The Drinks Master: What should you drink on Chinese New Year to celebrate the Year of the Pig

On Chinese New Year next Tuesday we’ll segue from the Year of the Dog to the Year of the Pig, which may be good news for us all given pigs are a symbol of wealth in Chinese culture.

The question is: what should you be drinking with your celebrations? Chinese food consists of eight broad styles, plus a bunch more created by Chinese diaspora, giving you a broad range of dishes to match drinks to. Alcohol wasn’t historically consumed with dinner in China so there are no established rules or traditions. Chinese tea is the drink of choice and is still recommended today; light, palate cleansing and with a good amount of caffeine and heat to kick start the metabolism and aiding digestion.

There has, however, been a growing demand for “Western Grape” wine over the past 30 to 40 years. Famous Chinese dishes such as duck pancakes or Peking duck pair well with oaky whites such as white Burgundy or white Rioja. Light to medium reds such as Pinot Noir or Valpolicella styles also offer a freshness to cut through the fattiness of duck. For those looking for a richer style of red, big New World Merlot matches the plumminess of hoisin.

Szechuan food offers some of the biggest challenges for wine pairing with its big bold and spicy flavours. Conventional wine matching dictates off-setting spicy food with wines with a touch of sugar such as Alsatian Gewürztraminer or German Rieslings. Those with a sweet tooth should go for something fully sweet like Tokaji. Chilli heat can over-emphasise the tannins in some full-bodied reds so something like Grenache is a good bet.

Lighter dishes, like those that define Cantonese cuisine such as steamed dim sum, steamed fish and scallops pair well with lighter, mineral wines such as Gavi, Albariño, and better-quality Pinot Grigio.

If you are looking to match a Chinese wine to your meal, Xinjiang and Ningxia are some of the more iconic regions. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape and pairs with black bean dishes.

And don’t forget about beer, which goes well alongside spicy fried food. A refreshing cold lager is a safe and comforting bet with Chinese food, helping to cut through the richness, while a wheat beer will interact well with hot spices and rich dishes.