Which wine to pair with a Moroccan tagine?

Exotic and aromatic, Moroccan tagines somehow manage to suit all types of weather and not being particularly spicy are relatively simple to match with wine. The best wine pairing for tagine depends of course on the type of tagine you’re eating.

It’s all about complementing the dish’s warm spices and rich, slow-cooked flavours. Consider the dominant elements in the tagine—whether it’s earthy, sweet, or citrusy—and match the wine’s weight and acidity accordingly. A medium-bodied wine with a touch of spice or fruitiness often works beautifully, while whites with bright acidity can lift dishes featuring preserved lemon or olives. The right pairing will enhance the dish without overshadowing its intricate balance of flavors.

In this guide I’ll cover my top wine matches for different popular styles of tagine including lamb tagine, of course, as well as chicken and vegetable tagines, and even duck! 

Lamb tagines

Lamb tagines usually incorporate some kind of fruit, most commonly dried fruits like figs or prunes, so the wine should mirror its sweetness while balancing the spices.

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.

You could also try a brighter, fruitier red with good acidity like this Marcel Lapierre Morgon I reported on here, especially if lighter fruits such as apricots are involved. See also... 

Lamb tagine with prunes and Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Lamb tagine with dates, prunes, and apricots and a very good Beaujolais

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. Or for a Hunter Valley Semillon as suggested here.

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 blockbusters! 

See also..

Chicken and vegetable tagine with southern French rosé

Chicken, lemon and olive tagline with Rioja Reserva

Duck tagine and Moscatel 

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