Why just juicy steaks, cheese, and dainty salmon cuts with wine? Why not give international wines a chance with robust Indian flavours and tantalizing spices?
For a long time, this wasn’t considered a match made in heaven; at least not as far as food connoisseurs were concerned. How could foreign wines and Indian foods dare to come together? Wasn’t the love affair with wine, that gorgeous, subtle, tantalising drink, meant only for truly international cuisine? Wasn’t Pinot Noir meant to go with poached salmon and roasted duck breast, given the wine’s mouthwatering acidity and silky mouth-feel? But did you know it could, with its notes of potpourri, tobacco, black tea, cloves, pair delightfully with — hold your breath — desi tadke wali yellow dal! Or, for that matter, could you have guessed that an absolutely delightful Argentinian white wine could be, thanks to its floral fragrance and aroma, be just the wine to go with rosogolla, kheer and gajar halwa?
Yes, from Indian starters, to main course to your dessert, there’s wine waiting to be paired — and savoured by you — at every step.
In their seminal book, The Cinnamon Club Cookbook, food critic and entrepreneur Iqbal Wahhab, and chef Vivek Singh, who have both been at the forefront of transforming the way Londoners viewed — and ate — Indian food, with sophistication, refinement and in company of, what else, good wine, have listed which wine should be paired with what Indian dishes. No surprise then, that the restaurant tasted and paired over 2,000 wines in the process of creating dishes.
Wahhab and Singh aren’t alone. In 2014, award-winning Gymkhana in London came up with an impressive set of wine pairings at a dinner. Devised by sommelier and co-owner Sunaina Sethi, it was both challenging and fascinating to have wines getting paired with Indian food simply because of the country’s geography and how food changes from one state to the other. Depending on the heat level and the way the spices are treated, wines, say experts, have to be paired with utmost care and perfection. At this dinner, Sethi’s impeccable curation led to a full-bodied red wine (Pulenta Estate Gran Cabernet Franc 2010) getting paired with vindaloo; a nice, acidic Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti Le Orme 2011 with a mushroom pilaf and; as mentioned earlier, an Argentinian wine pairing itself delightfully with Indian desserts.
In Varanasi, another major restaurant in London serving Indian food, wines are carefully selected to be served to diners. So a Pinot Noir from New Zealand with its intense fruity flavour will be served with the humble tandoori paneer, simply because the smoky, woody flavour of the dish is balanced delightfully by the texture of this particular wine.
In fact, once you follow the three-four commandments, you'll find it easy to pair your wine with Indian food. If you are serving North Indian food, full of spices and made tandoor-style, then you'll require red wine that has acidic qualities to add to the spices and which brings them out. If you want to enhance the flavour of, say, a dish that isn't too spicy (upma, idli, plain dosa, why not?), go for wines that have that buttery textures. If you don’t want the spices' flavours enhanced, then calm down the spice and go for something sweet (Pinot Gris or Riesling), which have some residual sugar.
Based on experts’ opinions and what we've researched, we bring you suggestions on which wines to combine with some of the best dishes in Indian food. This is just a broad list and you might want to experiment as you go along:
Dish: Kebabs (veg or non veg)
Wine to accompany: New Zealand Riesling.
Why: The heat of the kebab will lift the wine’s main fruity components, leaving you with a pleasant, delicate tropical finish.
Dish: Spicy chicken curry, rogan josh
Wine to accompany: Alsace Riesling
Why: The freshly-ground garam masala of chicken curry is matched by the citrus element of this dry wine, leaving floral notes on the palate.
Dish: Hyderabadi baingan
Wine to accompany: American Pinot Blanc
Why: This dish is sour and spicy at the same time. However, aubergines have a natural sweetness, which can complement the fruity notes of this wine.
Dish: Palak and methi pakoras/ palak paneer
Wine to accompany: Australian Sauvignon Blanc
Why: The minerality of spinach and the grassy aftertaste of fenugreek are balanced by the citrus flavour of this wine.
Dish: Tandoori paneer / tandoori chicken / tandoori fish, served with coconut rice
Wine to accompany: Sula Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir from New Zealand
Why: The gentle herb-ness of the wine works really well with gently sweet-spiced food.
Dish: Gur ki kheer/ rosogolla/ pudding
Wine to accompany: Late Harvest Chenin Blanc by Sula
Why: Bright, sweet, and a general nice texture. It's actually touted as one of the best dessert wines we have in India.