Pair it right, desi style

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Maybe because Indians are still to warm up to the idea of wine drinking; maybe it’s because even the ones who do enjoy a glass or two prefer pairing it with a French or an Italian course. But pairing wines with Indian food is still an alien concept for most. The fact that Indian food is spicy and full of masaledaar

gravies doesn’t help matters.
“But,” says Cyril Nunes, beverage manager at the ITC Maratha, “The young Indian, having travelled more, is willing to experiment, to try out newer things. And this has ensured that many people do try out a wine or two with their traditional Indian meals.”
Everybody is already familiar with the old thumb rule of pairing white meat with white wines and red meat with red wines. But for those willing to go beyond the basics, things do get confusing. “Wine pairing with food is an art. And like most other arts, it is best left to the professionals, the ones who have some expertise,” says Sumeet Suri, F&B manager at the ITC Maratha.
And having conducted much research on the topic, Suri and his team have come up with a few thumb rules which would help pair wines with most varieties of food items, even the spiciest of Indian dishes. “If it’s a spicy or an oily dish, for instance, one can opt for a pinot noir or a shiraz. The shiraz, especially, comes from a hot region and very well holds its own,” Nunes adds.
Another tricky proposition is Gujarati food, which is sweet and predominantly vegetarian, could be unconducive for a wine pairing. “There are German Riesling wines, which are on the sweeter side. They can complement the sweetness in these foods very well. In fact, the Rieslings can also accompany many Indian desserts,” Nunes says.
The key, says Suri, is identifying the tannins and the acidity levels of the wine. “But for most people at home, identifying the levels of tannins and acidity isn’t possible. If you have the option of some research before purchasing the wine, however, go for a high tannic wine with meat-based, chewy dishes, especially kebabs. You can prefer red meat here; it works like a charm. For gravies, oily dishes or food with high salt content, you can go in for an acidic wine. The chardonnay or the sangiovese works well here,” Suri adds.