Expert Tips For Picking The Perfect Wine To Go With Your Curry
If you're someone who enjoys a glass of wine with their meal, you might know a thing or two about wine pairings, such as which blends to enjoy with a perfect medium-rare steak or which picks work with grilled fish. However, not so many people are familiar with how to pair wine with curry. What's more, curries can contain red meat, white meat, or even be vegan, which can make matching them with the right drink tricky for beginners.
Enter Gabriel Corbett, sommelier of the two Michelin-starred JÔNT restaurant in Washington, D.C. He spoke with The Daily Meal in an exclusive interview and gave some insights into what to serve with curry and how to choose the right blend. Corbett said, "The main proteins of the curry don't matter nearly as much as the various spices, chilis, aromatics, and liquid bases that are involved." So, although most wine pairings seem to focus on the meat as the star of the show, with curry, things may be a bit more nuanced.
It's all about balance
When pairing wines with curry, Gabriel Corbett says, "When I go about doing beverage pairings, I pair more often to the sauce than the protein being served. When it comes to wine, you need to pay attention to acid and, in the case of red wines, tannins as well."
These flavors are what lead to a balanced meal and not one that has too much bitterness, sourness, or other sharp notes. For its part, the acid in wines is important for balancing out rich, fatty foods and cutting through some of those heavier flavors. It can also work well against sweet flavors, providing alternative sour notes that create harmony in your meal and prevent too much sugar from shining through. On the other hand, sweeter wines can work well against saltier dishes.
As for the tannins, these are what provide bitterness and a dry mouthfeel to your drink. Once again, these flavors can work well against sweet and fatty flavors. These help to balance out those harsh, astringent flavors in the drink.
So, what's the best wine for curry?
Although these tips can help you come up with your own pairings, if you need a few suggestions, Gabriel Corbett has a couple to help you out. He says, "I think of Champagne as a style of wine generally will pair well. For still wines, I think a good choice would be Alsatian Pinot Gris."
Champagne has a bright acidity and refreshing flavor, with an effervescence that can help cut through fatty dishes. It's also got minerality, which is great for balancing out savory dishes and makes it a versatile wine for pairing with your meal. This is particularly important because, as Corbett notes, there are so many different styles of curries with variations across countries, regions, and localities.
Corbett also says that it's important to remember, even if you go with one of his picks, that "depending on the spice levels in the curries, the slight residual sugar plus the weight of the wine will bring a balance." It may take a bit of trial and error at first to figure out which wine goes with which of your favorite curries, but with these essential wine pairing tips you should have a good starting point for which drink to enjoy with your meal.