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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