats from the porkt is usually of medium weight. Hence we suggest to use a wine that is rich yet elegant. A full bodied Syrah blend from Newton Johnson is our pick. It will seem lighter with these rich sauces thus maintaining harmony in the pairing.

4.) Steamed seafood with Newton Johnson Albarino
In a Chinese restaurant, the sweetness of the seafood and slight saltiness of the sauces (Think soy sauce) are the factors to tackle in this tasting. The acids from the Albarino would be reduced by the salt and the fruit forward bouquet would play well with the garnishes that typically comes with these dishes. A good marriage to trial in your meals.

5.) Butter/salted egg sauced seafood with Newton Johnson Family Chardonnay

These dishes are the definition of RICH. Where every sensory on the tongue is tuned to the maximum. 
Acid, and oak in the wines are key to cut through the sauces. The low alcohol of the whites also tone down the spiciness in the dishes to an acceptable level. We chose the Newton Johnson family Chardonnay as it has all the qualities mentioned above and is able to value add with it's carefully toasted Burgundian oak.

Intrigued? Explore their wines here