Guestwriter

Wine and Indian food: A knotty marriage?

K S Sajit

As a food and beverage person I have always been bogged down by my own questions, as well as questions from my students, inquisitive professionals and party animals pertaining to what wines can be served with Indian food, a trend which is fast gaining popularity in India and abroad. Below are some of my own observations based on my stint in an upmarket Indian restaurant in Muscat, Oman.

The classical style, according to a French connoisseur, is to match white wine with white meat (chicken, poultry, seafood, etc) and red wine with red meat (lamb, beef, pork, etc). The order that is followed is that the white wine is served before the red and the sweet wines follow the red. However, what happens in the case of vegetarians who represent a staggering forty percent of the Indian population?

The marriage between Indian food and wines from anywhere in the world is complicated and challenging owing to the variety of spices present in the food and the sophistication that goes into the making of each wine. I would recommend that while selecting wines, one should go for wines whose alcoholic percentage is restricted to 12 per cent because the higher the alcohol content, the greater the chances of intensifying the heat in a dish, ultimately leading to a loss of one's appetite. One can always check the percentage of alcoholic content before purchase by looking at the label of the bottle.

Many red wines, owing to their heaviness and tannic nature may not blend well with the spicy and piquant Indian food, however light-bodied and young wines like Beaujolais Nouveau may gel well. Wines need to be first sniffed and then swirled around in the mouth, in order to leave a lingering taste - thus dishes like Murgh Masallam, kababs and chicken tikka masala may actually camouflage the effect. Many white wines from France, like the intellectually elite Chablis is a hot favourite among Indian foodies, but unfortunately the price tag often leads them to go in for a emphatic yet less expensive German Riesling. Still, German wines like Niersteiner and Piesporter are also excellent accompaniments and can be enjoyed with any kind of food.

Dry wines go well with all manner of Indian dishes owing to their ability to retain their crispiness and freshness, regardless of the spiciness of the cuisine. Similarly, light-bodied Rose wines also serve as a good accompaniment to food which is not very oily and greasy - one highly recommended among them being Rose'd Anjou. In fact, most Indians prefer to drink Rose wines due to their fruity flavour, however foreigners still prefer a dry wine to go with Indian food, in order to mask some of the original qualities of Indian spices.

Some hot Rose favourites in party circles are the Indian-manufactured Zinfandel and Madera Rose, which are supposed to go down well with both spicy as well as non-spicy vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Among the indigenously manufactured white wines, there is gread demand for the Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc varieties, because while the former surprises drinkers with its spicy flavour, the latter is popular for its aperitif-like character with fresh and fruity hints. Among red wines in the local category, the Cabernet Shiraz variety is customised to suit the Indian palate and tastebuds.

However, one universally accepted favourite is the sparkling wine, be it as accompaniment to Indian, French or Australian cuisine. I suppose, it is the palate- enhancing ability through the exhilarating bubbles of the wines that make it such a smashing hit with gravies, curries and sauces. It's a much craved wine and goes best with sumptuous biryanis, kababs, tikkas, and all kinds of tandoori dishes.

In Europe and other cold countries, the golden rule is to serve the sparkling and white wines chilled and the red wines at room temperature (which may vary from 10-20 degrees centigrade). However, India being a tropical country, sparkling and white wines should be served in the same manner as in Europe, but the red wines may be cooled or kept in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator before being served, as cooler wines go much better with spicy Indian food than the warmer ones.

One important point which first-time drinkers and servers must note is that left-over wine must be refrigerated horizontally with the cork kept moist to allow oxidization and prevent immediate deterioration. Also care must be taken to keep the wine away from direct sunlight and extreme heat.

Having said something about the pairing of Indian food and wines, the fact still remains that it is a matter of personal likes and dislikes. My tastes might differ from yours since "Wine is bottled poetry", and the onus is yours to experience it.

(The author is head of department and assistant professor for Food and Beverage Service of the Oriental school of Hotel Management, Kerala)