Wine pairing suggestions for modern afternoon tea
A wine educator recommends alternatives to Champagne for afternoon tea, including Pouilly-Fuissé, Valpolicella Ripasso and Moscato Rosa, noting that contemporary tea parties no longer follow strict 19th-century etiquette.
A certified wine educator based in Hong Kong has suggested wine pairings for modern afternoon tea, arguing that the 3pm meal no longer needs to follow rigid 19th-century etiquette.
Alice Wong, writing in The Standard, noted that while serving wine during traditional English afternoon tea may be unconventional, many people today do not observe strict tea etiquettes such as eating from the bottom to the top of a three-tiered stand or stirring tea in the 6 to 12 o'clock directions.
Modern afternoon tea has diversified into creative variations including all-you-can-eat finger sandwiches and scones, crossovers with matcha or hōjicha, and sparkling tea, Wong wrote. She described the tea party as a fashionable social habit and suggested making it fun.
Champagne remains the natural choice for most tea salons because of the British affection for bubbles and its food-friendly character, she said. It pairs well with items such as coronation chicken, cheese tarts and éclairs.
For wine connoisseurs seeking alternatives, Wong recommended Pouilly-Fuissé, a Chardonnay-based white wine from southern Burgundy. She said its citrus, stone and tropical fruit characters suit fruit-based patisseries, and its acidity pairs with seafood items such as smoked salmon blinis and potted shrimps. Barrique-aged versions may match egg mayonnaise with cress or scones with clotted cream, Wong added.
For red wine lovers, Wong suggested Valpolicella Ripasso, a Venetian red produced by repassing wine over Amarone grape skins. She said the wine remains dry but gains raisin and sweet fruit sensations, allowing it to pair with both savoury bites such as sausage rolls and desserts such as blackberry tarts.
Wong also recommended Moscato Rosa, a sweet red wine, describing it as floral and delicate. She said it pairs with Stilton and fig, preserved strawberry jams on scones, and chocolate orange bakeries because of its red berry characters and rosy and orange peel aromas.
