Wine & Food Parings

Appetizers

• Cold Noodles

These traditional Chinese cold noodles topped with stewed pork, fried fish or vegetables, such as shredded cucumbers, can easily be paired with a non-vintage Champagne, creating good balance between sweet sesame sauce and fresh sparkling wine.

• Shanghai Shrimp Salad

This refreshing dish mixes many flavours of ginger, lemon and soy. Pairing it in harmony with a very young dry white from Bordeaux with flowery flavours and light acidity will be mouth-watering. Some flavors will be found in both food and wine to melt surprisingly well.

• Foie Gras Terrine with Fig Chutney

A classic. Foie gras subtle mouth-watering flavours are enhanced by Sauternes` fresh vanilla aromas. The fig chutney brings just the right amount of acidity and texture to make this combination outstanding!

• Chilled Jellyfish Marinated in Vinegar

For this typical cold appetizer, the key word is freshness. The chilled jellyfish flawlessly pairs with Chardonnay’s citrus aromas and crisp acidity. Don’t look for powerful whites, but for a classic Bourgogne Blanc which will reveal the vinegar’s flavours as well as supporting the jellyfish’s texture.

Seafood

• Char-grilled Calamari with Confit Tomatoes

A Vintage Champagne like 2002 will enhance both mellow flavours from calamari and light acidity of tomatoes. The ample taste of Vintage Champagne brings a fine balance of zesty and smooth.

• Crispy Shrimp in Vermicelli Crust with Sweet and Sour Dip

Both candied and bitter tastes from this traditional Asian sauce will be enhanced by a Rose Champagne. Sweetness is balanced with Champagne`s vivid freshness, whereas bitter will be a perfect match with the slightly vinous taste brought by Rose.

• Fresh Oysters

Needless to say, the most classic pairing is Chablis from Burgundy. Or you could paired with a fruity dry whites from Bordeaux. Simple and chilly, it combines mineral flavours with lemony taste, and hints of elderflower. Anchors away!

• Brocoli Velouté with Braised Seafood

Sometimes unctuous dishes call for creamy wines, emphasizing the richness of both. This velouté longs for an opulent Chardonnay, like a Chassagne-Montrachet. Aromas of acacia and pear blend with hazelnut and in some cases toast or butter. On the palate, fleshiness is matched by mellowness, to pair perfectly with the braised seafood’s texture.

Fish

• Glazed Tuna with Citrus and Coriander

As citrus can enhance a wine’s fruitiness, it is possible to serve with a light red. However a very fruity white wine from Bordeaux with Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon will bring both freshness and roundness to the pairing.

• Sushi and Sashimi

Champagne, Brut or Rose, does not overpower the delicate taste of fish with its subtle flavors and sparkling. The slightly cold serving temperature and fizz add a tactile dimension and freshness. In addition, the acidity helps enhancing fishy flavors in place of ginger.

• Softshell Crabs with Sichuan Spices

The Sichuan cuisine carries a deliciously unique complexity of freshness, spicy and zesty flavours. To match, and enhance those particular aromas, a pairing with a Sauternes is outstanding. Prefer a rather young one with strong aromas of white fruits and a fresh roundness.

• Steamed Fish or Steamed Prawns

Simple aromas of steamed seafood need a vivid, yet smooth Champagne. To enhance the subtle flavors without annihilating them, a Blanc de Blancs seems perfection. However some of us prefer enjoying still whites with their meal. Look for a subtle, medium-bodied Burgundy like Saint-Aubin. Combining aromas of white flowers, flint, green almond, and orange-flower, they will bring a rich but not excessive unctuousness in the mouth.

• Roasted Salmon with Lemongrass

A well-balanced course, perfect for opening a dry white from Bordeaux. Sauvignon Blanc`s sharpness will totally match lemongrass` vivid taste while salmon`s rich flesh will be enhanced by the fruitiness of Semillon. A quite recent vintage is ideal.

White Meat

• Barbecued Pork

This classic pork dishes with crispy fat require quite spicy red combining acidity and low tannins, like a medium bodied Saint-Estephe.

• Selection of Dim Sum

These traditional Chinese courses, whether they are stuffed with prawns, pork or vegetables will fantastically match with a matured white wine from Bordeaux.

