Lamb braised in a Chinese sand pot is spectacular winter fare. If you're making it at home, use the black skinned lamb: it's sweeter, with a gelatinous skin that has more flavour without being too gamey; most Chinese restaurants use older lamb. The lamb pieces are par-boiled in water with lots of ginger to remove impurities. They're then braised with ingredients that differ from place to place, but the main ones are fermented red bean curd paste, five-spice powder and ginger. The braising brings out the succulent bone marrow and sticky meat gelatin. Crunchy freshwater chestnuts and deep-fried bean curd skins are often simmered in the same pot. They add contrasting texture and soak up the juices. Fu yu, or white fermented bean curd paste, rounds out the combination. The best wine needs to be sufficiently fruity to complement the rich sauce. Balanced tannins and fresh acidity will go a long way to liven up the palate. Tohu Pinot Noir 2004, Marlborough, New Zealand Marlborough is not just known for sauvignon blancs, and this Tohu is great. It's medium garnet in colour and looks deceptively light in flavour. The nose is a lovely mix of dark berries with some subtle spicy oak. The winemaker managed to get a good dose of complex fruit. There are plenty of seductive red berries in each mouthful, making this wine a perfect partner for the lamb. It's great value for a stunning wine that's new to Hong Kong. Try it also with smoked duck pate. Available for $245 from New Zealand Focus (tel: 2151 0652) Terrazas Reserva Malbec 2003, Mendoza, Argentina Terrazas mean terraces; in the Andes mountains, above Mendoza, vines are grown on terraces and use water catchments. The Andes offer winemakers a range of temperatures to suit different grapes. This Reserva Malbec comes from vineyards 1,067 metres above sea level, which provides a consistently long, cool period for the flavour to develop. The wine is rich and deep with lots of dark fruit. The tannins are soft but firm. It's enjoyable now but will be even better if left for five to eight years. Available for $200 from Riche Monde (tel: 2976 1888) E. Guigal Cote-Rotie 2000, Rhone Valley, France The Rhone, and in particular Cote-Rotie, makes one of the finest shiraz in the world. There are at least three dominant areas making vastly different wines from the same grape. This Cote-Rotie is perfumed and lively; it's full-bodied but with an edge. It has an aromatic spicy note but doesn't taste peppery or chilli hot. The wine's liveliness, fruity taste and suppleness lift the sticky sauce of the lamb. Taste it with the gravy-soaked crunchy chestnuts and feel the wine take on a new dimension of freshness. Available for $888 from Watson's (tel: 2147 3641) simon@iwinecentre.com