My Food & Wine Pairings at the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival

The best food and wine pairings often come from experimentation rather than strict rules. At Hong Kong’s Wine & Dine Festival, I tasted wines from around the world alongside pizza, sausages, Iberian ham, pâté and Wagyu beef—and discovered how acidity, tannins, richness, spice and texture can completely change the way a wine tastes with food.

Wine, Food and a Harbourfront Sunset

The 9th annual Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival returned to the Central Harbourfront Event Space, bringing together thousands of wine and food lovers for four days of tastings, entertainment and plenty of delicious distractions.

With more than 400 booths featuring wine, whisky, craft beer, sake and food, there was certainly no shortage of things to taste. Wines came from regions including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Georgia, Australia, the USA and Chile.

There were also dedicated experiences such as the Robert Parker Wine Advocate Pavilion and Riedel Tasting Theatre, giving wine geeks plenty of opportunities to learn while tasting.



For me, one of the highlights was simply the setting. As the sun went down, the Harbourfront sky turned blush pink, and the Hong Kong skyline became the backdrop to an evening of wine, food and conversation.

My Top Wine & Dine Festival Tips

If you're heading to a large wine festival, a little strategy goes a long way:

• Arrive in the late afternoon. You can explore before the evening crowds arrive and enjoy the sunset.
• Scout before you taste. With hundreds of booths, walk through the different zones first and make a rough tasting plan.
• Budget your tokens. Not every wine or spirit costs the same, so save room for premium pours.
• Don't forget the food. Some of the most interesting discoveries come from tasting wine and food together rather than separately.
• Take your time. A wine can change significantly after sitting in the glass for a few minutes.

My Food & Wine Pairing Experience

I opted for a Classic Wine Pass, which included eight wine tokens and a souvenir wine glass. Naturally, I decided to turn the evening into a food-and-wine pairing experiment.

Here are a few of my favourite combinations.

Tenuta Iuzzolini Maradea Riserva 2012 — Gaglioppo

Paired with: Parmesan pizza and herbed fennel sausage

This Southern Italian red showed crushed red berries alongside tobacco, vanilla and subtle baking spices. It was dry, with medium-plus acidity and nicely structured tannins.

The pairing with grilled fennel sausage worked particularly well. The richness and fat of the sausage softened the wine's structure, while the fennel echoed the wine's savoury character.

Pairing lesson: Rich, savoury foods can make structured reds feel smoother and more balanced.

Bodegas Gormaz 12 Linajes Reserva 2011 — Tempranillo

Paired with: Iberian ham, green olives and cheese

This Tempranillo delivered powerful blackberry and blackcurrant aromas, followed by pepper, leather and spicy oak.

The palate was ripe and velvety, with a long finish showing coffee and spice. Paired with 48-month-aged Iberian ham, the wine's fruit and tannins had plenty of flavour to stand up to the intense, salty character of the ham.

Pairing lesson: Bold, savoury cured meats can be fantastic partners for full-bodied reds with ripe tannins.

Château La Croix Montlabert Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2013

Cabernet Franc & Merlot
Paired with: Mini spicy pâté terrine baguette

This wine initially felt tight and a little too cold. But after some time in the glass, it opened up to reveal ripe black fruit, cloves, and leather.

The medium acidity and tannin gave the wine a smooth, balanced structure. The mildly spicy pâté brought out the fruit character, while the richness of the pâté helped soften the wine's acidity and tannins.

Pairing lesson: Don't judge a wine too quickly. Temperature, aeration, and food can dramatically change the experience.

Yotsuboshi Daiginjo — Four-Star Sake

Paired with: Grilled Wagyu beef

I normally associate sake with Izakaya-style food, so pairing a delicate Daiginjo with Wagyu was a fun change of direction.

The sake was floral and perfumed, with ripe nashi pear aromas and a light, dry, silky texture. Against juicy bites of grilled Wagyu, its freshness provided a lovely contrast to the richness of the beef.

Pairing lesson: Don't be afraid to cross traditional pairing boundaries. Sometimes the unexpected combination is the most memorable.

What Makes a Great Food & Wine Pairing?

My biggest takeaway from the festival was simple: there isn't one formula for pairing wine and food.

Think about the major elements of both:

The fun is in experimenting. A pairing doesn't have to follow a textbook rule to work—it simply needs to create a more enjoyable experience in the glass and on the plate.

A Festival Made for Foodies and Wine Lovers

The Wine & Dine Festival was exceptionally well executed, with a spacious venue, plenty of tasting opportunities and a great balance between entertainment and relaxation.

I particularly loved being outdoors. The autumn evening breeze, the food, the wine, and the Hong Kong skyline made the whole experience feel distinctly Hong Kong.

For a first-time attendee, it was also a great reminder that wine tasting doesn't have to be overly serious. Sometimes the best way to understand wine is simply to grab something delicious to eat, pour a glass, and see what happens.

And yes—I would definitely be back for the next one.

FAQs

What are good food and wine pairings?

Good food and wine pairings balance or complement the flavours and textures of both. Rich foods often work with wines that have acidity or tannin, while savoury meats can pair well with structured reds. The best approach is to consider richness, spice, salt, acidity and texture.

What wine pairs well with pizza?

Medium-bodied red wines with good acidity can pair particularly well with pizza. Italian reds are a natural choice because their acidity works with tomato and cheese, while moderate tannins can complement richer toppings and sausages.

What wine pairs well with Iberian ham?

Full-bodied red wines with ripe tannins and good fruit concentration can work well with Iberian ham. Tempranillo is a particularly natural option, especially alongside aged ham, olives, and cheese.

What sake pairs with Wagyu beef?

A dry, aromatic sake such as Daiginjo can provide an interesting contrast to rich Wagyu beef. Its freshness and delicate fruit character can cut through the richness of grilled beef without overwhelming it.

How do you choose wine for spicy food?

For spicy food, look for wines with freshness, moderate alcohol, and enough fruit to balance heat. Depending on the dish, aromatic whites, sparkling wines, and fruit-forward reds can all work. The key is to avoid letting alcohol and heavy tannins amplify the sensation of heat.