• Sautéed Chicken with Olives and Candied Lemons

Chicken`s light taste is enhanced with vivid flavours from olives. A white Bordeaux with light acidity and floral aromas is perfect to pair with this tasteful meal and underline lemons` freshness.

• Roasted Goose

This already very aromatic poultry needs an intense, velvety red wine to be served with. Not overpowering the taste of the goose, a Volnay will match perfectly, especially the Premiers Crus. The opulence and meaty texture of the wine, along with the light spiciness of the poultry is the ideal pairing!

Red Meat

• Roasted Lamb

One of the most traditional pairing with red Bordeaux, especially Pauillac. The two share lots of common points: delicate, earthy, gamey, intense and finesse, all at once!

• Wagyu Beef Steak

Be careful, too much weight and richness in the wine can overshadow the complexity of the meat. Wagyu is prized for its rich marbling, so it’s important that the wine is both acid and tannic to balance the fats. The safest match will be with a Pessac-Leognan or a Saint-Julien, both elegant and structured.

• Spaghetti Bolognese topped with Fresh Basil

A course mixing beef and tasty tomatoes in a subtle flavoury way. A Bordeaux wine from the left bank like Margaux or Pauillac is rich yet balanced enough to bring delicious flavors of red berries.

• Roasted Duck Breast with Orange Sauce

Duck’s sweet but powerful taste is ideal with a Pomerol. Smooth tannins, roundness of Merlot combined with full-bodied Cabernet Franc are classic to balance both sour taste of orange and robust flavours of red meat.

• Roast Duck

This typical Chinese course is both sweet and tasty. A Bordeaux blend from South Africa or New Zealand won’t overpower the smooth taste of that delicate meal, and even enhance some of its toasty flavors.

• Boeuf Bourguignon

This slow-cooked casseroles develop exhilarating aromas and therefore have to be paired with a dense, concentrated wine like one of the most typical Burgundy red: Pommard. Its firm-textured tannins, generous mouth-filling character and intense flavours are definitely a must try with the most traditional French dishes there are!

Dessert

• Pear Tart / Apple Pie / Apricot Pie

Sauternes ` intense honeyed flavours are a perfect match for these white fruit pies. The balance between high acidity and extreme sweetness is mouth-watering. In order to appreciate fully, do not put too much sugar in your pies.

• Crème Brulee

Ideally paired with Sauternes. Both rich, honeyed and creamy, the Sauternes adds elements of tropical fruits to the unctuous crème brulee. They both share light aromas of vanilla that melt perfectly together.

• Poached Pears

Already overflowing with confit fruit flavours, this tasty dessert requires a light red from the Côte de Beaune. A Santenay, with its deep attack of red berries and discreet tannins, ideally matches the caramelized aromas of the pear while prolonging it with its fine texture and long-lasting finish.

Cheese

• Comte / Gruyere / Emmental

These cheeses are among the most fruity and balanced there is. Their aromas, especially when ageing, can be very complex and vivid. The ideal match will be a fruity white from Bordeaux, especially an aged Pessac-Leognan, combining freshness and structure. Also to be experienced: slightly evolved Meursault with buttery flavours, ideally pairing with the luscious texture of Comté, both rich and salty.

• Camembert / Brie

Those two cow cheeses from the north of France carry strong flavours that can easily be paired with a full-bodied Bordeaux like a Saint-Emilion. The match between creamy cheese and vivid fruit flavours is a classic.

• Selles-sur-Cher / Sainte-Maure with Dried Apricots

Goat cheese`s mild paste with a creamy mouth feel pairs beautifully with zesty fresh Champagne or a young Chablis with lively citrus aromas. Dried apricots can also be paired to bring more consistence and light sweetness.

• Bleu d`Auvergne / Fourme d`Ambert / Roquefort / Stilton / Shropshire and Walnuts

Blue cheese and Sauternes are commonly paired. Blue cheese has a creamy and mild flavor with a light nutty finish that conciliate perfectly with the roundness of Sauternes. You can even make this a full meal by pairing a salad and some toasted bread.

• Mont d’Or

This cow milk cheese from the Jura mountains in France can be eaten cold or oven roasted. In both cases, it pairs fantastically with a slightly aged Corton Charlemagne, having the structure to support the cheese’s opulence. The fresh flavours of acacia or honey will softly balance the intense aromas of Mont d’Or.