Wine with Chinese food, without overthinking it

Big oaky whites and heavy tannic reds fall apart against this food. Chilli amplifies alcohol, soy flattens fruit, and ginger makes oak taste like sawdust. None of which means you should stick to beer.

The one rule

A little sweetness and plenty of acidity. That combination cools chilli, stands up to salt and refreshes the palate between very different dishes. Almost everything on our list was chosen against that test.

Three that work

An off-dry Riesling from the Mosel is the single most useful bottle we pour. Low in alcohol, high in acid, faintly sweet — it makes Sichuan chicken taste better rather than louder.

Beaujolais-Villages, served slightly cool, is our first suggestion with aromatic duck. Soft tannin, bright red fruit, and no oak to argue with the five spice.

Gewürztraminer from Alsace smells of lychee and rose, which sounds like a gimmick and is not. Against five spice and star anise it is uncanny.

If you would rather we chose, tell us what you have ordered and roughly what you would like to spend. We will bring something and open it at the table.