21 Wines for the Year of the Dog - Chinese New Year wine recommendations

Recommended by: Li Demei

As one of the earliest overseas producer to land in Ningxia, Chandon has gained a reputation in the Chinese market with its traditional method sparkling wines. The demi-sec ‘Me’ range is the latest addition to its portfolio, which is tailored for the domestic market.

This demi-sec Rosé sparkling is light pink in colour, with cheerful bubbles releasing peach, toast and nutty aromas. The palate is vibrant and clean, mildly sweet but not cloying. A classic sparkling wine made using the traditional method.

Recommended by: Li Demei

From flavour profiles, distribution channels and price, Changyu’s Zui Shi Xian (Drunken Poet) range is tailored for daily consumption.

This dry white wine is made using Welschriesling and features a nose of peach, apricot and white flowers, with hints of rose and lemon peel. The fresh, lemony palate is clean and bright. A wine that can adapt to a wide variety of dishes.

Recommended by: Li Demei

As we march into the Year of the Dog, it seems appropriate to celebrate with a bottle with a dog-themed label. The design refers to the features of a Tibetan Mastiff—symbolising its uniqueness and persistence. ‘AI’ in Chinese means ‘love’, but can also be explained as ‘artificial intelligence’—giving the design some futuristic touch.

I would recommend this wine as a light-hearted yet elegant gift choice for visiting families and friends.

Recommended by: Denis Lin (Wine Educator, CC Culture Communication Shanghai)

A timely discovery in California—a unique, dog-themed label perfect for the Year of the Dog.

Chardonnay is its main grape variety, with a small amount of Colombard. It has a rich, creamy and full flavour profile typical of the North Coast. It's a versatile wine that can match nicely with a huge variety of Chinese new year dishes.

Recommended by: Catherine Yen (Wine Educator)

This is a bone dry, unoaked, clean and tight Riesling. I really like this wine for its purity and mouthwatering acidity, with some chalkiness and an aroma of fresh lemon blossom and lime.

It's a good match to lightly seasoned fish dishes, but it also goes well with rich Chinese food such as beef curry due to its vibrant acidity.

The wine can be drunk young for those who like freshness in their wine, however, it can also age for 5-10 years for those who prefer complexity.

Recommended by: Maxime Lu (Chief Wine Editor, WINEONLINE.CN)

Fresh and clean, with a ripe citrus nose combined with exotic passion fruit and mango notes. Vibrant acidities give freshness to the rich palate, and the fruit follows through until the end. A nicely balanced wine.

I have chosen this typical Sauvignon Blanc for my wine beginner course, which has attracted students of different age coming from all over China. At the end of the course, almost every student came to ask how they can buy this wine. A perfect ‘crowd pleaser’ for your Chinese New Year gatherings.

Recommended by: Ian Dai (Wine& Spirit Buyer, Amazon China)

We always have a big family dinner on the eve of the Chinese New Year. It’s difficult to find a drink that pleases everyone— from my young cousins to my grandmother. Luckily my family are increasingly interested in wine, allowing me to find two affordable and everyday wine to match the festive feast.

A German Kabinett Riesling with its well-balanced sweet and crisp palate is my top choice. Goldtropfchen is one of the oldest vineyards in Mosel, which was first farmed by the Romans. This classic Mosel Riesling is light and fine, and you can savour the depth of the minerality, or indulge yourself in the sweet perfume of peach, apricot and honey.

Recommended by: Li Demei

Bordeaux wines enjoy such a fame in China, especially among wine drinkers—therefore, a Bordeaux dry red usually does the trick when you’re organising or attending gatherings. The Réserve Mouton Cadet exhibits the typical smoky oak and black fruit aromas of Bordeaux wines, in addition to a well-structured, balanced palate.

Recommended by: Li Demei

After winning the Platinum Best in Show Trophy at the 2017 Decanter Asia Wine Awards, this wine has attracted enormous interest from the Chinese wine market.

The Marselan grape, therefore, is increasingly considered as the potential ‘new star’ in China. A smoky blackberry nose combines with hints of lychee and mint. There are bright fruit flavours on the palate, well-balanced with a sweet finish.

Recommended by: Corinne Mui (AWSEC)

If you would like to be as curious as the zodiac animal in the Year of the Dog, there are a lot of exciting new wines to be discovered in southern Chile. Miguel Torres has been committed to (re-)discovering the southern regions with a strong commitment to the age old varieties, like Cinsault in Itata Valley. This attractive and easy to drink wine, with abundant fresh wild berry and some nutty notes, is the perfect choice for CNY gatherings.

