Perfect match

Hungarian veal goulash requires an authentic, dependable recipe, good veal chunks with a reasonable amount of sinew that gives stickiness and thickens the sauce, and finally - the hardest thing to get in Hong Kong - real Hungarian paprika, which is made from dried red capsicums. Then you need to decide whether you want to eat this delicious stew with noodles, dumplings or rice. The best wine with the dish needs to respect the subtlety of the paprika, which is added towards the end of the cooking process. The richness of the wine should be proportionate to the richness and thickness of the sauce.

Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta Carmenere 2005, Chile

This is one of wine guru, Michel Rolland's most famous clients. The wine, which regularly wins big awards, is all the more amazing because it's made entirely from carmenere, a grape variety that is usually shy and somewhat weedy. The Clos Apalta is a perfect match with the wonderfully fragrant Hungarian paprika. The wine has incredible breadth of flavour tones that sit happily with the paprika. Its woody note is completely absorbed by the stickiness of the meat sauce, while propelling the bright fruit to the front. Available for HK$680 from Moet Hennessy Diageo (tel: 2976 1888)

Jacob's Creek Shiraz Cabernet 2006, South Australia

Jacob's Creek bottlings can be some of the tastiest wines you can find for the money. Some may sneer at them, but there's no denying Jacob's Creek helped to put Australian wine on the map. This Shiraz Cabernet is so accessible you may be forgiven for thinking it won't age in the bottle, but I recently tried some that was four years old and it was a tasty drop. It's also a perfect match with goulash. The bright and lifted fruit of the shiraz highlights the warmth of the paprika and it has plenty of soft tannins to massage the veal chunks. The fruit-driven wine with all its heady notes sets up a nice platform for the meat sauce and gentle complexities. Available for HK$83 from Wellcome (tel: 2870 8888)

Chateau Palmer 1995, Margaux, Bordeaux, France

This is a stunning vintage. Those who open their bottles now might be accused of committing 'vinocide' - drinking the wine too young. But it's soft and silky enough to consume without delay. It's a perfect match with classic Hungarian veal goulash. The dense fruit and supporting oak take the lead in the pairing, the grainy tannins balance out the richness of the stew and the paprika gives an enticing direction to the already complete wine. Available for HK$1,977 from ASC Fine Wines (tel: 3923 6700)