Sparkling wine, aromatic whites with a touch of sweetness such as off-dry Riesling and Gewürztraminer, and fruity, low-tannin reds such as Pinot Noir are the classic wines for Chinese food. Pour sparkling wine when many dishes share the table, Pinot Noir or off-dry Riesling with Peking duck, and something cold and lightly sweet with Sichuan dishes like kung pao chicken.
Sylvia Wu, Decanter's regional editor for Asia, suggests a single all-rounder for a full Chinese feast, since many dishes arrive together. Her first choice is refreshing sparkling wine, which works as a palate cleanser between dishes; if the table is heavy on red meat or strong seasoning, she suggests a sparkling red such as Lambrusco.
Takeout is easier to pair dish by dish, and the table below gives the match for each.
What in Chinese food matters for wine
Hoisin and soy
Sweet, salty sauces suit a wine with a little sugar, such as a Spätlese (late-picked) Riesling.
Chili
Kung pao chicken and mapo tofu call for a cold sparkling wine or a chilled Gamay.
Sichuan pepper
It tingles and numbs the lips and comes with chili, so choose a cold, lower-alcohol wine.
Frying oil
A high-acid white or a dry sparkling wine clears the oil from fried rice and chow mein.
Chinese food and wine by dish
Scroll the table sideways to see every column
| Chinese dish | Wine | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Peking duck | Pinot Noir, Gamay or off-dry Riesling | Pinot Noir is the usual pick, but Jennifer Docherty MW prefers a Spätlese Riesling (a riper German style with more sugar), whose acidity and sweetness handle the fatty skin and hoisin. |
| Dim sum (shumai, har gow) | Dry sparkling wine or Chardonnay | Mild, savory fillings and tender textures call for Chardonnay-based still or sparkling wine, according to Decanter. |
| Char siu bao (barbecue pork buns) | Off-dry Riesling or Moscato d'Asti | The salty-sweet filling suits a refreshing off-dry Riesling or a chilled Moscato d'Asti, per Decanter. |
| Pork and cabbage dumplings | Light white or Kabinett Riesling | Docherty picks a light, delicate white over a red, such as a Kabinett Riesling with its fresh acidity and little sugar; Decanter advises against heavy, tannic reds with dumplings. |
| Chow mein and fried rice | High-acid white or dry sparkling | Greasy wok-fried dishes need acidity; Decanter suggests German Riesling or a mineral Chablis. |
| Sweet and sour pork, General Tso's or orange chicken | Gewürztraminer or another off-dry aromatic white | Decanter says residual sugar matters most here and names Gewürztraminer and Torrontés, whose aromas add to fruity sauces. |
| Kung pao chicken and mapo tofu | Cold sparkling wine, off-dry Riesling or chilled Gamay | Decanter says a cold sparkling wine cleanses the burn of Sichuan spice, and warns off powerful tannin and high alcohol. |
| Red-braised pork (hong shao rou) | Barbera or Pinot Noir | Soy and sugar braises suit ripe, supple reds; Decanter names Barbera for its soft tannins and fresh acidity. |
Why these wines work with Chinese food
Many Chinese sauces are sweet as well as salty. A dry wine tastes thinner and sharper next to sugar, so a wine with some residual sugar, such as an off-dry Riesling or a Muscat sparkling wine, holds its fruit against hoisin or sweet and sour sauce.
Sichuan heat comes from chili, and chili heat comes from capsaicin, which triggers the receptor in your mouth that senses heat. A 2002 study in Nature Neuroscience found that ethanol makes this receptor respond more strongly to capsaicin, and in a 1990 UC Davis study, cold rinses cut chili burn more than rinses at room temperature. Master Sommelier Matthieu Longuère adds that tannin raises the sense of heat and a little sugar tones it down.
Fried noodles, fried rice and crispy duck skin carry a lot of oil. Acidity and bubbles refresh your palate between bites.
