Best Wines for Indian Cuisine.

                     Finding wines to suit Indian dishes rich in spices involves tasting sessions and exploration of flavours. Many well known wine drinkers and good food specialists have  conducted such research and have discovered particular wines that do give the palette an enjoyable union when consumed with Indian cuisine.

Here are some of the popular wines chosen to pair with Indian and South Asian cuisine:

• Gewürztraminer - A white wine from the region of Alsace in France which is mildly sweet. Particularly suited to South Asian dishes that are tandoori based or rich in masalas, herbs, ginger, garlic and cardamom.
• Sauvignon Blanc, Cotes Du Rhone or Australian Shiraz – Good accompaniment for tikka dishes and tandoori Prawns and paneer dishes.
• Riesling - White German type is the best. Often fruity wines, flavored with apples, plums, and peaches, they have a high acidic content and are mildly sweet along with being tart. It is best paired with curried dishes such Rogan Josh, masalas and red meat dishes which are rich and heavy in flavour with spices.
• Rose – These wines are pretty dry. They have the depth of a red wine as well as the acidity of a lighter white wine. Hence, go great with heavy meat dishes, like lamb but not poultry.
• Pinot Noir – This is one of the most popular red wines for Indian cuisine. Mainly available in fruity flavors, this red wine is smoother and silkier in texture compared to other high-tannin wines. It is also a wine that goes well with all types of dishes, whether spicy or tangy, chicken, seafood, vegetarian dishes or paneer.
• Champagne or Sparkling Wines - Champagne and other sparking wines can be paired with several types of Indian cuisine, including vegetarian. If you have a rich & creamy curry, or something heavy like saag, makhani balti dishes, paneer and potatoes, Champagne goes well with it, as it offers a nice change-of-taste due to its bubbly acidic texture.

Other good pairing wines include, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Verdelho. Wines of a tannic nature are not a good choice for Indian and South Asian cuisine such as Merlot.

It is very important to serve wines at a suitable temperature. Typical temperatures are, white wines at 5-8 degrees and reds at approximately 15 degrees. Spicy foods taste much more nicer if the wines are cooler. Also, the alcohol content of the wine should not be above 12% proof. Most wines vary between 10.5-12.5% alcohol.

Choosing a wine for a meal is always down to personal preference but we hope the tips have given you a little guidance to finding that right pairing for one of the most wonderful and popular cuisines in the world.
 

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