What Food, What Wine? Indian: which type of wine pairs best with a curry

A lot of people still think that wine isn’t a good match with spicy food but our final session of What Food, What Wine? judging this week suggested that there’s no reason for winelovers to throw in the towel. The success (or otherwise) of the pairings did however depend on the heat of the curries and how ‘wet’ or dry they were.

We had four to consider - a chicken korma, a lamb rogan josh, a chicken tikka masala (which appeared in last year’s line up) and stir fried prawns with tanjore spices, the signature dish of the Cinnamon Kitchen in the City where the judging took place. (Amazing - you can find the recipe here)

The situation was slightly unreal in that we had each dish separately with boiled rice whereas in many restaurants a range of different dishes would have been put on the table at once along with sides like raita and chutney. But it was the most comprehensive attempt I’ve witnessed to find out which style of wines suits which type of curry and produced some fascinating insights.

Shop-bought or home-made?

There’s a big difference between inexpensive supermarket curries and a good takeaway or homemade recipe using freshly ground spices and fresh herbs. The prawn dish was far more aromatic and complex - and subsequently more challenging to match. I’m sticking my neck out here but I’d say on the strength of this tasting that it’s probably only worth spending over £10 on a bottle with a subtly spiced dish, served Western-style on its own - as you get in high end restaurants.

Consider the protein

If the basic ingredient has a prominent flavour it can dictate the match, despite the style of the dish. For instance lamb has much more influence on a pairing (inclining you towards a red) than chicken where it’s the sauce that’s all important

Beware whole spices ...

A rogue chilli or whole cardamom can really blow your wine out of the water. Fresh, well-sourced whole spices will be more powerful than mass-produced ground ones

...and heat build-up

Spicing plays havoc with the palate in ways you don’t quite anticipate. It can anaethetise the palate to an extent but with some dishes there was a slow build of heat making each mouthful taste progressively spicier. Which is where cooling raita comes in ....

So which style of wine pairs best?

Judging by the wines we tried a fruity rosé is the best all rounder - a good default choice when you’re in an Indian restaurant.

White wines - even aromatic ones - are trickier than you might think. Sauvignon Blanc in particular is not the success it tends to be with other dishes. A touch of sweetness certainly helps as does a touch of minerality, according to the Cinnamon Kitchen’s group wine buyer Laurent Chaniac who was one of the judges. Gewurztraminer can be great but doesn’t go with everything.

Reds can work particularly if they’re lightly chilled but they need to be quite soft without intrusive tannins. Unless you’re a chilli thrillophile you don’t want to ramp up the heat with a load of spicy oak.

Personally I’m dying to see the results. I’ll link to them as soon as they’re published.

I should make clear that I am a senior (paid) judge on What Food What Wine but they haven't asked or commissioned me to write this and the previous post which represent my views and not theirs!

 

Some food and wine pairing tips from What Food What Wine? 2012

I’ve just spent the past two days at What Food What Wine? tasting wine alongside dishes as disparate as smoked salmon and apple crumble, Stilton and steak and lasagne and lamb - a bit of an assault on the palate (and stomach!) but one of the best ways to work out what wine really works with your favourite recipes

It’s the second year of this groundbreaking competition which is fronted by popular TV presenters (and husband and wife) Susie and Peter of Saturday Kitchen. The big difference is that while the food may not be exactly the same as you’d serve it at home (roast turkey without sprouts and spuds? You must be joking!) the dishes have been devised by a proper home cook (TV chef Jo Pratt).

You’ll have to wait until the end of next month to find out which bottles we voted the trophy winners but in the meantime here are a few general observations and tips you might find useful:

* More expensive wines don’t necessarily make better food matches. Our judging categories were divided into under £10 and over £10 wines and sometimes the under £10 pairings were just as good

* Some classic wine matches stand the test of time, for instance roast lamb with Bordeaux-style reds and sweet or fortified wines with Stilton. On the other hand there are always new discoveries to be made - for instance how well Sauvignon Blanc pairs with smoked salmon. As good as champagne!

* Steak is not the breeze that everyone thinks it is. You really need to think about how it’s cooked. Serving it rare will smooth the rough edges off a rustic red or a very full-bodied tannic young wine which might taste a bit overpowering with a medium to well-done piece of meat. Lay off the ketchup if you don’t want to complicate things further - or at least leave it until you’ve tasted the wine with the steak

* In fact it always pays to taste a dish with a wine before you add extra seasoning or sauces. A citrussy white can do the same job as a squeeze of lemon, as we discovered with the fish and chips category.

* “You don’t want tannin with turkey” - a good observation from wine consultant Angela Mount. Think fruit, not oak when you come to buy your Christmas red - though an oaky white can conversely work quite well

* Wine pairings can have a different effect. Some will echo flavours and textures in a wine like the orangey dessert wine we tried with the Christmas pudding (yes, we had that too!). Others may provide a lighter, more refreshing contrast. It depends how adventurous you - and your guests - are. Complementary pairings tend to be less challenging than contrasting ones.

