Restaurants closed for Lunar New Year? How to pair wines like a pro at home, from pinot noir and chardonnay to Brut champagne

Feb 2 , 2021

There are plenty of great wines that pair well with a traditional Lunar New Year meal. Photo: Mott 32.

Covid-19 has put paid to dining out for Lunar New Year, but Hong Kong’s Wine Experience and Altaya Wines have tips on pairing wine with your feast at home

Remember: choosing a bottle of red, white, bubbly or even sherry will depend on your main course, whether Jinhua ham, poultry or seafood

Hongkongers love eating out for Lunar New Year. The small kitchens and dining tables most of us live with mean a celebratory lunch or dinner at home is rarely practical. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic still haunting us and government restrictions changing frequently, many of us are likely to be forced into celebrations at home this February. And that means playing sommelier.

If you’re unsure where to start when it comes to picking a wine for your Lunar New Year meal, you could do a lot worse than heading to The Fine Wine Experience in Sai Ying Pun. The space on Connaught Road West offers Hong Kong’s largest selections of fine wines for sale and also doubles up as a restaurant, lounge and event space.

“We represent around 50 family-scale wine estates, and have a selection of over 4,000 wine references,” says founder and executive director Linden Wilkie, who has been hosting wine events for more than 25 years. When it comes to selecting a wine for your meal, Wilkie proposes different options depending on your main course.

Linden Wilkie, founder of The Fine Wine Experience in Sai Ying Pun. Photo: The Fine Wine Experience

“Pinot noir is such a versatile red grape variety, full of perfume, fruit and usually quite soft tannins,” he explains. “It works well with a lot of dishes but has broad enough appeal to people’s palates that you are on safe ground.”

With dishes that include Jinhua ham or poultry – a must at every traditional celebratory meal – Wilkie says, “I’d opt for 2017 Burn Cottage Pinot Noir, from Central Otago, New Zealand. If you are having lamb or beef, then I’d go for a slightly fuller wine, still fresh and well balanced, from France’s Rhône Valley – 2016 Domaine Georges Vernay Côte-Rôtie Blonde du Seigneur.”

Another industry veteran with more than 20 years’ F&B experience and a stack of pairing suggestions is William Ma, sommelier at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. Lunar New Year is usually one of the hotel’s peak seasons and Ma is always busy on shift ensuring the hotel has sufficient offerings for guests.

A bottle of 2017 Burn Cottage Pinot Noir. Photo: The Fine Wine Experience

Anyone tucking into chicken or duck for Lunar New Year ought to consider a bottle of Domaine Michel Niellon, Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy 2017, Ma says. “Nutty and toasty, this chardonnay is full-bodied with the classic Chassagne aromas of ripe yellow orchard fruits and resin. The racy acidity pairs well with poultry, pork and seafood.”

If chardonnay is too full-bodied for your liking, Ma has a suggestion for something lighter. “Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux 2017. This is a sauvignon blanc with tropical fruit, citrus and honeysuckle notes that are underlined by a crisp acidity and freshness, particularly enhancing the flavour and aroma of all seafood dishes.”

Of course, no celebration is complete without a glass or two of champagne, either. Paulo Pong, founder of Altaya Wines, a boutique wholesale wine merchant, has just the thing for anyone in need of some bubbles – Pol Roger Brut 2012.