Even though it’s been making wine since around 5,000 B.C., as a culture China’s always been about the food, so its population never embraced the art of combing liquids and solids with the enthusiasm of their counterparts elsewhere.
Since Chinese food is a combo of sweet, sour and spicy, finding wines to work with everything on your plate is about as easy as keeping a straight face when someone tells you he or she likes the Charlie Sheen-less Three And A Half Men.
My pick is something soft with a touch of residual sweetness like a German riesling. Off-dry sparkling and rosé wines work, too.
If you want the hottest Asian food marriage, fill your glass with Moscato. Originally Italian, American upstarts like the non-vintage Barefoot Moscato ($7.99 – $11.99) take all the round, lightly-sweet fruit of the muscat grape and massage it into a perfectly plush, tropically-influenced (and not too boozy) companion for any Chinese menu.
Prices reflect the range across Canada. Some products may not be available in all provinces.
