• Fresh and dried fruit
• Palm Sugar
• Sweet Coconut sauces

Impact on Wine

A dry wine becomes drier, thin, tannic or sour.

Choose

Wines that have sufficient or greater sweetness.

Why

Sweetness in food can overwhelm and strip wine’s flavours if wine does not have equal or greater sweetness.

• Tamarind
• Lime juice
• Green mangoes

Impact on Wine

Can overpower wine’s flavours.

Choose

Flavourful, crisp white or medium or light-bodied red wines with high acidity to match acidity of the dish.

Why

Without adequate acidity in wine, the wine will taste thin with scant flavours; sour dishes often overwhelm full-bodied red wines and can intimidate white wines with insufficient acidity.

• Soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Shrimp paste
• Bean paste

Impact on Wine

Accentuates tannins.

Choose

White or red wine with soft tannins, crisp acidity and vibrant fruit profile.

Why

Sufficient fruit is necessary to stand up to the salty flavours thus, red wines with moderate rather than high tannins avoid excessive bitterness; high tannins will exaggerate the food’s saltiness; firm acidity in white or red wines can decrease the perception of salty flavours.

• Roasted ginko nuts
• Char from hot wok
• Bitter gourd
• Ginseng

Impact on Wine

Enhances tannins in reds while adding a savoury character to whites.

Choose

Full-bodied white or red with oak maturation.

Why

Bitterness in food can be complemented by bitter-edged red wines with firm tannins or white wines with oak maturation.

• Fermented beans
• Dried, cured meats
• Mushrooms
• Double-boiled soup
• Seaweed

Impact on Wine

Brings out earthy, bitter or savoury notes in wines.

Choose

Savoury white or red wine with well-knit tannins and restrained fruit character; mature wines.

Why

Umami is both delicate and savoury, thus wines need equal delicacy and subtlety with emphasis on wine’s silky tannin texture and mouthfeel.

EXAMPLES OF SWEET WINES

• Spatlese Riesling
• Sauternes
• Late Harvest Gewurztraminer
• Icewine

Impact on Food

Easily overwhelms delicate dishes or umami rich foods.

Choose

Desserts to match sweetness in wine or pair with rich, fatty dishes; medium sweet or off-dry wines can work well with salty or spicy food.

Why

The residual sugar and high acidity of sweet wines can work well with fatty dishes such as fatty pork; moderate sweetness can act as a foil for hot, spicy dishes or salty food; however, many Asians consider any addition of sweetness to a savoury meal detracting.

EXAMPLES OF HIGH ACID WINES

• Champagne
• NZ Sauvignon Blanc
• Austrian Grüner Veltliner and whites
• North Italian reds
• Burgundy reds and whites

Impact on Food

Allows for great versatility and balances rich, creamy, fatty or salty foods; adds refreshment value and wine can cut the heat in spicy dishes while holding up well to sour or sharp flavours.

Choose

A wide range of Asian dishes, especially those that are deep fried or stir fried; works well with dishes containing vinegar or other sour ingredients.

Why

Incredibly versatile because acidity cuts through oil, counters spices and mild sweetness in food and adds refreshment value.

EXAMPLES OF HIGH ALCOHOL AND FULL BODY WINES

• Spanish Rioja
• California Chardonnay
• Young Bordeaux red
• Italian Barolos

Impact on Food

Complements red meats, fatty and grilled dishes or rich stews; refined, light dishes can be washed out by wine’s high tannin content; seafood, especially dried salted fish, can make red wines taste metallic and thin.

Choose

Protein-laden dishes such as grilled and barbecued meats, or rich foods; avoid very spicy condiments which will heighten the perception of tannins and oak.

Why

Tannins in wine work well with protein and fat while it exaggerates the heat of spices.

EXAMPLES OF HIGH ALCOHOL AND FULL BODY WINES

• Australian Shiraz
• Italian Amarone
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Impact on Food

Overwhelms delicate flavours and exaggerates spicy dishes’ heat; most full-bodied wines are not very versatile.

Choose

Heavy, rich, full-flavoured dishes that can stand up to the wine’s weight; avoid very spicy or salty foods and refined, delicate meals.

Why

Alcohol heat is exaggerated by many Asian spices and by the high salt (soy sauce) content in many Asian dishes.

EXAMPLES OF MATURE WINES

• Bordeaux reds aged 1997 or older
• Burgundy reds aged 1998 or older
• Napa Cabernet aged 2000 or older

Impact on Food

Highly compatible with umami-rich ingredients in many Asian dishes.

Choose

Refined, delicate dishes while avoiding overly spicy or pungent dishes which can overwhelm the more delicate nuances in mature wines.

Why

Mature, quality wines have finely knit textures from tertiary bottle aging and can beautifully complement food with delicacy, subtlety and strong textural element.