When Ribera del Duero Met the Wok
Some pairings sound unlikely until you taste them. On Thursday, 29 October, Dunstan Vintner took over a corner of Yalong Bay Chinese Restaurant at Automobile Megamart for an evening where two distinctive worlds sat down at the same table: the richness of Chinese cuisine and the elegance of Spanish wine.
By the end of the night, we had our answer. They get along famously.
The Wines: Five Expressions of Bodegas Valduero
The guest of honour was Bodegas Valduero, one of the distinguished names of Spain’s Ribera del Duero region. Five wines took us from a rounded, textured white to deep, mature reds, each showing a different side of the region’s character, tradition and craftsmanship.
1. Valduero Albillo 2024
We opened with something unexpected: a white from a region famous for its reds. Pale straw in colour, with pineapple and grapefruit aromas and only a light touch of acidity. The palate is fuller and denser than most people expect from a white, which made it a surprisingly good companion for the first dishes. The grapes are harvested at night and fermented cool to protect the aromatics.
2. Finca Azaya 2019
Our first red comes from two high-altitude vineyards sitting above 950 metres, with sandy, pebbly soils. It is 100% Tempranillo, aged 14 months in oak and a further 12 in bottle. Expect menthol, liquorice and roasted coffee, with a balance that speaks of both maturity and power.
3. Finca Azaya Premium 2018
A step up in depth. These vines are over 40 years old and low-yielding, and the wine spends 22 months in oak and 24 in bottle. Deep purple, almost black, with notes of coffee, toast and ripe fruit. Full-bodied yet silky, round, elegant and juicy.
4. Valduero Una Cepa 2020
The name says it all: “one vine, one bottle”. It comes from Tinto Fino vines over 50 years old, aged 18 months in oak. Cherry red, with extraordinary aromatic intensity, a well-structured palate and a long finish that fills the mouth.
5. Valduero 6 Años 2016
Our finale, and the one that earned the quiet moments at the table. It spends a minimum of six years ageing, three in wood from four different origins and three in bottle. Intense garnet in the glass, with toffee and cedar aromas, and a wide, fleshy, enveloping palate. It shows that power and elegance are not at odds in Ribera del Duero.
The Food: Chef Jeffery’s Banquet Menu
Chef Jeffery put together a specially curated menu from Yalong Bay Seafood Restaurant (亚龙湾海鲜小厨), and it did not hold back.
- Prosperity Five Treasures Combination Platter (巧手五福临门大拼盘): an auspicious opening that got the table talking and the first glasses clinking.
- Signature Garlic Fish Tail (招牌蒜花鱼尾): fragrant and generous, with garlic doing the heavy lifting.
- Signature Original Volcano Chicken (招牌首创火山鸡): the showstopper, and a real conversation starter.
- Stir-Fried Celtuce with Fresh Mushrooms in Black Truffle Sauce (黑松露莴笋炒鲜菇): earthy and savoury, a natural friend to the more mature reds.
- Fragrant Wok-Fried Pork Collar (甘香爆炒猪颈肉): rich, smoky wok hei with beautiful texture.
- Yuan Yang Lala Crispy Hor Fun (鸳鸯啦啦脆皮河粉): crispy noodles under a silky, seafood-laden gravy, a comforting finish.
The bold, layered flavours of Chinese cooking turned out to be a wonderful match for Ribera del Duero’s structure and complexity. Wine and dish kept finding unexpected harmony with each other, which was exactly the point.
More Wedding Banquet Than Wine Tasting
Ask anyone who was there and they’ll tell you the same thing: it felt less like a formal tasting and more like a wedding dinner. Dishes arrived in waves, glasses were topped up, old friends reunited and new friendships formed over shared plates. Good food and good wine have a way of dissolving the usual formalities.
There was laughter, plenty of it. And at some point, someone decided the night needed a soundtrack and took to the karaoke mic. He lasted four songs. We salute his commitment, and we won’t name names.
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to Chef Jeffery and the Yalong Bay team for a memorable meal, to Bodegas Valduero for wines worth celebrating, and above all to everyone who joined us. You brought the laughter, the friendship and the memories.
Missed this one? Every wine from the evening is available at dvintr.com, and you can keep an eye on our DV Club Events page for the next gathering. We have a feeling there will be more evenings like this.
Cheers, or as they say in Spain, ¡Salud!