TOASST Chinese New Year Lucky Food and Wine Pairing Guide

As we celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday with friends and families of diverse backgrounds and cultures, we thought of designing a delicious food and wine pairing around the world featuring some of our latest TOASST wines and traditional Chinese New Year dishes that revolve around lucky dishes of fish, noodles,  dumplings and sweet rice cake (nian gao). 

Come along with us on our tasting journey and check out our CNY wine pairing 101 guide below for for suggestions on how to pair wines with our top 5 Lucky Lunar New Year dishes.

1) Dumplings

Legend has it that the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebrations, the more money you can make in the New Year. Traditional fillings include minced pork, diced shrimp, fish, ground chicken, and beef but you can use anything nowadays, including vegetarian and vegan variations like white wine with chive and mushrooms and with spicy lotus root and shiitake can be prepared by boiling, steaming, frying or baking. Traditionally enjoyed in a group setting try pairing as a finger food with an aperitif with a dry refreshing wine with high acidity such as a sparkling wine. Our picks include the bright citrus aromas of the JANSZ Premium Cuvee NV from Tasmania Australia with its vibrant lively beads of bubbles, lingering round finish and creamy brioche, nutty, strawberry, lemon and tropical aromas. Another option is a crisp dry Chardonnay like the Ropiteau Freres Chablis 2018 with its subtle white floral, apple, lemon zest notes, subtle oak, grassy and yeasty aromas, minerality on the palate and low alcohol levels that  make it a perfect aperitif with dumplings. 

2) Fish

A traditional Lunar New Year dinner includes a whole fish, which symbolizes prosperity for the entire year and brings  good luck and abundance. The traditional Cantonese recipe calls for a whole white fish such as sea bass, tilapia, red snapper, or pompano with soy, scallion and ginger. The bright, bold flavors in this delicate dish call for our Margan Semillon from Hunter Valley with its delightfully refreshingly low ABV at 11.5% and a honey yellow straw color that oozes mouth watering acidity on the palate with lemon lime zest, kumquat, touch of mineral and honey, subtle petrol aromas and waxiness. Another option is the Josmeyer Fleur de Lotus 2019 from Alsace, a clean, refreshing, organic wine with ripe lychee and crisp apple aromas mingled with white pepper spice, ginger and an oily, waxy nose,perfect to balance the salt, sweet and spice that is a hallmark of Chinese food.

3) Noodles

No proper Lunar New Year celebratory banquet is without “long life” noodles, or yi mien. In addition to symbolizing longevity, eating noodles also signifies prosperity and good luck. While any uncut noodle dish will do, the traditional Chinese dish is often made with egg noodles, scallion, oyster sauce, sugar and soy sauce. For this mixture of sweet and salty, we recommend Cullen Dancing in the Sun 2018 from a leading biodynamic producer in Margaret River, Australia. This wine packs a punch with tropical, melon, lemon curd, grassy aromas and musk from the Semillon with a round richness on the palate, stone fruit minerality, balanced acidity and a satisfying long, creamy finish that cuts through the many contrasting flavors and texture of the noodles. Or try pairing with a Swiss wine such as the Jean-René Germanier Petite Arvine Valais 2019. WIth its elegant, floral aromas with soft elderflower, gooseberry and tropical fruit on the nose, waxy, salinity on the palate with structured acidity, wet stone, long mineral finish with rounded mouthfeel that balances the noodles, this unique pairing promises to be a fun dinner topic. 

4) Roast Duck

Celebratory Chinese celebrations and banquets always include roast duck and whole chicken so expect one or both with any Lunar New Year feast. Seasoned with five-spice powder, red fermented beancurd and maltose syrup, the dark red-hued suckling pig is roasted to crisp perfection while the traditional Cantonese roast chicken is also prepared with five-spice powder, salt, soy sauce and honey. 

For dishes like the suckling pig with slightly sweet crisp skin, we recommend pairing with a medium-full bodied Pinot Noir like the Cuvaison Carneros Pinot Noir 2017 from Napa Valley. A ripe red wine with cherries, blackberries, black plums, kirsch and oak mingled with notes of chocolate, herbs and earthy, savory, forest floor aromas, the crunchy tannins and soft, velvety finish makes this a memorable wine to start and end a meal with.  Another wonderful New World take on an Old World grape is the Hairy Arm Nebbiolo 2016 from Heathcote, Australia. A big, bold red with dark cherry fruit, smokey earthiness and  balanced acidity and fresh red fruit character that will hold up well to fattier, less gamey meats.

For the roast chicken, try a full bodied Chardonnay from the heights of Patagonia such as the Otronia Corte de Blancas 2018. A blend of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer, the wine features layered aromas of fresh tropical fruits, citrus peel and floral, jasmine, and a mineral finish on the palate with a zing. For those who prefer a red, the Laurence et Rémi Dufaitre Côtes de Brouilly AOP 2019 is a standout example of nouveau winemaking in Beaujolais from namesake cult winemaker with elegant, subtle fresh cherry fruit, balanced finish and soft tannins. 

5) Sweet Rice Balls

Sweet rice balls or tang yuan are mochi-like balls made of sweet glutinous rice flour typically contain sweet or salty fillings depending on which part of China you’re from and are boiled in water. Traditionally served on the last day of the Chinese New Year festivities, the round sweet rice balls came to symbolize family reunion or togetherness. While desserts typically pair well with a sweeter wine such as an off-dry Stellenrust 54 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc or Carrick Pinot Gris 2018, we also tend to like ending and finishing a meal with the fresh acidity of sparkling wine. A good one to have on hand is the Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, Champagne, France NV with its toasty bouquet with pear, brioche and yeasty aromas followed by a slightly saline, lingering finish with beautiful texture and persistent stream of bubbles, it is pure delight at the end of a long family dinner.

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