Match of the week

Little Beauty Marlborough riesling and Indian or Pakistani food

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on May 4 2015 at 08:32

I’ve always thought of riesling as a better match for the fresh flavours of south-east Asian-inspired food than curry but a visit to the Lahore Kebab House proved otherwise this week.

It was an evening off for those who were juding the Decanter World Wine Awards and a first visit for me to this venerable East London institution which features spicy chops as its main draw.

It was a BYO evening which given the clientele that night was more than usually interesting but I was really pleased to find that the crisp, limey 2010 Little Beauty Marlborough riesling I’d taken along was absolutely spot on with the range of sometimes quite fiery dishes that turned up at the table - including the chops, kebabs, chicken tikka, samosas, onion bhajis and a selection of curries. If you wanted a truly refreshing wine to drink through an Indian - or in this case Pakistani - meal it would do the job perfectly.

I was sent the wine by an online company called 31dover.com which sells it online for £15.45. Not cheap but totally worth it. (It apparently won an International Trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2013 for Best in Show Riesling under £15.)

The team at 31Dover adds that it’s “sensational matched with honey glazed seared scallops with a hint of chilli, or sashimi with soya and pickled ginger.” I believe them.

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