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Top 10 Wines for Chinese New Year
As Chinese race to celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Rooster next week (28 January), we’ve asked merchants for their recommendations for this festive occasion from budget bottles to China’s favourite clarets and Chile’s premium reds.
There are rich, sumptuous reds for dumplings and suckling pigs; clarets for stewed meaty dishes; zesty and refreshing whites for more delicate dim sum, and even a sweet wine for all the spicy food lovers who might huddle around a camp stove for a steamy, boiling Sichuan hot pot.
We rounded up 10 picks recommended by leading wine merchants in China to help us select the best bottles for the celebrations. All the wines are available in Mainland China.
Happy Chinese New Year (新年快乐)!
DBR Lafite Légende Pauillac 2012
This claret from Lafite Rothschild family’s lower range wines is one of the most popular reds in China.
Légende Pauillac is made from grapes grown in Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)’s own vineyards. Compared with Lafite’s Grand Vin, the wine’s structure is less concentrated than their prestigious elders.
“They offer an original, unique style, with the fullness and complexity for which the appellation is renowned for. DBR Lafite is one of the best known wine brands among Chinese consumers. The five-arrow logo is widely recognised for its prestige,” Matthew Gong, PR manager of ASC Fine Wines, enthused.
“It will be a great choice for Chinese New Year dinner. The wine will definitely give the host a lot of ‘face’,” he added referring to what Chinese call Mian Zi for respect.
Yalumba The Virgilius Viognier 2013
Yalumba was one of the earliest Australian winemakers to be seduced by Viognier’s charms, with the first plantings established in 1980 at Eden Valley.
The wine was first released in 1998 after two decades of experimentation and research. It captured and retained the lusciousness of a great Viognier. It is “unctuous and complex while at the same time showing restraint,” said ASC’s Matthew Gong.
“During the Chinese New Year, family banquet is a must. Aromatic Viognier – to me – is a white wine with powerful red wine body. It can go very well with almost all kinds of Chinese food in different styles. It is very aromatic and, therefore, appealing to both new and experienced wine lovers, even to grandma and aunties, who don’t normally drink wine. This could be a great choice.”
Grace Vineyard New Year Wine 2017
Each Chinese New Year, Grace Vineyard, a leading Chinese boutique winery, releases a new year wine, made from Cabernet Sauvignon grown from its vineyards in Shanxi and Ningxia provinces in northwestern China.
“We enjoy making this wine
This “fresh and easy” wine is made by carbonic maceration and shows aromas of red fruits, spices.
Grace Vineyard has recently partnered with ASC to distribute its wines in China. Unfortunately, the wine is only given to the winery’s special customers, employees and friends. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle, we advise you to drink up.
McGuigan Black Label Red Year of the Rooster 2015
Reportedly the number one selling red wine in Australia, this red shows rich fruit flavours and a smooth mouth-filling finish with spice, plum, cherry and blackberry.
The Black Label red, available at COFCO, was bottled specially for the upcoming Chinese New Year with an image of a golden rooster and the Chinese character 福, meaning ‘blessing’ in Chinese.
Spring Festival dishes such as suckling pig, beef stew and various red meat dishes served at new year’s eve dinner table would pair nicely with this aromatic wine, according to COFCO.
Penfolds Max’s The Promise Shiraz 2015
The newly released red from Penfolds’ Max range is a pure Shiraz, launched specially for the Chinese New Year with the auspicious red packaging and rooster image.
The deep-coloured wine has notes of chocolate, coffee and dark fruits.
“This is a wine launched every year in limited quantity for wine lovers. It’s a quality wine that should be drunk for celebrations” COFCO’s Wine and Spirits Department commented.
Pian Delle Vigne Rosso di Montalcino
A red from Italy’s renowned Antinori family, this Rosso di Montalicno was first created in 2012 after several years of experimentation.
The wine shows a complex nose of cherries, plums and red berry fruits. Its name is transliterated as Ping An in Chinese, meaning ‘safe’ in English, one of the reasons why COFCO recommended the red as a good drinking choice as well as well-wished gift for relatives and friends.
“The label’s design also echoes Chinese black and red calligraphy, symbolising auspiciousness and togetherness,” said COFCO.
Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
A pure Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile’s Concha y Toro, Don Melchor is made from the best grapes from seven different parcels in Puente Alto vineyard.
A delicate and silky red, this is a wine that pairs nicely with most of the common Chinese meat dishes for new year’s eve dinner. One to savour and at 14.6% don’t down the whole bottle in one sitting as we’ve seen with some ferocious Baijiu drinkers.
Dr. Loosen Riseling Beerenauslese 2013
This sweet wine from Germany’s Mosel valley by its leading producer Dr. Loosen. Made from selected botrytis affected berries, the wine is lusciously sweet yet with good acidity.
“This is a great wine to sip with various Chinese New Year festive desserts, and also a fantastic option for gifting as the wine comes with a nice tube package,” said Cindy Chan of agents Summergate.
For adventurous and unconventional new year revelers, this is a good choice to match with the spiciness and greasiness in a lot of Sichuan and Hunan cuisine.
Kanaan Pretty Pony 2013
An elegant red from another Chinese winery called Kanaan, nestled in Helan Moutain area in Ningxia of southwest China.
Produced in limited quantities, the wine is described by Cindy Chan of Summergate as “a perfect match with a sumptuous Chinese banquet.” A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the wine was awarded winner of Best China Red Trophy at Wine 100 in 2015 in Mainland China.
Kanaan Pretty Pony opens up with pronounced aromas of black fruit, coffee, cinnamon and chocolate. It’s balanced with nice acidity and liveliness if you are worried about fattening food and heavy drinking.
Fifty Shades of Grey ‘Red Satin’
A wine made by the author of the erotic romance novel Fifty Shades of Grey, the red can surely spice up any Chinese New Year celebration.
A blend of primarily Petit Sirah and Syrah, the wine is aged in a combination of new and old French oak barrels. Pair this red with more exotic Chinese New Year dishes if you are feeling the vibes of the novel.
Available at YesMyWine.com for 288 RMB (US$42).