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ShareThere is something about the mystic that always enthrals most of us. There is also something about the spicy that captivates most vinos, again, in a strange and inexplicable way. Do spicy foods work with wines?
Most oenophiles see spices as their eternal curiosity, their mountain to scale. And yet it is elusive. But that doesn't mean that there isn't some sense of reasonable order that can be brought to the debate. I recently conducted two dinners where I paired different Italian wines (from top-end family-owned wine-houses aka Grandi Marchi) and I can assure you the comments I got were the spiciest things on those evenings.
Spice is not chilli and that is the first clarification. Nothing can resuscitate hot food -- food too hot for someone to enjoy. If you can't taste it, you can't pair it, simple!
Next, excess is bad, of one spice, or a mix of spices. If not executed properly and subtly, instead of tasting a symphony of a dish on our palate, we get a cacophony of ingredients. That cannot be paired with any wine or beverage successfully.
North Indian food has been paired so often with wines that people are not too amazed or stunned by it anymore. That is the first sign of acceptance -- when the clamour for the glamour dies down.
Kebabs, vegetarian, chicken or the even meatier versions, especially when they come without accompanying breads can marry very well with rich reds made from grapes like Nero di Troia and Nero d'Avola (think Rivera and Donnafugata wines). The meats, in such a 'pure'form can sit easily beside a corpulent red without feeling ignored or belittled.
Main courses and curries, especially if they incorporate ingredients like saffron, medium-to-full-bodied reds are more appropriate. Curries will always seem softer especially when had with bread or rice (the way they are supposed to be enjoyed) and therefore one should never marry a wine to go with just the curry.
To truly put matters in context it is more correct to think of how the curry would alter, even become milder. Hence, the wine too should be similarly soft. Pinot Noir is a great grape to try. I am also particularly partial to Barbera Italy.
With South Indian food, pairings can get very lop-sided. White wines can come after reds (I served a lovely aromatic white from Jermann with curd rice and it was a heaven-sent), light wines may come after richer ones... all can change. Seafood or veggies, when tempered the south Indian way, can take on a richness and opulence that scream for an equally powerful wine. Rassam is a great way to change the tempo.
I used a Rassam in a chilled version, like a shot. The idea was to reset the palate for the next wine. It was hot and spicy but it did the job.
Serving the reds a tad cooler than normal may also be deployed as a tactic to ensure that nobody is too stunned by the attack of the dishes. Reducing the heat of the alcohol makes it less weighty on the palate. When serving a white wine with something fried, chill the wine to cut through the grease.
Pairing food is a joy for a perfectionist but a curse for the un-poetic. Because, the
answer to such a question is never a goal but a journey.
The writer is a sommelier.
