When I head out for Indian food often I find myself switching to beer, or cocktails. Indian food is difficult when it comes to pairing with wine. I was intrigued when I got the invite for the dinner at Pukka featuring Nals Margreid a winery in Northern Italy. I was fortunate enough to sit with wine director Peter Boyd (who also manages the wine list at Scaramouche) and he told me that aromatics and acidity are the key to winning the battle with Indian spices.
The first course was Chicken Tikka served with Sweet Potato Samosa and Vegetable Chaat. It was served with 2013 Muller Thurgau and 2013 Pinot Grigio. There was some debate as to whether the Pinot or Muller was better. Both wines went perfectly with the food. The Muller Thurgau had mineral and grassy notes with nice citrus flavours. The Pinot Grigio was soft and straight forward with subtle apple and melon flavours.
Second course was Boatman’s Fish Curry and Basmati rice. The wine for this course was a 2013 Sirmian Pinot Bianco. The flavours in this wine are golden delicious apple with white flower notes on the nose and on the finish. The wine has a slightly oily texture that helps the flavours linger. The texture of the wine also made a perfect match to the creaminess of the curry.
The third course was Garam Masala Braised Beef Short Ribs with Asparagus and Naan. I was looking forward to this course because White wine and spicy foods like Indian is definitely an easier match than red. The Red wine was Schiava-Vernatsch. This was my first encounter with this varietal and the best way I can describe it is it’s like a cross between Gamay and Syrah. There is lots of cherry on the nose and in your mouth. There are notes of Violet and almost candied cherry flavours in the glass as well. The finish has a bit of spice similar to syrah. The important question is how did this pair with the beef? This was as perfect a wine and food pairing as you could find. The spice on the finish combined with nice structured acidity made this a great match. I am looking forward to the next time I pick up some Indian food cracking a bottle of Beaujolais.
The whole meal was fantastic and I am definitely looking forward to my return to Pukka. I was also given some food for thought about how to match some wines with spicier foods. Everyone knows that something like Gewürztraminer or Riesling will pair with Indian or Chinese cuisine but tasting how well the Pinot Grigio and Bianco will have me reaching for an Italian wine (or an Ontario Pinot Grigio) next time I’m having Indian food.
