Peking duck has been prepared since the late 14th century. Ducks bred specially for the dish are glazed with maltose, a malt sugar, and roasted whole in a closed or hung oven burning peach or pear wood. The malt colours the duck a gleaming golden brown and the fruit woods add subtle flavours, producing a dish prized for its thin, crispy skin.
But what wines pair best with this complex dish? A taste test was organised at Cuisine Cuisine in the IFC Mall to decide the matter. Up for the challenge was Tersina Shieh, winemaker and general manager at Independent Wine Centre, Nellie Ming Lee, a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, and the author.
We watched as the waitress sliced the duck in front of us. It was served with pancakes, slivers of spring onion and cucumber, a plum-flavoured sauce and thinly sliced pickled ginger. The last is a more northern Chinese tradition.
Sommelier Andy She started with a Grand Cru Rose Champagne, a non-vintage Marguet Pere et Fils. Its delicate pink colour hinted at the flavours of strawberries and cherries in the mouth, and the creamy acidity on the palate pointed to the wine's calibre. Alone, this was a wonderful wine and a lovely aperitif. But it suffered when matched with fatty duck wrapped in ginger-flavoured pancakes.
The fat and ginger overwhelmed the Champagne's charms. 'Champagne of any kind won't work with Peking duck because of the wine's delicate structure,' Shieh noted.
Lee concurred:. 'A charming aperitif but not with oily duck.'