A tough match to make

Wine is a western habit we Indians are taking to quite rapidly, but people rarely order (or drink) wines when having Indian food — something that just has to change. Part of the reason why few people drink wines with Indian food is that it is tough to pair them.

This is because not only is our cuisine a lot spicier than western food, it is also hugely varied-from the tandoori Mughalai fare so loved by tourists and star hotels and the dal-chawal-roti-sabzi of our northern plains to machar jhol, dosas and appams and fiery Konkan curries. And that’s just the beginning.

Adding to the complexity and spiciness of Indian foods is the fact that many of them are ‘wet’: the main dishes invariably have gravy, accompaniments include various types of dal as well as dahi (yogurt) and raita, and does not really require a liquid to ‘wash down’ the way dry continental fare does.

So I’ve tried to put together a ‘ready reckoner’ for pairing wines with Indian foods, which might look like this:
 

Tandoori foods	Hearty reds
Curries (mild spice)	Unoaked whites
Coconut-based preparations	New world Chardonnays
Prawn curry/ rice	Riesling, Gewürztraminer
Spicy Konkan dishes (including Xacuti or Balchao)	Cold beer

Nobody seems to know what to do with either Bengali or Maharashtrian food — perhaps nobody drinks anything with those cuisines.

In general, low-alcohol unoaked whites tend to do well, so long as the food is not too spicy or chilli — so Indian Chenin Blancs or Sauvignon Blancs are good to go. For cuisines with a lot of oil, the acidity of a crisp white would be a good foil

Tannins and the higher alcohol in reds tend to clash with spices and chilies, so it would be best to stick to wines that are neither too strong or very tannic — a Zinfandels or Pinotage may not do too well. Most Indian cuisines will overpower subtle flavours in complex wines, so I would avoid Grand Cru Bordeaux or Burgundies when at, say, Chutney Mary in London (but that’s only me!)

That leaves a large range of wines that one could have: Cabernets, Merlots, Shiraz, and Malbec can all hold their own, as would Rhone and Bordeaux blends.

Sparkling wines are, on the other hand, quite terrific with most Indian cuisines: the acidity cuts through the oils and spices, while the chilled wine dowses any fires within. Champagne is a tad expensive for everyday quaffing, but our Indian sparklers are great, as are the increasing numbers of Prosecco and Cava available in the hotels.

Do experiment and provide feedback on your experiences.

Wines I’ve been drinking: Ammirato Foods sponsored the wines for the Bangalore Wine Club's recent brunch at the Lalit Ashok, Bangalore. I particularly liked their Ammirato Chianti Colli Senesi (fruity, good structure and body, nice finish) and the Ammirato Prosecco Brut (good flavour, well-balanced, soft). CEO Chris Pohl has cleverly combined direct sourcing from Italian wineries (of no particular location) with aggressively-low prices and wines that are eminently drinkable to produce a winning formula, and sales can only go up.

Cin Cin (as the Italians say)

Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant