Wine with Chinese Roasted Goose

Roasted goose is the dish that made world-renowned Hong Kong restaurant Yung Kee one of the greatest dining outlets in the world. Lovers of their roasted goose put Yats Wine Cellars to the task to answer the question of what wine to enjoy with this delectable Chinese dish.

As it turned out, the classic pairing of Burgundy with Duck works perfectly in the domain of Chinese cuisine also. The winner was this 1990 Corton Marechaudes because of its rich earthy flavors, ample cooked red fruits flavors and aromas and most importantly vigorous enough to cut through the grease and most of the tannins already resolved as it enters middle-age. A younger Pinot Noir with less acidity and less-than-perfect balance could have produced unpleasant edges in the pairing.

When this same pairing was to a test this time with the roasted goose served at room temperature, neat with now sauce, served over steamed rice, the results were even better. The gamey flavors of the goose came through nicely and that was a welcome feature for the Grand Cru Burgundy.
Other pairings were tried and many produced good results. That bore testimony to the versatility and wine-friendliness of this chinese dish.

Another wine that was absolutely marvellous with the roasted goose was a cool 95 Brunello di Montalcino which was admittedly needed a few more years to shed some remaining harsh tannins. Tannins are not a problem with the next pairing, 1961 Ch. Smith-Haut-Lafite which worked brilliantly.

If you have a pairing that you would like our opinion or a question about how to pair wine with a particular chinese dish,
email Wine@Yats-International.com. For more information about Yats Restaurant, please visit www.YatsRestaurant.com.