Wines to avoid with Chinese food
Wu advises against muscular reds with robust tannin for a mixed Chinese meal, and against powerful tannin and high alcohol with Sichuan dishes, since both make the burn stronger.
With several sweet-and-sour dishes on the table, she also advises skipping zero-dosage sparkling wine (bottled with no added sugar) and bone-dry, sharply acidic whites, which taste austere against the sugar.
Natural wines to try with Chinese food
- Sommariva Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG: A Glera Prosecco from the Conegliano Valdobbiadene hills, the kind of well-chilled sparkling wine Decanter suggests for a feast, dim sum or Sichuan heat.
- Domaine Achard-Vincent Clairette de Die Tradition NV: Mostly Muscat and only 7.5% alcohol, this lightly sweet sparkling wine from the Rhône is close in style to the Asti that Decanter suggests for char siu bao and Sichuan heat.
- Domaine Einhart Pinot Noir 2025: This 100% Pinot Noir from Alsace, aged on its fine lees (the spent yeast from fermentation), has the cherry and strawberry fruit for Peking duck and char siu.
- Piccolo Goccio Barbera d'Asti 2024: A steel-aged Barbera d'Asti with low tannin and fresh acidity, Decanter's reliable red for soy-and-sugar braises such as red-braised pork.
How to serve wine with Chinese food
- Serve Prosecco and the Muscat sparkling wine ice cold, 38 to 45°F (3 to 7°C).
- Serve off-dry Riesling and Gewürztraminer fridge cold, 44 to 55°F (7 to 12°C).
- Chill Pinot Noir and Barbera to 55 to 60°F (12 to 15°C), and go to the colder end for Sichuan dishes.
- Open sparkling wine cold and slowly, since a warm bottle foams over. An all-purpose wine glass works for every bottle here.
Common questions about wine with Chinese food
- What wine pairs well with Chinese food?
- Sparkling wine, off-dry aromatic whites such as Riesling and Gewürztraminer, and fruity, low-tannin reds such as Pinot Noir are the classic matches for Chinese food. Decanter calls sparkling wine the obvious choice for a shared feast.
- What wine goes with Peking duck?
- Pinot Noir is the usual pick for Peking duck. Jennifer Docherty MW prefers a Spätlese Riesling, whose acidity and sugar handle the fatty skin and sweet hoisin.
- What wine goes with dim sum?
- Dry sparkling wine or a Chardonnay suits dim sum. Their freshness fits mild, savory fillings and tender textures.
- What wine goes with kung pao chicken?
- A cold sparkling wine, an off-dry Riesling or a chilled Gamay suits kung pao chicken. Avoid tannic, high-alcohol reds, which make Sichuan heat burn more.
- What wine goes with sweet and sour chicken?
- An off-dry aromatic white such as Gewürztraminer goes with sweet and sour chicken. The wine needs some sugar of its own, or it tastes sharp against the sauce.
- Does red wine go with Chinese food?
- Red wine goes with Chinese food when it is fruity and low in tannin, such as Pinot Noir, Gamay or Barbera. These suit duck, char siu and soy-braised pork, and a chilled Gamay or Pinot Noir can also handle Sichuan heat.
Sources
- Decanter: Chinese food and wine pairing ideas (Sylvia Wu)
- Decanter: Peking duck and wine pairing (Sylvia Wu, with Jennifer Docherty MW)
- Decanter China: How to pair Chinese dumplings with wine (Jennifer Docherty MW)
- Decanter: Matching wine with curry (Matthieu Longuère MS)
- Trevisani et al. 2002, Nature Neuroscience: ethanol potentiates the capsaicin receptor
- Nasrawi and Pangborn 1990, Physiology & Behavior: mouth-rinsing and capsaicin burn
- Wine Folly: wine serving temperature
- Icon drawn from a photo by Maksym Kozlenko (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons
- Icon drawn from a photo by Paul Sableman (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons
- Icon drawn from a photo by Matt K (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons
