how does a person choose from a merlot or a shiraz or a cabernet? is it the difference in taste of the wines, occasions or the food that matters? please answer considering the indian pallate.
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
This is a very difficult question to answer in words as the best approach is to taste a number of wines from each of the varieties you mention. To learn the differences, you might want to purchase examples around the same price and open them side-by-side. Of course, quality and style will vary greatly according to region and maker, so you may need to repeat the test several times with different wines. That's the only way to begin to understand the taste differences and decide if one variety suits your own palate more than another.
If you are thinking about pairing wines with Indian food, that may be somewhat challenging but certainly far from impossible. Given the enormous regional variation in cuisine, it does not make sense to generalize. Here are a just few ideas to get you started:
Dry roses from the Rhone, Provence, Spain & Greece with tandoori & other foods
Light to medium bodied whites such as Macon-Villages, Pinot Bianco or Vouvray with
fish curries
Soft, medium weight reds from the Rhone, basic Shiraz or Montepulciano with lamb
dishes & vegetable curries
