Wine is new and happening in India at the moment, but Indian food and Wines have individually been as old as civilization. Since wine has not been popular in the sub-continent until the past two decades there have been no established traditions regarding pairing Indian food and wine. Indian food is very complex, so it gets rather difficult to put the wine suggestions on an index-card; hence people have stayed away from evaluating the possibilities.
I start writing this with a lot of trepidation, a voice inside me keeps saying, “Don’t go there.” The reason being that it really is difficult to give blanket rules to such an extensive cuisine, but then I keep bumping into that proverbial Riesling and think we need to broaden the bottle. The Rieslings have been a popular staple for a lot of folks thinking of a good wine for Indian food, simply because they are light and still retain personality and the sweeter varieties do make a great match for some Indian food, but we should never limit the possibilities. Beer also has been a good alcoholic option largely because India has produced good beer for a very long time.
Everything related to Indian food has a lot of rules related to spices and how to combine them, so it is fair that we lay some ground rules about combining the wines that we drink with the food.
Some basic ground rules,
1. Think about the base –since Indian food has complex flavors, it is important to consider the main flavors spicing the dish and well as the body (fish, meat, etc).
2. Think about the base and body – Different combinations have slightly different results, i.e., fish in a tomato base is different from chicken in a tomato base.
3. Think about base, body and harmony – Combining the spices, the ingredients and the wine should be like a good marriage or relationship where each participant holds their own, add to the other but does not overpower, overshadow and overwhelm.
4. Think about visual harmony – We eat as much with our eyes and we do with our stomachs. Something that is beautiful to look at tastes better than if it was not aesthetic.
5. Keep it Simple: The food has a lot of complexity in terms of various flavors so we do not need the wine to do a lot of the work, clear, crisp softer flavors are good.
And finally as with any food and wine pairings.
6. Rules are made to be broken: Finally, my cardinal rule on anything, if you think it’s working then it does. Tastes and preferences always different so you are the ruler of your palate and should decide what really works for you. I discover new possibilities everyday.
Moving on to some more concrete suggestions, it is important to do a little categorization of Indian spice bases and what can compliment these bases. As a very board overview I like to think of classic whites and new world reds as good pairings with Indian food.
Indian foods can be broadly grouped into sauce based curries (Stews) and drier dishes.
Most often people think of the spice blend when thinking of curry, but actually, in the strictest sense of the term in Indian food verbiage the term curry is a well-spiced stew with a sauce it can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
The three common curry bases and some wine suggestions that are good pairings for these bases are as follows,
The Creamy curry: Names such as korma, tikka masala, moghlai, all classic American favorites fall into this category. The creaminess in the curry is usually from a base of cream or coconut milk. There are subtle taste differences between the two mediums the coconut milk add sweetness and is a little lighter in composition, while cream is smoother. The creamy curries are gentler with their use of spices. The gentleness is more reflective of the style and choice of spicing as opposed to the quantity and heat.
Suggested Wine Choices
Gewürztraminers: These tend to be floral wines sometimes with a hint of spice, they work better with the more subtle flavors of cream style sauces.
Pinot Noirs: These low tannin wines generally are a good choice, with the creamier curries, these wines work especially well with meat and vegetable based cream sauces.
The tomato or yogurt based curry: These curry sauces are bolder and are generally with more robust bodies such as meat, eggplants, chickpeas, and cauliflowers. Tomato base curries are often married with ginger and or garlic and tend to work well with herbs like cilantro.
Suggested Wine Choices
Shiraz: I hope this was on your mind. I think these wines were made with the tomato cilantro base in mind. The Australian sparking Shiraz is a good celebration drink that can be chilled and served to create a sparkling moment.
Pino Grigio: These are tricky since they can range from the sweet varieties to some very dry wines. Somewhere in the middle with even a hint of honey makes a good marriage.
The bold spicy sauces: The first think that comes to mind is a vindaloo, these fiery curries from Western India have chili peppers mixed with vinegars to make a strong bold base. Other foods from the southern part of India can also fall into this category.
Suggested Wine Choices
Cabernet Sauvignons are good strong wines to counteract the robust flavors of this styled dish. They hold their own and sometimes add to the match.
Chenin Blancs: The sweeter overtones of these white wines are a good complement to the more acidic flavors of these sauces and do a better job than some of their drier counterparts.
Moving onto the drier foods, we can have a universe of flavors but I will try to spell out two, just to get one started with some thoughts. A highly favored combination in the dry spices is the cumin-coriander powder combination these spices are crisp but not overly sharp. Names that come to mind when thinking of this seasoning are salmon, aloo-gobi (potato and cauliflowers).
Suggested Wine Pairings:
Sauvignon Blanc: I am thinking of a simple variety with herbal notes that work well with the above foods especially on a summer day.
Pinotage: This South African grape makes some interesting wines that work well with the clear flavors of the drier foods.
The second kind of dry spices that dominate on their own are the fragrant group of spices like (cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc), I know these all have very different flavors, but in Indian food they are rarely used singly, but rather combined to create highly aromatic dishes like the biryani, which when well made is a work of art.
Suggested Wine Choices:
Roses: A nice drier rose would be a good stand in the white category. I would think of something French, but you can pick whatever suits your fancy.
Zinfandale: A good fruity zinfandel, would match these flavors well in the red category.
As we get to the end of the meal, dessert wines are not necessarily a good idea. A good Indian dessert tends to be fairly heavy and rich and a little does go a long way, a good cup of milky tea tends to actually eliminate the need for dessert. In fact, try this Iced Chai Cocktail, if you are in the mood to try something different.
Star-Anise Chai Cocktail
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 cups of milk
3 cardamoms
2 star anise
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp black tea ( assam or Ceylon)
Your favorite fruit flavored dessert chilled wine (I am thinking blackberry)
Method of Preparation
1. Bring the milk to a boil with the cardamoms and anise.
2. Mix in the sugar and tea and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Let this steep for 5 minutes and strain.
4. Chill for 2 hours.
5. When ready to serve arrange in tall glasses. Pour ¼ glass of the wine, the remaining chai and stir lightly.
6. Drink and relax.
