Enter the dragon

But Monday marks the start of the Chinese New Year and this is a much brighter prospect for a celebration. We will move from the year of the Rabbit to the year of the Dragon which is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness, and after last year we all deserve some of that.

So now is the time to get the positive energy flowing through your house, clear the clutter and put some harmony back in your life.

You could consult recipe books, write yourself a shopping list and trudge round the shops for all the ingredients of a grand Chinese banquet, but that means you will be marinating chicken wings and spare ribs all day, not to mention endlessly chopping vegetables.

Instead take the easy option and head out to a supermarket and clear their shelves of crispy duck and pancakes and whatever else you feel like, from spring rolls to Szechuan beef. The other easy option is to get a take-away. We have several excellent Chinese restaurants in Yorkshire and they will put together a collection of dishes that will impress your guests and with a selection of wines to hand you can enjoy the evening, without the bother of steaming dumplings and stir-frying your veg.

Despite the fact that China now produces more wine than Chile, South Africa and Australia put together, very little reaches our shores. The new middle class of China is learning to drink wine and there is little incentive to export when it can be sold at home.

But Chinese beer is available. Look for the light, citrusy, malty taste of Tsingtao beer in supermarkets (generally around £2 for 640ml, Tesco has a four-pack of 330ml on offer at £3.50 until the end of the month). Then select your wines to match the foods you are serving.

Starters such as chicken and shitake mushroom soup need a delicate, food-friendly white wine such as Pecorino 2010 from the Abruzzo region of Italy (£9.99 Marks and Spencer). This has subtle citrus and herbal tones with a nutty, savoury finish that goes well with food.

You could carry this through to enjoy with spring rolls and sesame prawn toast but as the flavour on your plate grows you need to switch to a wine that can hold its own against spice. Tasted recently with a whole array of Chinese food, McGuigan’s Classic Semillon (£7.79 Sainsbury) stood up well to all the flavours at the start of the meal and held up against light spicy foods. It has clean, fresh tropical fruit combined with bright, fresh acidity that cleans the palate.

As the spice levels increase it is time to turn up the volume in the glass and a Gewürztraminer such as Waimea 2011 from Nelson in New Zealand (£10.79 Majestic on multibuy until 30 Jan) works well. Dry and zesty with rose petal and lychee flavours this will stand up to most dim sum dips and spiced chicken wings. Any suggestion of sweetness in the dish, such as sweet and sour chicken needs a wine with just a hint of sweetness too, although nothing that will dominate the dish. Sainsbury has a terrific Gewürztraminer 2010 from the excellent co-op in Turckheim (£7.99) which marries the ripeness of fruit, the sprinkle of spice and just the merest lift of sweetness to balance the food on the plate.

If you decide to cook just one course for your Chinese banquet yourself, to act as a centrepiece, then a single roast fish is often served at celebration meals in Beijing. Try sea bass or mullet or buy a large piece of halibut and cook it with ginger and herbs, with slivers of lemon peel adding zest for authentic flavours. Once again a Gewürztraminer will accompany this dish perfectly, or move on to a light Pinot Noir such as Fairleigh Estate 2009 (£8.79 Majestic, on multibuy until Jan 30).

Crispy duck, rolled into pancakes with plum sauce is one of my favourite dishes at a Chinese meal and the sweetness of the sauce will be fine with the Pinot Noir but if you are planning to move on to a deeper flavoured Szechuan dish such as hot spiced beef then you will need to have a wine with more body and flavour.

Try the ripe summer fruit notes of Blackburn and James Shiraz 2010 from California (down to £5.99 until Jan 24) or try the deep, silky, spice-driven black fruit of DB Shiraz 2009 from Australia.

Desserts are not popular in China and most meals end with a plate of fresh fruit such as mango, lychee and mandarins, sometimes served with honey. Team these with a light, fresh-tasting dessert wine such as Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora 2009 from Australia (£7.99 for 37.5cl, Majestic) or try the crisp yet sweet taste of Tabalí Encantado Late Harvest Muscat 2010 from the Limarí Valley in Chile (£7.79 for 37.5cl Waitrose).

At the end of the meal serve green tea in small cups instead of coffee and if you manage to find some fortune cookies then they will add to the fun of the evening.

Don’t forget to put red envelopes at each place setting with a small amount of money inside. These are known as “lai sze” and should be made of fairly stiff card, with gold writing on them. They are difficult to find outside Chinatown so any bright red envelopes will do to give atmosphere, and the money is a traditional symbol of good luck and prosperity. Gung Hei Fat Choy!