Chinese Pairings

By Food & Wine
Updated January 25, 2017
Spicy, complex Chinese dishes can sometimes be hard to pair with wine. Here, suggested matches for General Tso's chicken, beef stir-fry and more.
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General Tso's Chicken

Credit: © Kate Mathis
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Pairing: 2012 Nino Franco Grave di Stecca

This unusual single-vineyard Prosecco is exceptionally refined.

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2 of 10

Shiitake-and-Scallion Lo Mein

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Pairing: 2012 Frontón de Oro Tintilla

This vibrant, berry-rich red from Gran Canaria is made with the indigenous Tintilla grape and recalls juicy, light-bodied Beaujolais.

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Moo Shu Shrimp

Credit: © Tina Rupp
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Pairing: 2014 Reichsrat von Buhl Armand Riesling Kabinett

German Rieslings typically have a zesty acidity and hint of sweetness that are terrific with the filling and hoisin sauce in this moo shu dish.

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Beef Stir-Fry with Fresh and Pickled Ginger

Credit: © Anson Smart
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Pairing: 2013 Hestan Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Stanley Cheng, owner of Hestan Vineyards and CEO of Meyer Corporation, loves to eat his favorite beef stir-fry with blackberry-rich Napa Valley Cabernet: The firm tannins in the wine pair well with the gingery hoisin and oyster sauces.

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Clams with Pork and Golden Garlic

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Pairing: 2015 Domaine Huet Le Haut-Lieu Sec Vouvray

Winemaker Noöl Pinguet fermented this cuvée until dry (sec), achieving a full-bodied white with succulent citrus and apple tones.

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Pork-and-Pineapple Fried Rice

Credit: © Tina Rupp
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Pairing: 2015 Domaine Albert Mann Gewurztraminer

Mann's entry-level Gewurz is silky and lightly sweet, with floral and apricot notes.

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Dan Dan Noodles

Credit: © Quentin Bacon
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Pairing: 2016 Sean Minor Four Bears Vin Gris

Cool breezes from the San Pablo Bay, off Napa's Carneros district, help give this wine a bright, crisp acidity to go with its strawberry-inflected fruit. (Vin gris is an old French term for rosé that more an more California wineries are adopting.) Minor's bottling is 100 percent Pinot Noir.

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Stir-Fried Five-Spice Pork with Lettuce Cups

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Pairing: 2014 Penner-Ash Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir

Five different clones of Pinot Noir help give this concentrated, spice- and herb-edged cuvée its complexity.

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Loh Shi Fun

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Pairing: NV Anna de Codorníu Brut

Eggs are tricky to match with wine (though noodles and pork certainly aren't), but one thing they work particularly well with is sparkling wine. And it doesn't have to be expensive Champagne—for this homey Malaysian dish, pour a bright, fresh Spanish cava.

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Chicken Hot Pot with Mushrooms and Tofu

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Pairing: 2015 Four Vines Naked Chardonnay

No oak (hence, "naked") gets in the way of this wine's bright, pineappley flavors.

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