Dazzling Reds to Pair with your Chinese New Year Feast

The city is humming in anticipation of one of the most festive occasions of the year. At the end of the week, Chinese New Year marks a new beginning as the Year of the Ox commences.  Colorful red lanterns decorate homes, gifts are wrapped and ready, and families come together, whether online or in person, to enjoy the holiday with feasting and fireworks.

A long weekend of celebrations, ceremonies, and dinners are coming up, and you will need the perfect wine to toast to this year’s good fortune.  Our Wine Education Manager, Carla Santos, has hand-picked four of our finest red wines that will pair perfectly with your celebrations.  Yes, you read that right – red wines with Chinese food!

Chinese cuisine and its many regional styles require a constant balancing of tastes and textures. Traditional ingredients, cooking methods, dips, and sauces make for a cornucopia of elements that must be balanced to complement one another. Consider wine as a condiment, which if paired well, can make your meal taste even better.

This festival is happening at the coolest time of the year, which coincides with springtime in some parts of the world. Sharing a bottle of Domaine des Senechaux 2016 will surely keep the cold chill at bay with its 14.5% alcohol. Its notes of Asian spice and berry preserves will deliciously complement sweet and spicy dishes like the party staple, Peking Duck.

The dinner table will be filled with a dizzying array of dumplings to keep your tastebuds occupied. Keep your glass filled with an approachable yet complex wine like La Parde de Haut Bailly 2012. You’ll find its elegance and finesse pair well with a variety of dishes, while its perfume and spice meld with the concentrated black fruit and velvety tannins.

Family favorites like Roast Pork and Smoked Duck have bold and salty flavors that satisfy deep cravings. Such dishes call for a wine with equally ample flavor tempered with acidity to refresh the palate after every bite.  Cote de Baleau 2014 matches beautifully with a bouquet of scorched earth and leather, balanced by sage, spice, and red berries for a refreshing lift.

Your most special feast simply must be graced with La Fleur de Bouard 2011. Bursting with exuberant fruit and sweet, velvety tannins, this brilliant wine from the incomparable Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus, will cap your meal with sumptuous opulence. Drink it today and keep a case for future occasions! 

Mellowed with years in perfect cellaring, and at the prime peak of their drinking window, these wines are the perfect pairing with your traditional Chinese New Year dishes. Order by the case to avail best value of 10% off these fine wines. Shop for them in our stores or online at shop.winestory.com.ph for free delivery within 24 hours.