ASIAN–GERMAN WINE DINNER

The Capital Chapter of the German Wine Society is hosting an Asian/Chinese cuisine and German wine pairing dinner at the end of this summer. Do you sometimes wonder how well German wines pair with Chinese food? According to many sources, German wines — especially Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Spätburgunder — complement Chinese cuisine beautifully thanks to their crisp acidity, aromatic character, and balanced sweetness.

This dinner will feature Chinese dishes originating from Canton, Hunan, Szechuan, and Beijing, paired with a selection of German white and red wines. Both dry and sweet styles will be offered to match the flavors of each dish. Five of Germany’s thirteen wine regions will be represented.

The event will take place Friday, September 4th, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Reservations are due by Saturday, August 29, 2026.

Venue

The dinner will be held at Far East Restaurant, located at 5055 Nicholson Lane, Rockville, MD. The private dining room on the second floor can accommodate up to 40 guests (note: 19 steps with no elevator). Restrooms are also located on the second floor.

Far East Restaurant has served classic Sichuan, Mandarin, and Americanized Chinese dishes for over 50 years. Operated across generations by the Wong family, it remains a beloved local banquet and dim sum destination. Parking is free and readily available — the restaurant has its own lot, with additional parking next door at Capital One Bank. Given the current work on the Red Line and closure of various red line stations, driving to this event is most appropriate.

What to Expect

We look forward to sharing a wonderful evening of delicious Chinese cuisine, wide variety of German wines, and socializing with our members and guests. Dinner will be served family style, with 10 guests per round table, and will feature a multi-course banquet paired with thoughtfully selected wines. A video of our event will be made by the restaurant’s advertisement team for us.

Dinner Menu

Welcoming Wine

• Dr. L Sparkling Riesling, Mosel 

Round 1 (Appetizer)

• Steamed Shrimp Dumplings
• Steamed Shui Mai 
• Fried Taro Dumpling

• 2017 Carl Ehrhard Riesling Rüdesheim Feinherb, Rheingau 

Round 2 (Appetizer)

• Peking Duck (whole) with scallions, julienned cucumber, hoisin sauce, and two pancakes per person
• 2023 Khuling-Gillot Spätburgunder, Rheinhessen 
• 2024 Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett, Nahe 

**German Spätburgunder or a Riesling (either an off-dry Kabinett, or a Spätlese) are the absolute best pairings for Peking Duck. Peking duck is rich, fatty, and sweet due to the hoisin or sweet bean sauce, requiring a wine that balances high acidity with either gentle tannins or subtle sweetness. 

Round 3 (Main Courses)

• Lamb Hunan Style (sliced lamb with broccoli, straw mushrooms, and baby corn in hot pepper sauce)
• Crispy Beef (Shredded beef fried crispy sauteed in sweet spicy sauce)
• Sautéed Asparagus and Snow Peas
• String Beans, Szechuan Style

• 2023 Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler Dornfelder, Pfalz 

• 2025 Geil Gewürztraminer Kabinett, Rheinhessen 

** Gewürztraminer is the absolute best pairing for Hunan-style cumin lamb. Hunan cuisine relies on intense heat, fresh chili peppers, garlic, and heavy cumin dusting, which will make high-alcohol or heavily oaked wines taste bitter and unpleasantly hot.

Round 4 (Dessert)

• Egg Custard Tart
• Sweet Sesame Ball 

•  2016 Heinz Eifel Mainzer Domherr Silvaner Eiswein, Rheinhessen

• 2024 Wormser Liebfrauenmorgen Dornfelder, Rheinhessen

Hot tea and water will be served throughout dinner.

PRICE AND RESERVATIONS:  Our event price is $89 for members and $99 for non-member guests, payable in advance online through our website using PayPal or by check.  Whichever method you use, please be sure to register and pay the appropriate price based on whether you are a GWS member or non-member.  If you are not sure of your current membership status, please contact the GWS Capital Chapter President and Secretary, Carl Willner, at carl.willner1@verizon.net .  You can also become a member or renew, if your membership is not current, together with your registration for this event by including an annual $35 dues payment (for an individual or a couple).

To register and pay by PayPal, go to our chapter website: germanwinesocietydc.org. You will need to create a GWS account for the website if you do not already have one, and you will also need to have a PayPal account, as we cannot accept payment by other forms of credit or online transfer.  If you are coming as a couple or other group, you can either register and pay for each individual separately, or do it as part of a single transaction and complete the payment on PayPal together.  If you do a single transaction, please also email the Secretary of the GWS Capital Chapter at the address above to provide the names of each individual coming, as the individual names will not all appear on the website form for multiple persons registering together.  

To register and pay by check, detach and complete the form below, indicating all names of persons who will be coming, and mail it, with your check made out to the ‘German Wine Society’, to the Chapter President and Secretary, Carl Willner: 1014 Reserve Champion Drive, Rockville, MD  20850.  Cut the reservation form below and send with your check – do not mail the entire page.  

If you have questions about the event, please contact Carl Willner by email at carl.willner1@verizon.net.

HEALTH AND SAFETY:  We are not requiring any special health precautions to participate in this event, but if you do contract covid-19 or other communicable disease before this event, please respect our other guests and stay home to recover.  Refunds can be provided in these circumstances if we are notified prior to the day of the event (otherwise, cancellations must be received by the registration deadline to receive a refund).  Masks will not be necessary. 

All GWS members and guests are reminded that alcohol consumption can lead to intoxication.   Members and guests should use public transportation to events or rely on a designated driver, and if those are not available, taste the wines in moderation rather than finishing them.

We are eagerly anticipating seeing all of you in person again for this wonderful Asian/German  Wine Dinner Event.

If you no longer wish to receive our announcements, please reply to this email to the sender.

RESERVATION FORM for Friday, September 4th, 2026, German Wine Society Asian-German Wine Event

Member(s) Name(s)  ___________________________________________________

Guest(s) Names(s) _____________________________________________________

Total Enclosed  ________________________  

Daytime/ Cell Phone Number _________________________

E-Mail _______________________________________________________________