Which wine to pair with a Moroccan tagine? (updated)

Exotic and aromatic, Moroccan tagines somehow manage to suit all types of weather and not being particularly spicy are relatively simple to pair with wine. 

There are of course different types of tagine which call for different styles of wine. Lamb tagines with quince or prunes generally suit a full-bodied red wine while chicken tagines with olives are better suited to crisp dry white wines or ‘gris de gris’ a pale style of rosé which is popular in Morocco. 

But as with all wine pairings sometimes you can be surprised. The rise of orange wines has been a bit of a game changer - a style I increasingly turn to with lamb-based tagines. 

Lamb tagines

Lamb tagines usually incorporate some kind of fruit, most commonly dried fruits like figs or prunes, which add a touch of sweetness that balances the spice.

I generally like lamb tagine with mellow aged reds like Rioja reservas or similar oak-aged Spanish reds, inexpensive southern Italian reds such as Nero d’Avola, Negroamaro and Aglianico, Lebanese reds or of course reds from Morocco itself which tend to include southern French grape varieties such as grenache, syrah and cinsault. 

You could also try a Côtes du Rhône or, perhaps more surprisingly, a brighter, fruitier red with good acidity like the Marcel Lapierre Morgon I reported on here, especially if lighter fruits such as apricots are involved. 

Now that orange wines are more widely available they’re a useful option too - especially darker coloured ones with more extended skin contact.

Check out these pairings

Lamb tagine with prunes and Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Lamb tagine with dates, prunes, and apricots and Morgon

Chicken or vegetable tagines with preserved lemon
You’d think white wine would be the natural go to for a dish like this but I’d be cautious. The lemon flavour in the tagine may well strip out any citrussy flavours in the wine so I’d go for a simple crisp white rather than a Sauvignon Blanc which is a bit too similar in taste.

Better still would be a strong dry southern French rosé such as the Costières de Nimes I mention here or, you might be surprised to learn, an aged Rioja or similar Spanish red as recommended above. You might think red is a weird choice with this type of dish but it works really well provided the wine is not too alcoholic or ripe. So not a 14.5% Chilean or Californian blockbuster! 

See also..

Chicken and vegetable tagine with southern French rosé

Chicken, lemon and olive tagline with Rioja Reserva

Duck tagine and Moscatel 

Vegetable tagines

Vegetable tagines typically include Mediterranean vegetables such as aubergine (eggplant), courgettes (zucchini) and peppers - the seasoning being quite gentle and subtle. Again a dry rosé is a good option but I also like earthy white wine blends from the southern Rhône and the Languedoc based on grapes like white grenache, marsanne, rousanne and viognier.  

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The best wines to pair with haggis (updated)

I’ve argued before that whisky and beer are the best pairings for haggis but what if you prefer wine? What colour and style work best?

It might raise eyebrows at a Burns Night dinner but if you’re enjoying haggis at home there’s no reason not to crack-open a bottle.

Haggis is quite a funky-tasting meat - a bit like a savoury, spicy sausage - so I think red wine is a better match than white although orange wine, a relatively recent addition to the wine scene, is another good option.

(That’s not a wine made from oranges, for those of you who are unfamiliar with them, but a white wine made like a red by leaving the juice in contact with the skins which gives it a darker colour and a flavour of apricot or quince)

And many haggises - haggi? - are vegetarian these days. They’re not as full-on in flavour as the traditional haggis but they still have a bit of a spicy kick. What should you drink with those?

I’ve found big jammy reds such as Australian shiraz work well with the classic haggis (there is appropriately enough one called Bobbie Burns shiraz (available for about £18-22 from independents including Alexander Hadleigh and Field & Fawcett.

Northern Rhône syrah and grenache/syrah/mourvèdre (GSM) blends from the southern Rhône, the Languedoc and Australia are also good matches, especially if they have a year or two’s bottle age. 

Robust ‘natural’ reds (i.e. wines made with wild yeasts and low levels of - if any - sulphur) are also a good choice though again I’d go for syrah rather than lighter gamay or pinot noir.

And as I’ve said there’s no reason why you shouldn’t drink an orange wine. It would match the colour of the neeps (swede) after all ?)