Recommended by: Maxime Lu

I have attended quite a few wine tastings in the last few months, but it was this wine that really made an impression. Light and bright in colour, with sweet spice and hawthorn aromas and mineral notes from the active stratovolcano Mount Etna.

Mid-to-full-bodied, elegant and fine, it has a clean, fresh palate and firm tannin structure. The acidity is vibrant but not too sharp, with some concentration and fairly long finish.

As a red wine at an affordable price of 100 RMB (11 GBP), this is a bottle that shows some regional and varietal typicity and depth, and ca be enjoyed by both wine geeks and beginners.

Recommended by: Li Demei

Besides everyday wines, you also need a few special bottles to treat your wine-loving friends and family. This wine is especially suitable for a blind tasting.

The Escarpment estate is known for its unique and high quality Pinot Noir. This wine exhibits opulent red fruit, candied hawthorn aromas, hints of mineral and a gamey character. Fine tannins and bright acidity lead onto a long and pure finish.

Recommended by: Adrian Zhang (Park Hyatt Shanghai)

There are many good wines in the world, but truly stunning, heavenly wines are scarce. I believe this is one of them.

A discreet yet persistent floral nose leads into a palate with ample acidity, not too sharp, which supports the ripe red fruit flavours. Tannins are subtle and fine, yet firm.

Recommended by: Julien Bouard (Zhulian Wines Consulting)

Introduced by missionaries four centuries ago, País is arguably the first vitis vinifera to arrive in America, where it is called ‘Mission’, suggesting its importance and usage at that time.

During the last decade, many wineries in Chile started to rediscover País, making easy-drinking red wines that reflect the terroir.

The Bouchon family harvested wild País from the forest to make this wine. The grapes were destemmed by hand and made without the use of sulphur dioxide or filtration. This is indeed a wine ‘made by nature’.

It’s neither too complex nor extremely intense, but it's clean with light red fruit flavours, a refreshing palate and light body, which is an intoxicating combination. This is the wine that will help me fully relax during the Chinese New Year holiday!

Recommended by: Corinne Mui (AWSEC)

Celebrate the Chinese New Year with the ‘close to perfection’ Australian Grenache. With 15% whole bunches and 16 months ageing in used 500l French oak puncheons, this wine has a rounded texture and sweet fruits, with some Asian spices in the background. A perfect match with the sweet, complex brown sugar and coconut milk flavours of the sticky rice cake (Nian Gao年糕), a popular Cantonese CNY food.

Recommended by Silven Wong (MGM Macau)

A warm, gentle wine that calls to mind Avignon in early Summer - juicy plum, Provencal herbs, lavender and a dust of pepper – a perfect accompanimen to the flavour-charged banquets during the turn of the lunar year. The communes of the southern Rhone are getting more popular by the day, so drink up while it still offers tremendous value!

Recommended by: Ian Dai

This Syrah from the northern Rhone made using traditional methods is a nice choice for your Chinese New Year dinner. No-one could resist the violet and plum perfume of this wine; the fine structure, on the other hand, allows the enthusiast to savour and enjoy.

St-Joseph based Pierre Gonon insists on traditional winemaking, using 100 year old large wood barrels for fermentation, after which they are aged in old barriques.

The two wines I have recommended are both light-flavoured and widely adaptable to all kinds of food. The light sweetness of many Chinese dishes makes it hard to pair with wine. Strong-flavoured wines (such as heavily oaked or over-ripe wines), tend to be too ‘loud’ when paired with Chinese food, and I would suggest avoiding them.

Recommended by: Li Demei

Australian wines have been highly visible in the Chinese market in recent years, and Shiraz has been the driving force.

This Coonawarra Shiraz features concentrated black fruit, liquorice and smoky mineral aromas. The sweet and nourishing palate offers plenty of fruit. Full bodied and very powerful.

Recommended by: Mabel Lai (Hong Kong Wine Academy)

This wine is made in the renowned region of Barossa in south Australia. It achieved a Bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2016. The Shiraz grapes are sourced from some of the oldest low-yielding vineyards in the region. It is matured in 100% new French oak hogsheads. It is deep in colour, highly concentrated with blueberry and dark plum, and layered with black pepper, liquorice, hints of vanilla and dark chocolate. It has dense tannins and a lingering finish. This is well paired with the Chinese New Year food such as pig knuckle or stewed black mushroom with dried oysters.