Cheers Big Ears: Spice Alley’s Guide to The Perfect Wine and Beer Pairings

There are two words that are considered VERY rare in Sydney: “free” and “BYO”. That’s why we’re so proud at Spice Alley to offer free beer and wine BYO to enjoy with our huge selection of fresh Asian cuisine. But what to drink with what?!?

We had a chat with Lisa Oldham from our next-door neighbour, Handpicked Wines, to find the perfect tipple for our tasty, wok-fired favourites. We also have Young Henrys X Spice Alley nights Monday to Wednesday every week from 5pm, where showing a tinnie of Young Henrys unlocks a special Meal Deal! Read on to find out which bevvy is best with a bowl from your buddies at Spice Alley.

You’re stepping out to get some noodles from Bang Luck Thai, or maybe a rice dish at Old Jim Kee, but what sort of wine should you bring? Lisa from Handpicked Wines suggests a Riesling will go best. “White wines are great to pair with Thai and Malaysian food as the acidity offsets the spiciness,” she says.

Lisa suggests trying a crisp and refreshing 2018 Clare Valley Riesling. It features aromas of lemon, lime and chamomile while producing deeper notes of honey and citrus as it ages.

Got a craving for some Hainanese Chicken? Laksa on your mind? Raving for some roti? Spice Alley is the place to be!

And from 5pm until late Monday to Wednesday you can catch a great meal deal at Singapore stalls Alex Lee Kitchen and Ginger & Spice when you show them a can of Young Henrys beer or cider. When you flash a BYO tinnie of Young Henrys, you can get a $10 plate of fried chicken from Ginger & Spice, or a $12 chicken curry and roti or rice from Alex Lee Kitchen. Grab your six-pack of Young Henrys from Red Bottle in Central Park (opposite Woolworths).

Japanese food is famous for its simplicity while balancing the flavour elements of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. With so much construction and harmony at stake, Handpicked’s wine guru Lisa suggests a wine to complement, not compete, with the meal. She suggests pairing a glass of rosé, like Handpicked’s 2019 Yarra Valley Rosé from the limited edition Gorman range to pair with a menu of ramen, gyoza, tempura, and Nasu dengaku (burnt miso eggplant). It features balanced fruit of great flavour intensity and fresh natural acidity. The wine’s juicy fruit flavours and savoury notes are perfect for Kyo-to’s award-winning classic Japanese street-food menu.

We’ve got dumplings galore here in Spice Alley and according to Lisa, a great Pinot will accompany this lighter-style dish perfectly. “Pinot Noir blends perfectly with foods like pork or mushrooms,” she says. Head down to Handpicked Wines to check out their 2017 Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir, which was rated ‘Best Pinot Noir’ in the 2019 Winewise Championship.
When ordering heavier dishes with a bit more fat content to them, like lamb and beef, swap the wine out for a bigger red. Lisa reckons an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon is sure to hit the spot. Check out Handpicked’s 2013 Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – it suits meaty dishes that need a bit of cut-through acidity and tannin in them very well.

With a variety of seafood dishes at Warung Bali, a chardonnay would be a cracking wine to pair for lunch or dinner. Lisa recommends Handpicked Wines’ full-bodied 2017 Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay. Best paired with seafood, poultry and pork, it features layers of bright citrus as well as nut flavours in maturation. This particular bottle received 95 points in the James Halliday Wine Companion, as well as praise in the National Wine Show – so you already know it’ll be a winner!

We hope you loved learning about what to drink at Spice Alley, which we can’t reiterate enough, has free BYO for all the wine and beer-lovers out there! To grab a bottle of vino, head to Handpicked Wines and discover their broad selection of wines. Don’t forget the Young Henrys X Spice Alley specially priced meal deals, on every Monday to Wednesday from 5pm until close. Kyo-to, the last stallholder before you get to KoI Dessert Bar, stock a selection of beers for sale as well.

Spice Alley is open 364 days per year, from 11am daily, and serves up the freshest Asian street-food in Sydney. Come and visit us today in Chippendale – we’re just a seven-minute walk from Central Station! #spicealley

PS. A big thank you to the talented Lisa Oldham from Handpicked Wines!