What to drink ... with Chinese food
Whether to accompany a dumpling-fest or Peking duck, these offerings will enhance the flavour.
UP TO $20
Coopers Brewery Original Pale Ale, 375ml, $2.61
If you can't find your favourite artisanal brew at the local bottle shop, there's bound to be Coopers. The original pale ale is my go-to beer. Its natural sediment gives it a cloudy appearance and is packed with flavour, so roll the unopened bottle to mix it before pouring. The beer has citrus and floral aromas and the flavour of the hops gives extra bite on the crisp, fresh finish. A thirst-quencher and the perfect match to any Chinese dish flavoured with Sichuan, pepper or chillies. From Purvis Cellars, Surrey Hills.
UP TO $25
De Bortoli Reserve Release EZ 2012, $18
EZ stands for edelzwicker, a white blend from Alsace often consisting of riesling, pinot gris and gewurztraminer. This is De Bortoli's Yarra Valley version using those grape varieties and to great effect. It's uncomplicated, with lots of ginger spice, pepper, white florals, a hint of lees and an attractive, almost woodsy character on the palate. It's the palate that makes this wine so good - plenty of texture, and being off-dry means there's just enough sweetness on the finish to handle any fiery chilli dish. Try De Bortoli, Yarra Valley.
UP TO $40
Crawford River Riesling 2011, $37
If there's one wine that works across a range of Chinese dishes, it's riesling. It can handle spice and soy sauce and complements pork, fish and dim sum. If I could only drink one riesling while eating any of the aforementioned, it would be Crawford River. A wine of precision with a backbone of chalky acidity, a core of lemon and limes with zest and pith plus lemon barley sugar with a hint of cinnamon and star anise. There's incredible depth to this riesling and it will continue to age easily over the next 10 years or so. At Boccaccio Cellars.
SPLURGE
Montalto Main Ridge Block Pinot Noir 2010, $65
This 2010 from Main Ridge, by Simon Black, is medium-bodied and has a complex nose full of juicy dark cherries, rhubarb, a smidge of exotic five spice and an earthy forest-floor fragrance. There's a hint of ripe fruit, although this is a savoury wine, with velvety tannins and oak neatly knitted into the mix. While not one for the long haul, it's the drink now for Peking duck as the acidity cuts through the meat's richness and hoisin sauce. From Montalto, Red Hill.