South Asian Food and Wine Pairings
I have first-hand experienced the lack of wine recommendations to go with South-Asian cuisines on multiple occasions. At big gatherings, my cousins are always trying to find wines that are suitable to go with South Asian food, as the ones recommended by most websites are only for Italian or other cuisines. My friends would rave about Indian food and restaurants, but those very restaurants would have the same wine as any other British eatery.
For the longest time, the quality of Indian wines have been questioned, since the climate is too hot in the eastern half of the country to produce good wines, hence most vineyards are located in the western half. However, in the last decade South Asian wines have been able to compete successfully with big household names. In 2011, when Waitrose became the first supermarket in the UK to stock Indian wines, Waitrose wine buyer Matt Smith was fairly surprised when the wines had almost sold out, according to The Guardian.
So, why the lack of pairing pieces when it comes to South Asian food? Perhaps wine has long held a tradition of being dominated by certain countries, not allowing anyone else to even try – the elite old world wine versus new world wine debate never seems to cease. Or perhaps wine media and writers themselves – the gate keepers – are conservative in their approach to wine recommendations.
Perhaps advertising also plays a crucial role, as we have seen in the successful marketing strategy of the Cobra and Kingfisher beer when pairing them with Indian curries, which is one of the reasons why no one ever thinks of pairing anything except beer when it comes to Indian food.
Hence, I am here to tell you that wines (Yes wines!) pair amazingly with South Asian food and here are some of my favourite Indian as well as non-Indian wine recommendations.
Meat Curries and Shiraz
Silky, oaky and subtle, Shiraz is a great match for the spices and aroma of a meat curry. Sula Vineyards’ Dindori Reserve Shiraz is an elegant wine with complex aromas of richly seasoned vanilla, blueberries, prune and cocoa. Aged in premium American Oak barrels for over a year and then further matured in the bottle before the release to add sweet coconut and smoky notes, this full-bodied red is truly velvety with good structure and smooth tannins that tastes like heaven with the flavours of cloves and cinnamon from the curry.
Lentils and Chardonnay
I usually love a light and fruity white wine with lentils, such as the Campo Viejo Rioja Viura-Tempranillo Blanco, but whenever I feel like I can splash a little for a rich, buttery chardonnay I go for a Jacob’s Creek, as it melts with the softness of the dish. But since we are talking about Indian wines here, nothing comes close to the crispy delightful blend of Fratelli M/S Chardonnay – made by a Tuscan winemaker in India – bringing the perfect balance to this dish, cooling and refreshing all at once.
Butter or Malai Chicken and Rosé
Oozing with heavy cream, yogurt and coconut milk, these dishes deserve to be paired with nothing other than a blushed-pink wine and the perfect pick would be a cult favourite among Indian wines, the York Rosé.
Since the cream absorbs most of the spices in the curry, it makes it easier to bring out the nuanced notes of cherries and raspberries in the wine, reminding me of a nice summer day at the beachside. Another personal favourite for me has been the ThinK Pink Fizz, a delicious Pinot Grigio Sparkling Rose, which is totally vegan and organic and feels so luxurious with the creamy butter of the chicken.
Palak Paneer and Pinor Noir
(or Zinfandel Red)
Sommeliers would recommend a white, such as a Chenin blanc, to go with green curries. Talk about counterintuitive pairing, but I’m going to be bold here by recommending Pinot Noir, because why the hell not? The American or European approach of pairing red wine with red meats and white wine with veggies is exactly what we are trying to refrain from. It’s the sauce and seasoning that should be the decision-makers rather than colour. The key here is to go for a fruity aromatic red. The cherry toasted notes of the Rothschild Escudo Rojo Pinot Noir helps balance the heat. However, it’s difficult to find an Indian Pinot Noir due to the climatic conditions of the country and the logistics of getting it exported, which is why I tried the dish with a Zinfandel red, such as this one by Sula, that’s made in Nashik, which is like the Napa Valley of India. The blackberry, cinnamon and plum aromas didn’t disappoint my tasting buds one bit. It was definitely an adventure.
