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Food & wine pairing

Best wine with Chinese food

Versatile wines for a shared table: Riesling, Pinot and bubbles.

How are you cooking it?

ClassicSweet and sourSichuan or chilliChar siu or roast duckYum cha

Sichuan or chilli: Numbing heat wants low alcohol and bright acidity.

Riesling

Works with dumplings, sweet and sour and salt and pepper squid.

  • Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
  • Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
  • The dish is sweeter than the wine, which can make it taste sharp
See all 240 →

Why it works Dish Wine

Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine

Sparkling & Champagne

Bubbles love anything fried. Perfect for yum cha.

  • Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
  • Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
  • The dish is sweeter than the wine, which can make it taste sharp
See all 252 →

Why it works Dish Wine

Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine

Pinot Gris & Grigio

Soft and easy, for when everyone orders something different.

  • Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
  • Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
  • The dish is sweeter than the wine, which can make it taste sharp
See all 247 →

Why it works Dish Wine

Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine

Pinot Noir

The best red for Peking duck, char siu and black bean dishes.

  • Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
  • Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
  • The dish is sweeter than the wine, which can make it taste sharp
See all 322 →

Why it works Dish Wine

Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine

Tip

Sharing lots of dishes? Pick one white and one light red rather than chasing a perfect match for each.

Best avoided

Heavy Cabernet or Shiraz with delicate or spicy dishes.

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About Chinese food and wine

Today’s picks run from $9.42 to $17.00 a bottle, chosen for value from 1,061 matching wines across the Australian retailers we compare. Six-packs and dozens are shown as a price per bottle.

Questions

What wine goes best with Chinese food?

Riesling, Pinot Noir and Sparkling & Champagne are the best matches for Chinese food. Works with dumplings, sweet and sour and salt and pepper squid.

What’s a good cheap wine with Chinese food?

The Shy Pig Brut Cuvee NV is the cheapest of today’s picks at $9.42 a bottle from Cellars. Prices are checked every 4 hours.

What wine should I avoid with Chinese food?

Heavy Cabernet or Shiraz with delicate or spicy dishes.

More pairings

All pairings →
Thai foodRiesling · Gewürztraminer · Pinot GrisCurryRiesling · Gewürztraminer · GrenacheLaksaGewürztraminer · Riesling · Pinot GrisButter chickenGewürztraminer · Viognier · ChardonnayPhoRiesling · Grüner Veltliner · Pinot NoirDumplingsSparkling · Riesling · Pinot Gris

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