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The Chinese White Revolution

Richard Mayson, author of the recently published second edition of The wines of Portugal, has been visiting the country and enjoying its cuisine for over 50 years. Here, he introduces some typical Portuguese dishes and his favourite wines to pair with them, and recommends the best places for an authentic Portuguese dining experience.

Row of Ningxia white wines.

The white wines of Ningxia

The cervejaria is a peculiarly Portuguese concept. Open into the early hours, it is a place where you can drop in at almost any time for a plate of shellfish accompanied by a glass of beer (called an imperial if you are in Lisbon or a fino if you go to Porto). Surprising as it seems, this combination really works: a pile of delicate pink Atlantic prawns with a cold, pale and deceptively alcoholic lager (Sagres in Lisbon, Super Bock in Porto) is a perfect pairing.

You may wonder why I am writing about beer when I have just written a new book on wine. Well, the cervejaria(literally ‘beer house’) is an important Portuguese popular cultural reference as well as a good place to try out different wines. I often start with a plate of camarão de Espinho (tiny Atlantic shrimps that you eat with the shell on) accompanied by an imperial, then move on to wine. 

Vinho Verde from the north-west corner of Portugal is a wine that is absolutely made for seafood. Relatively low in alcohol and naturally high in acidity it has the verve and cut to go with everything from simple salty shrimps to a dish loaded with garlic, coriander and olive oil like amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (a clam dish named after the nineteenth-century Portuguese poet Raimundo António de Bulhão Pato). Portuguese bread is second to none and thick slices are served alongside to soak up the sauce. These are classic petiscos; appetizers that serve as the Portuguese equivalent of tapas. Vinho Verde can be a simple, spritzy blend or if you move slightly more upmarket to a marisqueira (seafood bar) you are likely to find varietal wines. Loureiro produces sleek, steely wines and Alvarinho, now planted all over the Vinho Verde region, produces a fuller, more aromatic style of wine. For Loureiro I love the wines of Quinta do Ameal from the Lima valley and for Alvarinho, Soalheiro produces an extraordinary range of terroir-focused wines that make the most of this wonderful grape variety. They also produce a wine named Allo, a blend of both grapes.

Andrew James with Fang Wang in the cellar at Kanaan Winery

For a Portuguese dish with more substance there is bacalhau (salt cod). There are supposedly at least 365 different ways of cooking bacalhau but my preferred styles are bacalhau à bras (with finely cut potatoes and eggs), bacalhau com natas (like a fish pie with a cream sauce), bacalhau à gomes de sá (softened in milk and baked with potatoes and onion) and bacalhau à zé do pipo (another deliciously creamy bacalhau dish, popular in Porto). I always used to look forward to lunch with one of the well-known Port shippers who served bacalhau to their directors and guests every Friday, accompanied by a bottle of Meursault. But, to my mind, bacalhau needs a red, something vibrant, fruit-driven with a bit of tannic grip. Duas Quintas from the Port producers Ramos Pinto is my go-to house red but look out for other well-made Douro reds from Quinta de La Rosa, Quinta do Crasto, Meandro (from Quinta Vale do Vale Meão) and Vinha Grande from Sogrape. The latter two bat above their price point!

Two people walking through a field of sunflowers and vineyard with mountains in the background.

The garden at Silver Heights

Landscape of Chateau Mihope

Chateau Mihope winery

The larger producers also show an admirable commitment to quality alongside an awareness of the growing importance of white wine. Chateau Mihope has 100 hectares of dry, stony vineyards and their pristine, technologically advanced winery doubles as an art gallery. A thorough analysis of their terroir led to the identification of specific pockets suitable to less common Ningxia varieties, such as Riesling and Syrah. Their barrel-aged Viognier brims with aromas of peach blossoms and dried orange peels while feeling far lighter than it has a right to. Winemaker Franck Fan is also justifiably proud of his elegant Cabernet Gernischt.

Xige Estate, currently the region’s largest producer and exporter, hit the ground running in 2017 after purchasing over 1000 hectares of 20-year-old vines originally planted as part of a government project. They leave little to chance, using advanced technology to monitor everything from weather patterns to irrigation needs to barrel availability. Xige’s single vineyard Jade Dove Cabernet Gernischt was served to French President Macron at a state dinner and it is superb, as is their oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc. The latter reflects the terroir in its full body, smooth texture and enticing tropical notes. Brand ambassador Christelle Chene touts China’s potential as a white wine market. With consumption concentrated in the coastal cities where seafood features prominently in the local diet, the typical mix of light, sweet and spicy dishes makes it easy to do pairing with whites and sparklers. In some domestic regions Xige’s white wine sales have already risen to the level of the reds.

Regardless of colour, Ningxia’s quality is high, and it will only get better as the vineyards reach full maturity.

UK importer information is listed below:

Silver Heights (Vinum Eurus)

Kanaan Winery (Liberty Wines)

Xige Estate (Wines of China UK)

Andy James is a professor in the School of Commerce at Meiji University in Tokyo. His book Bandol Wine and the Magic of Mourvèdre was published in 2023. In addition to teaching English and wine business classes at Meiji he has established a summer study wine program at Curtin University in Perth.

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