The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, which means it’s time to indulge in one of the season’s most iconic (and love-it-or-hate-it) treats: mooncakes. But this year, instead of reaching for tea, why not step up your game with a wine pairing?
We tapped three of Hong Kong’s top wine pros—Betsy Haynes from Northeast Wines and Spirits, Graham Kwok from Watson’s Wine, and Jefferson Liu from EMW Fine Wines—to find out exactly what bottles to crack open with your mooncake of choice. Spoiler alert: it’s not all about red wine.
Betsy Haynes, Northeast Wines and Spirits: A Fruity Twist
Favorite Mooncake: Traditional Lotus Paste with Egg Yolk
Perfect Pairing: A Beaujolais-style Cinsault from Stellenbosch or a Pinot Noir from Mornington Peninsula.
Betsy Haynes, Managing Director of Northeast Wines and Spirits, loves keeping it classic with the rich, sweet taste of traditional lotus paste and salty egg yolk. But when it comes to pairing, she gets a bit creative. “We paired it with a Beaujolais style Cinsault from Stellenbosch and it also worked well with a Pinot Noir from Mornington Peninsula.”
Why It Works: “These wines are young and juicy, bursting with cherries and raspberries, and their soft tannins and acidity cut through the sweetness of the mooncake. They refresh your palate and get you ready for the next bite!”
While the El Nino Cinsault 2023 is still making its way to Hong Kong, the Stonier Pinot Noir 2022 is already here and waiting to be enjoyed.
Graham Kwok, Watson’s Wine: Childhood Memories, Modern Pairing
Favorite Mooncake: Traditional Cantonese Mooncake with Lotus Seed Paste and Salty Egg Yolk
Perfect Pairing: William Downie’s “Cathedral” Pinot Noir from Victoria, Australia.
For Graham, mooncakes are a nostalgic treat. “The traditional Cantonese mooncake, with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk, takes me back to childhood Mid-Autumn gatherings,” he says. But when it comes to pairing, he opts for something a little different. “Going less boring, I will pair it with a soft fruity Australian Pinot Noir from William Downie. His ‘Cathedral’ Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes from Victoria. A great example of fresh Pinot Noir with bright red fruit and acidity made with minimal intervention.”
Why It Works: “Cantonese mooncake is rich, in terms of sweetness and texture, so it’s good to go with something with a lighter body and fresh acidity to balance. The touch of savouriness from the egg yolk brings out the juicy fruitiness of the Pinot; and the forest-earthiness of the wine on the finish also does the job as if you are drinking tea. It a glou-glou wine that makes you feel less heavy with the mooncake and go for the second bite.”
Jefferson Liu, EMW Fine Wines: A Nutty, Bold Combination
Favorite Mooncake: Five Nuts Mooncake
Perfect Pairing: 冬趣 2007 (Winter Poems), a Chinese Xiaoxing Wine.
For something a bit more adventurous, Jefferson Liu, General Manager of EMW, recommends pairing the savory-sweet Five Nuts Mooncake with a Chinese rice wine. “I prefer Five Nuts Mooncakes. The texture is less dense than the traditional lotus seed paste and salted egg yolks and I find the roasted nuts in pastry to be particularly fragrant,” he says.
Why It Works: “TI really like pairing it with Chinese Xiaoxing Wine and probably the best pairing I’ve come across is with 冬趣 2007. The oxidative flavours and the sweetness go really well together. For me, it’s got the raisin-like weight of an Oloroso Sherry but the nuttiness of an aged Vin Jaune.”
Ready to Pair?
Whether you’re a fan of the classic lotus paste or prefer the crunch of a Five Nuts Mooncake, these expert pairings will add an extra layer of indulgence to your Mid-Autumn celebrations. So grab your favorite mooncake, pop open a bottle of wine, and get ready to enjoy the ultimate festival feast!
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