Will It Pair? Xiǎn Bǐng & Lightly Macerated Merlot 🇨🇳🇫🇷

The short answer is: no, it won't

If you ask the common man what’s the point of pairing food and wine, he’ll probably tell you that it brings friends together and makes the food taste even better. None of this scientific nitpicking is included. So why did I choose to write a series about this then? In an Instagram series I started with legendary Mr. Chua from Thirsty at Midnight, we wanted to explore Asia through the diversity of wine and drink. In the very first episode, that started completely unplanned, we paired xiǎn bǐng, a savoury Chinese stuffed pastry, with Mataburro Idoine 2023, a lightly macerated Merlot from Roussillon, France. We felt that Asian cuisine didn’t get enough spotlight in the wine world and this pairing intrigued me so much, that I decided to replace last year’s Wine Wits with a 52-week series named Will It Pair?

While part of this series will be behind a paywall, I promise you it’s an investment in something worthwhile. This isn’t just another collection of recipes or bullshit Western-centric pairing tips. I’ll be diving deep into the culinary traditions of Asia (both through travels and social gatherings), exploring in substantial detail how to pair them with wines from all over the world, and sharing my findings with you, dear readers.

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