Almost every wine guide ever written is built around European food — a Bordeaux with a ribeye, a Chablis with oysters, a Sancerre with goat's cheese. Useful, if your dinner happens to be in Paris. Considerably less useful when you're tackling chilli crab in East Coast, dim sum in Chinatown, or laksa at the kopitiam down the road. So here's the guide nobody else seems to write: what to actually pour with the food we actually eat in Singapore.
The good news is that wine and Asian food can be a brilliant pairing — better in many cases than the European default. The trick is letting go of the rules you've been taught and learning a few new ones. Heat, sweetness, fermentation, umami, and aromatic spice all reward different wines than a Sunday roast does. Below, we walk through six iconic Asian dishes — from chilli crab to Peking duck — with verified bottle picks for each, all in stock at The Liquid Collection.
A Quick Cheat Sheet
Before the dishes, four shortcuts that will help you pair wine with almost any Asian dish — even ones not on this list.
| If the dish is... | Reach for... |
|---|---|
| Spicy / chilli-heavy | Off-dry Riesling, dry Rosé, or sparkling. The slight sweetness or bubbles tame the burn. Avoid high-alcohol, oaky reds — they amplify the heat. |
| Salty / soy-driven / umami | Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, light Italian reds. Umami needs gentle red fruit and acidity, not big tannin. A crisp Pinot Gris or Chardonnay works too. |
| Sweet-savoury / hoisin / char siew | Fruity New World reds — Malbec, juicy Shiraz, Pinot Noir. The fruit echoes the glaze; soft tannins don't fight the sweetness. |
| Delicate / raw / steamed | Sauvignon Blanc, Champagne / sparkling, Pinot Gris. Bright acidity refreshes the palate; nothing overwhelms the food. |
Why it's tricky: Chilli crab combines four difficult elements at once — sweetness (from the sauce), heat (from chilli), umami (from tomato and egg), and richness (from the seafood itself). A big tannic red is wrong; the chilli will scream against it. What you want is a wine with a touch of sweetness or bright acidity, low alcohol, and aromatic lift — to refresh the palate between bites and tame the heat. Aromatic whites and bone-dry rosés are the move.
Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Riesling
$46.00 SGD
Lime zest, green apple, white flowers, and a touch of residual sugar that wraps perfectly around chilli heat. The single most reliable pairing for Singapore chilli crab — and at $46, the kind of bottle you can keep on hand for any spicy seafood night.
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Astoria Prosecco
$32.00 SGD
When in doubt, open bubbles. Astoria's gentle pear-and-apple Prosecco, with its soft mousse and lightly off-dry finish, refreshes the palate between every spicy mouthful. Brilliant value for a four-person crab dinner.
Shop Astoria ProseccoWhy it's tricky: Coconut milk adds richness on top of the chilli, so your wine needs to cut through fat as well as tame heat. A bone-dry rosé works (acidity cuts the coconut), but the real surprise hero is a low-alcohol sparkling spritz — refreshing, light, and absolutely not trying to compete with the food.
Chandon Garden Spritz
$52.00 SGD
A low-alcohol sparkling spritz from Chandon, infused with bitter orange peel and herbs. Light, citrus-driven, refreshing — the rare wine that genuinely lifts laksa rather than fighting it. Perfect for Singapore's heat, and a brilliant party pour.
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Chateau La Castillonne Sauvignon Blanc
$32.00 SGD
Bright, citrus-driven, with a touch of green herbal lift — exactly what coconut-based curries need to keep the palate awake. A simple, well-made French Sauvignon Blanc that punches well above its $32 price tag.
Shop the Sauvignon BlancWhy it's tricky: Dim sum runs the gamut — from delicate steamed prawn dumplings to glazed BBQ pork buns to deeply savoury roasted meats — often within the same meal. You need a wine that can handle range. The answer is almost always one of two things: a quality Chardonnay (with body to match the richer dishes but acidity to handle the steamed) or a light Pinot Noir that doesn't fight the soy and umami.
Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Chardonnay
$46.00 SGD
A medium-bodied Chardonnay with apple, peach and a touch of vanilla — enough body for siu mai and char siew, enough acidity for har gow. The single most flexible white wine for a full dim sum brunch.
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Duck Hunter Marlborough Pinot Noir
$43.00 SGD
Light-bodied Pinot Noir with red cherry, raspberry and a touch of earthiness — soft enough not to bully the steamed dishes, structured enough to handle char siew, soy-glazed pork and roast goose. Pinot Noir is the secret weapon of Cantonese wine pairing.
Shop the Pinot NoirWhy it's tricky: Sushi is delicate — the wrong wine flattens it. Big oaky whites and tannic reds are out. What you want is high acidity, low alcohol, and bright aromatics — Champagne is the textbook pairing (Blanc de Blancs especially), but on a more accessible budget, a quality Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough nails it. For yakitori or robatayaki, switch to a light Pinot Noir.
Duck Hunter Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
$38.00 SGD
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is the world's best $40 sushi wine — period. Razor-sharp acidity, grapefruit, passionfruit and a clean mineral finish. Lifts every piece of nigiri and refreshes the palate between bites. Drink it noticeably chilled.
