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CHOWS DIM SUM LUNCH WINE PAIRINGS . by Si Hall & Tom Cartwright
It ' s always great fun to pair Chinese food with wine . The bold , spicy , umami and sweet flavours of the dishes and the variety of textures , lend themselves to be accompanied by a whole host of exciting wines , spanning continents and styles , aromatic , sweet , sparkling and even fortified wines . With a food culture as rich and complex as the Chinese have , the opportunity for incredible wine pairings are endless .
Chows are an independent family run business , who have been a stalwart of the community in Parkgate , operating from their 19th century restaurant overlooking the Dee Estuary for over 40 years . Its fair to say they know their customers very well . The new dim sum lunch is a celebration of this , eight dishes of customer favourites paired with a variety of exciting wines . We sampled six of the dishes and paired them with the three wines detailed below .
Course 1 :
• Steamed BBQ Pork Buns and Salt and Chilli Squid .
• Wine : Hencote Evolution 2020 , Shropshire , England ( sparkling ).
To find a wine that works with both dishes was a challenge ! When you have such bold flavours , it ’ s always a safe bet to go for a sparkling wine with high acidity . It acts as a palate cleanser refreshing the tastebuds when alternating between very different flavours . We opted for Hencote Evolution a non-conformist English Sparkling wine , grown and made a couple of miles away from Tanners Wines head office in Shrewsbury . Grown at about as northernly latitude as wine grapes grow , wine making in Shropshire is no small feat and Hencote Evolution is a testament to this . In 2020 they lost a large proportion of their crop to adverse weather . Left with some Pinot Noir , Pinot Meunier , Solaris and a larger amount of hardy Seyval Blanc , they combined these together to make Evolution . A field blend made in the charmat method prior to undergoing just six months ageing in the bottle before its release . The result , a wine with aromas of fresh elderflower and green apple this I confirmed on the palate wrapped up within its fine and lively bubbles . The perfect pairing both to the Bao Bun and the Squid .
Course 3 :
• Duck spring rolls and Vietnamese spring rolls
• Wine : Vigna Senza Nome Moscato d ’ Asti , Langhe , Italy ( Sparkling ).
Deep fried duck spring rolls and fresh mint , lettuce , avocado , pork and prawn filled Vietnamese rolls are very contrasting flavours , so we went for another fizz , this time a Moscato d ’ Asti . This low alcohol sweet sparkling wine from Piedmonte held up to the richness of the duck spring roll and its sweet hoi sin sauce , as well as being fresh enough to compliment the Vietnamese rolls . This Moscato d ’ Asti is from Braida , a 3rd generation family run estate in Piedmonte . Vigna Senza Nome translates as vineyard without a name – a playful name for the vineyard that grows their Moscato grapes on the side of a hill near the town of Mango in the Langhe district . The letter G is highlighted on the label signifying the passing down of knowledge and tradition from each generation of the family , Giuseppe , Giacomo and then Giuseppe again . Moscato is a spirited , aromatic and delightfully sweet wine with flavours of orange blossom , rose and fresh fruits .
Join the wine club at Chows , it ’ s staggeringly good value , with membership you can get these excellent wines for , wait for it ... £ 80 a year (£ 96 inc vat ) Which is £ 8 per bottle , per month ( when accompanied with a two course meal ), and membership gives you a reduction on their other party and event facilities . The whole team are and always have been consistently superb .
Try out this new menu , it ’ s a great idea , it ' s not just for special occasions . Full marks ! Highly recommended . Book on 0151 336 2385 or online www . resdiary . com
Course 2 :
• Steamed Pork and Prawns Dumplings .
• Wine : Martin Pomfy Rizling Vlasky . Ruban , Slovakia
Both dumplings worked well with this smart Slovakian white , it ’ s a slightly off dry wine which gives it a creamy texture that helps balance out the sharp vinegar and chilli heats of the accompanying dipping sauce . The wine has a great citrus fruit character and zest to it , making it a good fit for the bold flavours in this dish . The winemaker , Martin Pomfy , is a pioneer of the wine renaissance happening in post-communist Slovakia , with a focus on high quality and expressing the individuality of each site . This wine is a great example of their ethos . Made from grapes grown near the village of Ruban in the south west of the country .
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