Traditionalists, as I’ve discovered from past Burns’ night dinner’s go for claret - but then they tend to like Bordeaux with anything and everything meaty. I’d pick a more full-bodied Saint-Emilion rather than a more elegant left bank claret. I personally think rioja or, even better, Ribera del Duero is a better match.

Pure carignan, which has become increasingly popular is a good partner for haggis too. I like the old vine carignans which are made by a number of producers in the Maule region of Chile under the VIGNO label

And finally I’d be more than happy to drink a Zinfandel - again, one made from old vines would work particularly well.

So far as vegetarian haggis is concerned you can get away with a slightly lighter wine though if you’re serving it with a robust gravy you might still want to stick to the above suggestions. A Côtes du Rhône or a Rioja would be my preferred choices

See also Which foods pair best with whisky

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Six of the best wines with a nut roast

You might be surprised that a nut roast isn’t that different from a conventional roast when it comes to finding a wine pairing.

The savoury flavours are designed to act as a satisfying substitute for meat and so work best with similarly full-bodied red wines.

Especially at Christmas you’re likely to be having them with the same kind of vegetables to the turkey - and possibly even the same gravy (so long as it’s not turkey stock-based, obviously).

There is one wild card though I probably wouldn’t serve with a turkey but would be terrific with a nut roast ....

Go on - be bold. I dare you!

Robust rhone or Languedoc red

Based on local grapes like grenache, mourvedre, cinsault and syrah the robust flavours of southern French reds work really well with the intensely savoury flavours of a nut roast. Other GSM (grenache/syrah/mourvèdre) blends should work too as would a northern Rhône syrah such as Crozes Hermitage

Cabernet sauvignon

Lots of nut roasts contain cheese and so pair well with cabernet, especially a cab with a couple of years’ bottle age

Pinot noir

If your nut roast contains mushrooms you’ll probably find a pinot goes well with it but I’d make it a medium to full-bodied one as opposed to a light youthful red burgundy

Chardonnay

Also a good match for a mushroom-rich nut roast, especially with a wild mushroom gravy. Though if there are chestnuts and a red wine gravy involved as in this recipe I’d again go for a red like a merlot or malbec.

Oaked white rioja

I’m sure the Spanish wouldn’t dream of it (I doubt they eat nut roasts anyway) but why not? One of the world’s most underrated whites

Amontillado sherry

Now this is a wild card and I wouldn’t serve it to a tableful of guests but if there’s just a couple of you and you’re sherry fans a medium dry amontillado sherry would be great.

Whatever wine you choose if you’re a veggie, or serving a nut roast to one, you need to check whether the wine is suitable for vegetarians - in other words that it’s not fined with any animal-derived products.

Photo © Monica Shaw

Six of the best wine pairings for roast or baked ham

If you’re serving a ham or gammon as a roast this Thanksgiving or Christmas you need a more full-bodied wine with it than when you serve ham as a cold cut. Which one depends on the glaze.

Recipes vary hugely but generally include some element of sweetness to counteract the saltiness of the meat. There may be spice in the glaze too which calls for a red with generous ripe fruit - in other words an element of sweetness too. 

Good wine and Christmas ham pairings 

Grenache and grenache blends

Providing your glaze isn’t too sweet try a grenache or grenache blend from the South of France or Australia. That includes Côtes du Rhône but also the popular blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, often shortened to GSM.

Medium to full-bodied shiraz

But not too alcoholic or tannic, I’d suggest. Lovely ripe juicy fruit is just what you want with ham

Chilean merlot or carmenère

Soft and ripe, just the ticket. Good value, too.

Beaujolais

Not the light, gulpable kind but a serious ‘cru’ Beaujolais like a Morgon. For those who like ‘old world’ wines with a bit more acidity

Central Otago pinot noir

The richest of New Zealand’s pinot noirs this would work particularly well with sweeter glazes or ones that include star anise or five spice

Barossa semillon

Semillon tastes of pineapple and pineapple and ham go together so semillon and ham should be a perfect match, right? Absolutely, but I’d go for rich lush Barossa Valley semillon rather than the lighter Hunter Valley style.

And for the leftovers I’d suggest a light juicy Beaujolais or other gamay, a lighter pinot noir or a Chablis.

You may also find this post 20 Christmas wine pairings to learn by heart useful.

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