Asian food & wine

Welcome to Asian Palate's exciting world of food and wine!

We are at an amazing period where our dining culture is increasingly making room for wine. Our goal is to focus on both Asian food trends as well as wine trends, but what really excites us is the juncture where the two meet. While we are based in Hong Kong, our network is regional and we rely on our team of wine and food experts throughout Asia to offer a regional view of the dynamic food and wine scene.

Browse through our Pairing Concepts to discover how Asian flavours impact wine and vice versa. Curious to learn more about wine? Spend some time in our Savouring Wine section where you can discover major wine styles, learn about key grape varieties or familiarize yourself with the vocabulary of wine through the glossary.

Our most exciting and dynamic pages are in the Trends section where stories and news on Asian food and wine are updated almost daily. This section includes commentary on the latest wine auctions, international and local wine consumption and sales trends as well as Asian food and restaurant trends.

These pages celebrate the world of Asian food and wine, which for me is not a concept, but rather an everyday reality. I know from experience that it is impossible to think of matching one wine with one dish - throw this outdated approach out the window! A typical family meal at home consists of a bowl of rice with at least six to ten different dishes, which often includes the spicy, garlic-laden fermented cabbage, kimchi. Each bite is different from the last; there is a much wider range of flavours and flavour combinations; there is greater intensity of flavours including the heat and spices of chilis.

This reality requires a new paradigm where wines are chosen for their versatility and ability to pair with a wide range of flavours. It also requires a wine that respects the umami flavours in numerous Asian dishes, understands the impact of intense flavours and condiments and considers the texture and quality of ingredients. 

While a perfect pairing between an Asian meal and wine may be an ideal, a harmonious accompaniment is often possible. Wine is often chosen to complement, contrast or accompany food; understanding their purpose at our dining table helps us to narrow the wine choices and provide some guidance on the best pairings.

TO COMPLEMENT
The general rule is that wine should not dominate nor diminish the integrity of the dish, resulting in a harmonious match that enhances the meal; e.g. spicy stewed meats with spicy full-bodied red wines

TO CONTRAST
Flavours such as fatty with sweet, sweet with sour, spicy with sweet; contrasting is especially challenging with Asian cuisines since many delicate dishes can be drastically altered with wine’s potentially aggressive characters such as oak, tannins or sweet, overtly fruit flavours; e.g. spicy stir-fry chicken can be contrasted with off-dry wines

TO ACCOMPANY
Wine plays a background role without detracting from the integrity of the dishes; match the dishes’ richness and weight to the wine’s weight, body and alcohol content; e.g. dim sum with light-bodied Pinot Noir.