Matching modern Chinese food with Portuguese wine at Hakkasan

With their edge of tannin and acidity and relatively restrained fruit, I’ve always thought Portuguese wines immensely food-friendly.

Yesterday, I had fun exploring matches with modern Chinese dishes at a staff training session at Hakkasan, the Michelin-starred restaurant.  The saliva glands were working overtime as we talked about food matches and tasted the wines – next time with food!

Here are some suggestions (asterisked where the wine is listed at Hakkasan), which literally give food for thought:

* Reguengo De Melgaco Alvarinho 2010 (DOC Vinho Verde, Moncão) –  when in Vinho Verde, shellfish is a great match for Alvarinho’s purity, freshness and fruit sweetness so no surprises at the suggestion to pair it with Hakkasan’s dim sum platter – I reckon it’d be divine with personal favourite scallop shumai!

* Vinhos Doidos Bossa Branco 2010 (DOC Bairrada) – with its saline edge and bright acidity, I’m told Bossa is the business with salt & pepper squid.

Quinta de la Rosa & Poeira Passagem Branco 2009 (DOC Douro) – this powerful, textured white wine with savoury and mineral notes was compared to a Burgundy so, based on my most recent adventures at Hakkasan (see here), I reckon it could be good with jasmine tea smoked chicken or maybe the steamed dover sole in garlic oyster sauce…

Julia Kemper Tinto Dão 2008 (DOC Dão) – with animated fresh fruits and dark spice, especially liquorice, this is a candidate for black pepper beef.

* Casal Branco Falcoaria 2006 (DOC Ribatejo/Tejo) – spicy with sweet plum, dried fruits (fig) and good underlying freshness, this cries out for sweet and sour dishes, ribs or Peking duck.

* Quinta de la Rosa Tinto 2008 (DOC Douro) – fattier meats, lamb and duck (stir fried not sweet and sour) were proposed as a foil to this fresh, mineral vintage, still quite closed (the 2006 vintage is currently listed).

Dão Sul Grande Encontro 2006 (DOC Bairrada) – though suckling pig is the traditional match for Bairrada reds, Hakkasan’s pork dishes  tend to have a sweetness which would clash with this wine, so more savoury dishes like stir fried ostrich with yellow bean sauce or duckling in claypot or red meats the order of the day here.

Vinhos Sogrape Callabriga Reserva 2004 (DOC Alentejo) – in southerly Alentejo, no problem with fruit sweetness and, with several years under its belt, there’s plenty of savouriness so, working with both of those elements (and the wine’s freshness), sweet and sour pork was proposed or, most un-Chinese, a cheese platter!