Wines and SpiritsWine for the Indian Palate
Pairing wine with Indian food is a toughie. Among Asian cuisines, Indian food probably has the greatest notoriety for being a difficult to match with wine. Each part of our nation boasts of a varied gastronomy with specialities that not only differ between each state, but also varies from one district to the other. As such, it is hard to match the wild and fiery flavours of food with the delicate flavour of wine.
One good combination with Indian food is crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc. Indian food is associated with spices. Dishes like chicken masala tikka, tandoori prawns, kadhai paneer are spicy and have a complex flavour and aroma. Dry nature of Sauvignon Blanc provides a nice balance to the spicy food. It can also pair well with spicy snacks like bhaji or pakoras. Other wines like dry Chenin Blanc, dry Viognier and Syrah also combine smoothly with spicy foods.
Some white wines combine well with tandoori food. This type of preparation is usually low on spice, but has a strong aroma and flavour. The all-time favourite GewÓĽrztraminer, from the region of Alsace in France, is a perfect choice. White Zinfandel from Indage, which is a pink wine, is also a brilliant option. These wines are usually slightly sweet with balanced acidity and fruity notes. A good combination with paneer tikkas, reshmi kebabs, and tandoori roti indeed.
White wines also work well with the dishes made with fresh greens or herbs as a primary ingredients like palak paneer. If you want Chardonnay with thses kind of food, do not take very oaky or buttery versions. In other words, a ň€˜nakedň€™ or unoaked Chardonany works best.
Indian curries are a must with any meal. Lighter red wine like Syrah can make a good pair with heavy sauce or cream based curries. Wines like Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, sweet Riesling, red and white Cotes du Rhone are also a good match with these kinds of food.
Dessert wines are consumed in most parts of the world with select desserts and cheese. Indian desserts are usually rich with oil and sugar, and offset the taste balance of most wines. However, there are some Indian desserts like the cottage cheese based, semi sweet sandesh which would pairs well with dessert wines like sweet Muscat or Semillion.
There is a widespread debate on how well Indian wines pair with Indian food. Wine usually compliments the traditional cuisines of the country of its produce and Indian produced Shiraz, the Viognier and Chenin Blanc are great guns with Indian cuisine. Sparkling wines blend exceptionally with Indian cuisine. So a flute of champagne or even an Indian produced sparkling wine would be a just right. Some Indian red wines like Merlot do not agree with Indian food due its very tannic nature, as the spices in the meal usually overpower the flavours of these grapes and vice versa.
In essence, the name of the game is knowing the basic ingredients of food and wine and having and having a penchant for trying out various combinations. Who knows, you might yet discover the prized combination and become the heart-throb of the oomph-oomph?