The Xiao Long Bao is a favourite Chinese food in Singapore. It has fragrant skin on the outside and rich, savory flavors of minced pork filling on the inside. Because the pork meat’s juice is also wrapped within the skin, biting into the dumpling releases a burst of flavor.

Each Xiao Long Bao is special because each one takes precise technique and careful attention to make. Such a work of art should be celebrated with a good wine pairing. To highlight the savoriness of the Xiao Long Bao, pair it with a wine with sufficient acidity.

A good wine to pair this fragrant dumpling with is a Condrieu, an amazing Rhone appellation, known for producing white wines with unique notes of peach, apricots and flowers.

The acidity of this wine refreshes the meat dumpling and cuts through its greasiness, creating a light sensation. Fruity, perfume notes from the Condrieu create adequate complexity in the pairing. In addition to the flavors in this pairing, the mouthfeel is also satisfying as the medium-bodied weight of the wine matches the delicate texture of the dumpling’s skin.

So the next time you celebrate a special occasion, try this special pairing. You’ll be in for a treat.

More wine pairings are available here (examples of pairings with French wines: Pad Thai, Seafood Laksa, Beef Steak, Sushi, Singaporean Chicken Rice, Peking Duck, Roast Lamb...)

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