Chinese New Year Wine Guide
Thoughtful bottles for festive snacks and reunion tables
Chinese New Year rarely follow a fixed order. Snacks are shared before the main dishes arrive, flavours overlap, and the table evolves over the course of the evening. In this setting, wine works best when it is adaptable rather than prescriptive.
On 1 Feb, we hosted our first Wine Education session, Sip Swirl Savour, together with Singapore Wine Club. For this session, the wines were paired with classic Chinese New Year snacks. It was a practical approach, and a revealing one. Wines that sit comfortably alongside festive snacks tend to carry through the rest of the meal with ease.
This article reflects our take on wines available on straitswine.com that work naturally with Chinese New Year food. These are not comparisons or rules, but considered suggestions for wines that complement festive flavours and shared tables. We encourage you to explore them in a way that suits your own celebrations.
Sparkling wines that open the mood, not just the evening
Best with: Pineapple tarts, bak kwa, mixed nuts, first toasts that turn into second pours
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Wabi-Sabi Space Bubbles Green NV (Austria)
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Raventós Gran Reserva de la Finca 2020 (Spain) More measured and quietly confident. This sparkling wine settles comfortably alongside richer snacks like bak kwa or savoury pastries. It doesn’t rush the moment, and that restraint feels particularly welcome during festive gatherings. |
White wines that keep the table civil
Best with: Seafood snacks, vegetables, balancing sweet-savoury combinations
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Johannes Zillinger Numen Fumé Blanc 2020 (Austria) Textured, slightly smoky, and layered enough to stand up to savoury snacks and early dishes. This is a white wine that doesn’t fade when flavours deepen, making it a steady presence as snacking turns into dining. |
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Château de Tracy Pouilly-Fumé 2023 (France) Clean, mineral, and quietly precise. When the table starts to feel busy and flavours overlap, this wine brings a sense of order back to the palate. Refreshing without being sharp, composed without being distant. |
Reds that understand sharing culture
Best with: Bak kwa, roast meats, dishes that arrive without warning Cabernet Sauvignon for the long goodbye
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Pranzegg Laurenc 2019 (Italy, Alto Adige) An expressive red that evolves gently as the evening unfolds. It feels conversational rather than declarative, making it well suited to shared dishes and long stretches at the table. |
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Structured yet balanced, this is a red that feels at home with classic reunion dishes. It pairs naturally with roast meats and savoury flavours, bringing a sense of calm to the table without demanding attention. Reliable, composed, and well suited to festive meals that unfold at their own pace. |
Cabernet Sauvignon for the long goodbye
Best with: Hearty dishes, late-night pours, unspoken extensions of the gathering
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Craven Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (South Africa) Fresh, restrained, and quietly assured. This is a Cabernet that respects tired palates and slower pacing, making it a good choice once the meal has officially ended but no one has actually left. |
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Juniper Cornerstone Wilyabrup Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Australia) Deeper and more contemplative, this wine suits the final phase of the evening. Best poured when conversation softens and the snacks reappear “just in case”. |
The quiet logic of Chinese New Year wine
Chinese New Year food is generous, varied, and unapologetically mixed. The best wines don’t try to keep up. They adapt. They sit comfortably through sweet, savoury, rich, and light without asking for attention.
These wines are our idea of smart choices for Chinese New Year. Bottles that snack well, dine well, and stay composed no matter how the evening unfolds.
Open them early. Leave them on the table. Let them do their work quietly.
All wines mentioned are available on straitswine.com.
