Perfect Pairings: Vinomofo’s guide to pairing wine with Singapore’s most iconic meals

Presented by VINOMOFO

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What always cheers you up after a long day at work? If the answer is something like “a glass of wine,” then dear reader, we’re on the same page. But, on a serious note, for us amateur sommeliers it’s sometimes difficult to know which wine to pair with what dish. Lucky for us (and you!) online wine retailer Vinomofo has come to the rescue with a quick and easy guide for favorite Singaporean food and wine combos.

First thing’s first. If in doubt, choose chilled. Heat accentuates alcohol, so if you’re looking for a thirst quencher that will hold its own against the Singaporean sun (and the chilli), then the more chilled the better.

Think intensity of flavor. Light food pairs with light wine. Rich food with medium to full-bodied vinos. Next, assess the spice. If the chef has been heavy-handed, a wine varietal with residual sugars will be your best bet.

Gather round, here are some of Mofo’s faves!

Chilli crab and Riesling

If there’s an unofficial national dish, it’s chilli crab. And there are few wines that can straddle the sweet crab meat in spicy, egg-based chilli sauce better than an off-dry riesling. Why? Because it’s all about the texture and the residual sugars. Kabinett riesling has that fresh, puckering acidity that’ll rip through the chilli sauce while providing just enough delicate lemon and lime fruit sweetness for what’s left of the crab meat.  

Laksa and Gewurztraminer

Another white wine that can handle spice well is gewurztraminer. This textural, aromatic white is perfect with creamy laksa. These two have a lot going on – a good laksa will have a beautiful balance of tangy acidity, creamy texture, delicate white meat and varying degrees of spice. Gewurtz, too, is a medley of tropical fruit with a slinky texture and a hint of spice. Combine the two and it’s a busy mouthful, but a very happy one. Laksa and gewurztraminer. Gewurztraminer and laksa.

Hainanese chicken rice and Chablis

One of Singapore’s culinary gifts to the world is our home fave Hainanese chicken rice. How a broth is able to infuse the humble rice with such depth of flavor is one of life’s great mysteries and our great pleasures. As is this pairing with Chablis. The fact is, you’ll be spending at least 10 times as much on the wine than you do the dish – but priorities. While most unoaked chardonnays will do the job, the subtle power, intensity and crisp acidity of Chablis is perfect for this dish.

And if in doubt, Champagne. Always Champagne.

And while we’re talking about wines that sparkle, Vinomofo are giving away bottles of its collaboration sparkling Bisou Bisou at our party celebrating the launch for the Coco Food and Coco Travel verticals for our lucky COCO+ Members who join the party!
Dear COCO+ Members, join us for an evening of revelry and retro video games to celebrate the launch of our new Coco Food and Coco Travel verticals at NINETEEN80 Bar on Oct. 25. All you have to do is just shoot us an email at membership@coconuts.co before Oct. 24. And for those of you who aren’t a member (yet), join us, and for a tiny price you’ll get access to all the stories on Coconuts, a ton of giveaways, cool events, and a tote bag!



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