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Argiano Rosso di Montalcino
$68.00 SGD
For yakitori, robatayaki, or anything off the charcoal — a medium-bodied Sangiovese with cherry, leather and savoury earth notes. Tuscan acidity cuts through tare glazes; soft tannins don't fight the meat. A genuinely classy way to drink red with Japanese food.
Shop Argiano RossoWhy it's perfect for wine: Grilled meats finally let you drink the kind of red wine most people think they're supposed to drink — a juicy, fruit-forward, medium-tannin red. The char on the meat is the link to oak; the marinade sweetness echoes the wine's fruit. This is one category where Asian food and big New World reds genuinely sing together.
Kaiken Estate Malbec
$45.00 SGD
Argentine Malbec is built for grilled meats — plush dark fruit, soft tannins, a touch of plummy sweetness that matches gochujang and char siew marinades. Kaiken Estate is the Argentine arm of legendary Chilean producer Montes, and at $45, this is one of the smartest red wine buys in the catalogue.
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Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
$108.00 SGD
Sometimes nicknamed "Baby Grange" — Penfolds' classic Cabernet-Shiraz blend, structured, generous and built for the grill. Dark berry fruit, mocha, fine-grained tannin, and enough power to handle short ribs, satay sauce, and well-marinated bulgogi. A serious wine for a serious meat-driven dinner.
Shop Penfolds Bin 389Why it works beautifully: Sweet-savoury glazed meats — Peking duck especially — are arguably the most wine-friendly Asian dishes of all. The fat needs cutting, the hoisin sweetness wants matching, and the umami of well-aged roast meat rewards a wine with real character. A juicy Italian red is the classic move; a Ripasso or Valpolicella absolutely nails it.
Brigaldara Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore
$55.00 SGD
Ripasso is Valpolicella's "richer cousin" — refermented over Amarone pomace for extra depth, cherry, chocolate and a touch of dried-fruit sweetness. The result is exquisite with Peking duck: the wine echoes the hoisin glaze, the structure handles the crispy skin, the acidity refreshes between pancakes.
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Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Shiraz
$48.00 SGD
Barossa Shiraz is built for sweet-savoury roasts — blackberry, plum, a touch of black pepper, and just enough fruit-forward generosity to wrap around hoisin, soy and Char Siew glaze. The everyday choice for crispy duck nights at home.
Shop Barossa ShirazFrequently Asked Questions
What is the best wine for chilli crab?
An off-dry Riesling is the textbook pairing. The slight residual sugar tames the chilli heat, while the high acidity cuts through the rich tomato-and-egg sauce. Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Riesling ($46) is the everyday choice. A good Prosecco or Champagne also works beautifully — the bubbles refresh the palate between every spicy mouthful.
What wine goes with dim sum?
For a full dim sum brunch, a medium-bodied Chardonnay is the most flexible choice — enough body for siu mai and char siew bao, enough acidity for delicate steamed dumplings. For red wine drinkers, a light Pinot Noir is excellent and handles soy-glazed and roasted dishes beautifully. Champagne is the luxurious choice and pairs with absolutely everything dim sum serves.
Can you drink red wine with Asian food?
Absolutely — you just need to pick the right reds. Light, fruit-forward, lower-tannin reds (Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Valpolicella, Sangiovese) work brilliantly with Cantonese, Japanese and sweet-savoury Asian dishes. Bigger, riper reds (Malbec, Shiraz, Cabernet) shine with Korean BBQ, satay and char-grilled meats. The wines to avoid with most Asian food are heavily-oaked, high-alcohol, big-tannin reds — they amplify chilli heat and overwhelm delicate seafood.
What wine goes with sushi and sashimi?
Bright, dry whites with high acidity are the move. Champagne is the textbook pairing (especially Blanc de Blancs); on a more accessible budget, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($38) is the world's best $40 sushi wine. For yakitori or anything from the grill, switch to a light Pinot Noir or a medium-bodied Italian red.
What's the best wine for spicy Asian food?
Two rules: avoid high-alcohol oaky reds (they amplify heat), and reach for something with slight sweetness or bubbles to tame the chilli. Off-dry Riesling is the gold standard. Dry Rosé, Prosecco, Champagne, and Pinot Gris all work beautifully too. Chandon Garden Spritz ($52) is a fantastic spritz option for laksa, curry and any coconut-based heat.
What wine goes with Korean BBQ?
Korean BBQ is one of the easiest Asian pairings — fruit-forward New World reds love grilled meats and gochujang. Kaiken Estate Malbec ($45) is the everyday hero — plush dark fruit, soft tannin, plenty of generosity. For a serious step up, Penfolds Bin 389 ($108) is built for the grill.
Do you deliver wine across Singapore?
Yes — The Liquid Collection offers free delivery on all wine orders across Singapore with no minimum purchase, typically within 3 working days. For pairing recommendations across the catalogue — particularly for dinner parties, restaurant-style menus or events — message us on WhatsApp at +65 9680 5856.
Six Dishes · Twelve Wines · Free Singapore Delivery
Pour the right wine. Make the meal.
Every bottle in this guide is in stock with free Singapore delivery. No minimum order. Every bottle authenticated.
Shop All WineLast updated May 2026 · Prices reflect current pricing and may change · Please drink responsibly · Must be 18+ to purchase
