Dine at home and match classic Cantonese dishes with lesser-known Bourgogne wines

One unexpected upshot of the stay-at-home global pandemic is people’s increasing appetites to become more creative with their cooking and drinking at home. One way of elevating the domestic dinner-table offering is by pairing your dishes with the appropriate Burgundy wines – not of the stratospherically expensive auction kind, but what the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) calls the lesser-known, more affordable “hidden treasures” of the region’s appellations. 

Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Jean-Philippe Marchand (2018)

These include Bourgogne and Mâcon, which perfectly complement the comfort food classics of Cantonese cuisine. It all makes perfect sense, given the city’s relationship with the French jurisdiction. Hong Kong retains its special place as a high-value market for Bourgogne wines, with year-on-year exports increasing 5.9% in volume and 8% in value in 2018–19, according to BIVB. 

“These wines offer an entry point into the unique terroirs of the famous region with incredible taste and price-to-quality ratio,” says Anne Moreau, the president of BIVB’s communication committee. “They highlight areas in the Bourgogne or Mâcon appellations with specific characteristics. This narrows the wine down to a village, such as Mâcon-Uchizy, Mâcon-Lugny or Bourgogne Épineuil, to name just a few; to a distinct part of a region, such as Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise or Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune; or even to a climat, such as Bourgogne La Chapelle Notre-Dame and Bourgogne Côte Saint-Jacques.”

“Bourgogne and Mâcon, plus the geographical denominations, are a true gateway to Bourgogne terroir, whatever the occasion or meal,” says Moreau. “Often ready to drink from a young age, they marry with a wide range of diverse cuisines, and are also the perfect choice to enjoy at home with friends and family over a home-style Cantonese dinner.”

Indeed, many of Burgundy’s admired (and accessible) Bourgogne and Mâcon wines are especially complementary for Cantonese cuisine and its numerous culinary styles across Guangdong. The following six reds and whites can be purchased in Hong Kong with ease.

Mâcon-Cruzille, Cuvée 910, Domaine du Clos des Vignes du Maynes (2018) is recommended for deep-fried crispy chicken, a classic Cantonese favourite, with the wine’s refreshing acidity reducing the greasiness, and the cherry and cranberry flavours complementing the chicken flavour like a plum sauce. (HK$365 at La Cabane)

Barbecued pork is an icon of Guangdong cuisine – tender to the bite, charred and slightly crunchy on the outside, with a smoky caramel flavour. Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Jean-Philippe Marchand (2018) matches the sweetness with fresh fruit flavours of blackcurrant and blueberry, and an aroma of mint. (HK$268 at The Wine Guild)

Guangdong’s famed speciality of steamed Chencun rice noodles with beef brisket pairs perfectly with Bourgogne Le Chapitre, Le Chapitre Suivant, René Bouvier (2017). It lifts the sweetness of rice noodles with the wine’s fragrance of roses and peony, with a peppery taste. (HK$307 at SommTech)

Celebratory steamed seasonal fish is a perfect pairing with Bourgogne Chitry, Domaine Alice et Olivier de Moor (2018) – an easy-drinking wine with a matching salty mineral taste, and the aroma of lemon to enhance the vital umami flavours. (HK$260 at La Cabane)

A Chaozhou classic is pan-fried oyster pancake, using baby oysters in a thin and crispy omelette, served with fish sauce on the side. Mâcon-Fuissé, Les Tâches, Domaine Pierre Vessigaud (2017) features lemon and citrus acidity that matches ideally with the metallic, briny taste of oysters. (HK$270 at Natural Food & Beverages) 

Steamed pork spare ribs coated with glutinous rice is a classic and pairs well with Mâcon-Lugny, Les Genièvres, Maison Louis Latour (2017), its honey flavours matching the sweetness of glutinous rice, and its white floral aromas being ideal for steamed dishes. (HK$164 at SommTech)

Bourgogne-Chitry, Domaine Alice et Olivier de Moor (2018)

Mâcon-Lugny, Les Genièvres, Maison Louis Latour (2017)

Bourgogne Le Chapitre, Le Chapitre Suivant, René Bouvier (2017)

Mâcon-Cruzille, Cuvée 910, Domaine du Clos des Vignes du Maynes (2018)

Mâcon-Fuissé, Les Tâches, Domaine Pierre Vessigaud (2017)

Images provided to China Daily

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