*There are always fascinating new discoveries to be made such as this year’s discovery that umami-rich parmesan can make some wines - whites in particular - taste almost sweet

* A home-made dish may need a slightly different wine from a shop-bought one. For example Jo’s delicious mushroom risotto had a strong flavour of porcini that proved a great match for Pinot Noir. A lighter, creamier one might pair better with a Chardonnay. If you want to get the best out of the award-winning wines use the recipes on the site (no great hardship there!)

I should make clear that I am a senior (paid) judge on What Food What Wine and that we have reciprocal links so obviously have an interest in its success. But I honestly think they're doing a terrific job in taking food and wine matching forward.

 

 

Which foods pair best with high alcohol red wines?

Despite the growing concern about alcohol levels in wine many reds still clock in at 14.5% or more, a level at which they can become an unbalanced pairing for traditional European food. Many traditionalist would say that they are therefore not ‘food wines’ but as with other types of wine it depends how well they’re made and whether overall the wine is in balance. Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe for example rarely hits the shelves at under 14% but wears its alcohol lightly.

In general wines of this power benefit from at least a couple of years bottle ageing - it’s the combination of high alcohol and aggressive tannins that can overwhelm the food you’re eating. I’ve drunk many an Australian Shiraz of 7 to 8 years old that has behaved like a pussycat with food.

The best type of dishes in my view to drink with big reds are:

• Rare meat especially beef - e.g. a chargrilled steak (rare meat softens the effect of big tannins)

• Slow cooked but not heavily sauced meat (lamb and pork as well as beef) Not heavily sauced because if you have an intense reduction and a full-bodied red you can barely taste the meat you’re eating

• Meat cooked with a sweet marinade or baste - e.g. barbecued ribs Sweetness will enhance the acidity in the wine, making it taste fresher.
• Meat or ‘meaty’ fish like tuna cooked with a spicy rub or crust. A touch of spice offsets a big fruity red nicely though not a hot ‘wet’ curry with a lot of spicy sauce which will just create an sense of overload on the palate.

• Haggis! (Yes, really . . . )

• Strongly flavoured vegetarian dishes based on dark Portabella mushrooms or roast or baked aubergines

• Well matured hard cheeses or sheep's cheeses. Cheese can be a minefield for red wine as regular visitors to this site will know. A full bodied red will overwhelm delicate goats’ cheeses and are likely to clash horribly with a well-matured ‘stinky’ washed rind cheese or a punchy blue but should be OK with a dry, clean tasting hard cheese, especially a sheep's cheese (the easiest cheese to pair with red wine)

• Dark chocolate. A controversial pairing but many swear by big jammy reds and dark, not oversweet chocolate. Not for me but try it!

And the dishes that don’t match full-bodied reds?

Lighter fish and vegetable-based dishes, lighter meats like chicken and veal, milder cheeses and dishes with light creamy sauces.

Image © Christian Delbert - Fotolia.com

Good wine buys from Waitrose

Yesterday was a bit of a marathon on the wine-tasting circuit with a huge tasting at Waitrose and a slightly more manageable one at the Co-op but the Waitrose tasting produced this gem which I’d urge you to snap up before the current offer expires on May 29th.

It's the 2010* Catena Malbec, a purringly smooth, deep, rich, plummy Argentinian red which should have a good way to go but to my mind is already showing beautifully. It would, of course, be great with steak but also with roast beef or lamb. An ideal bottle to bring out for New World wine lovers and traditionalists alike. (In most Waitrose branches at £9.99 instead of £12.99 or £9.49 online if you're buying a case.)

While you’re in Waitrose there are also some decent whites you might want to pick up - if you can find the current vintages. The website doesn't seem to be totally up to date but I have checked with Waitrose that they're available.

* a classy Vincent de Vignaud Pouilly-Vinzelles from the excellent 2010 vintage - down from £13.99 to £10.99 which makes it a great buy. That would be a versatile all-rounder but especially good with posh fish with a creamy or buttery sauce. (The website lists the 2007 vintage - I wouldn't go for that)

* the LaVis Vigneti dei Montagna Pinot Grigio 2010/11 from Trentino-Alto Adige. Pinot Grigio gets a bad rap but this is a good one and a bargain at £5.99 (down from £8.99). Ideal for antipasti and pasta and risottos with seafood or spring vegetables. (The website shows the 2010.)

* and the delicate elderflower-scented Three Choirs Annum 2011 down from £8.99 to £7.19 (£6.83 online) which is a fair price for English wine. I’d drink that as an aperitif.

Oh, and two other good deals. If you’re a fan of Nyetimber and want to stock up on some for the Jubilee it’s on offer at £22.49 or £21.36 online instead of £29.99 and there’s a multibuy offer of 3 bottles for £5 on selected ciders (that last one runs till June 6th).

* Looks like some stores may still have the 2009 which should also be decent but buy one to try before you splash out on more.