The table is set, the home bar decked up and the wine bottles are out! It’s time to get the New Year’s party started and master the art of food and wine pairing with easy and expert tips from the industry’s best!
Remember, food and wine pairing is not a test or a serious mind work. It’s a curious discovery, a rousing one. In fact, the confluence of the two, when put to work, should feel seamless, almost fluid and weightless on the palate like a ballerina moving nimbly on a rhythmic ballet. Yes, this is exactly how dreamy and elevated the right kind of food and wine pairing can feel, and more than following a rule book, it is always better to set out on your own exploration of flavours, trials and even errors before settling down on that one pairing or several that resonate the most with your taste profile.
A good food and wine pairing can result in newer, palate-friendly gastronomic experiences. More than dominating one over the other or filling some sort of a gap in terms of additional flavours on the table, pairing wine and food is all about complementing each other and lifting each of its nuances equally. However, keep in mind to match the flavour intensity and character of the wine and the dish you’re having, says Karishma Sakhrani, a chef and MasterChef India 4 finalist, whose other mantra on food and wine pairing is, “If it grows together, it goes together.” We agree!
But whether you’re a regular wine savant or someone who’s just beginning to get the W,I,N.E of wine drinking right, there may have been times when you would have wanted an expert’s recommendations on how to improve your food and wine pairing game. Turns out, you’re at the right place with the right people giving you the right advice.
Never have I ever! Uncommon food and wine pairing…
- Rachel Goenka, who wears many hats in the space of food and hospitality, one being the founder of brands like The Sassy Spoon and House of Mandarin, says, “Lamb Tagine with a Gewurztraminer (a white wine grape variety). Most people would think since lamb is red meat, it would pair better with red wine. But in the case of this dish which is on the sweeter side with apricots and prunes it’s better paired with a not-too-soft Gewurztraminer.”
- Karishma Sakhrani, who besides being a creative chef also enjoys a dedicated social media presence, says, “Dark Chocolate ice cream with Pinot Noir is one uncommon pairing! A nice, intense chocolate flavour with the fruity aroma of the wine, makes it a great combination.”
- Sujata Patil, Wine Expert and Wine Sales Head of Monika Alcobev says, “For an uncommon food and wine pairing, be adventurous and try Punjabi Baingan Bharta with Pinot Noir wine.”
- Latesh Kotian, Beverage Director of Silly, Mumbai, chooses, “Biryani and Nebbiolo is an uncommon food and wine pairing.”
- Sachin Chandra, Wine Sommelier & Restaurant Manager at Perch, says, “One of the most unlikely food and wine pairing would be a sweet red sparkling wine from Asti Region with Gulab Jamun.”
- Ketan Upadhyay, a level II wine sommelier and the restaurant manager at Joshi House in Mumbai, says, “Fried chicken or French fries paired with sparkling wine and dishes from the Indian cuisine paired with rosé is quite a unique food and wine pairing.”
Food and wine pairing, the Indian way!
- The playing field of food and wine pairing gets an interesting spin and an explore-worthy depth when it comes to Indian food and its many flavour profiles. You are a food enthusiast with a sweet spot for Indian cuisine and love savouring fine wines, too? Then Rachel suggests, “Meat curries match well with reds such as full-bodied Pinot Noir or more delicate Shiraz. Chicken, seafood, and vegetable curries, on the other hand, go quite nicely with the acidity and fruitiness of a Pinot Grigio or Gewürztraminer.”
- Then there’s the heartthrob of the curry world, Butter Chicken. Latesh confirms, “A light-bodied merlot, thanks to its moderate acidity and fruity note, matches well with butter chicken.” He adds, “The ideal wine to pair with raan (a leg of lamb marinated in Indian spices and cooked in a tandoor with cinnamon flavour) is any kind of Bordeaux blend.”
- If you push the creativity a notch up, then a recipe like Palak saag with Buratta can be enjoyed with Pinot Noir and some Kashmiri mutton chaap with Cabernet Sauvignon, says Ketan.
- For the ones who are coastal at heart and on the palate, then a classic Goan prawn curry will do the magic with dry Chardonnay, says Sujata.
A good match for red wine
- According to Rachel, red wine teams well with chocolate, stone fruit tartlets with sharp cheese and venison.
- While for Karishma, she takes the vegetarian route to raise a toast to the red wines, confessing some truly palatable recipes that can be made for home soirees, too. The first vegetarian dish that pairs well with red wine is Baked Brie with Macerated Strawberries. Second is Grilled Veggies with Smoked Almond Muhammara, and the third is Cacio e Pepe Fettucine, “This dish captures the rich, elegant, simple flavours of a classic Italian pasta that pleases the palette and goes well with a full-bodied red vino.”
Wines for beginners
So what really is a good wine to begin with? This is a question, Karishma is often presented with by people who are newly stepping into the winery arena. “I usually tell them: “It depends on what you like!” So, to figure that out, I recommend starting with an array of wines that cover a whole gamut of flavour profiles. Sweet, acidic, bitter, dry, fruity, etc.” She also recommends to sign up for wine tasting as well to get a clear idea on what suits your palate the best!
“Oh, and don’t forget, 90 per cent of taste is the smell. Be sure to smell the wine just as much as you taste it,” Karishma sums up.
What do the experts love?
- For Rachel, “I love a good Brunello any day with spareribs.”
- For Karishma, “There are very few wines that I dislike, so for the most part I would say the wine in my glass at the moment.”
- For Latesh, “Riesling Wines! They are paired well with meats like duck, pork, bacon, chicken, shrimp, and crab.”
- For Sujata, “My favourite is Pinot Noir wines, and the wines made from this grape variety can be different depending on which part of the world they come from. They can be fruity and light, but also tannic. My go-to food and wine pairing for Pinot Noir is Peking Duck.”
- For Sachin, “Chateaux de Pape paired with medium-done tenderloin and champagne with fish fingers.”
- For Ketan, “Cabernet Sauvignon goes with lamb chops. Australian Shiraz would go well with seared lamb seekh, and Leyenda Cream Sherry goes well with a dessert.”
Matters of cheese
- Before you pop open the cork of your treasured wine bottles, noting down some foolproof wine and cheese pairing for the upcoming New Year’s soiree would only earn you some great appreciation. Rachel Goenka swears by the pairing of champagne and brie, and goat cheese and Pinot Noir with Gruyere.
- Breaking down her food and wine pairing preferences, Sujata settles at, “More white wines pair better with cheese than red wines. For example, Sauvignon Blanc with goat cheese, and Chardonnay with aged cheddar. However, you could pair red wine with sweet notes like a Port or Sauternes with a slice of blue cheese.”
- And when it comes to displaying your assemblage of a variety of cheese like finally revealing to the world your prized possession, Shruti Golchha of Begum Victoria Cheese co-founded with chef Manu Chandra, outlines some crucial pointers that will make the task of creating a cheese platter easy and exquisite.
- Shruti elaborates, “Be sure to offer all sorts of accompaniments with your next cheese platter, from crackers, baguette slices and smoked honey to sauces, berries, sliced fruit and wine. I set up the platter giving guests an idea of how to pair the cheeses,—brie cheese with smoked honey, Gruyere with sour apple, Cheddar with Kasundi and Manchego with candied pecans and grapes.”
- Most importantly, it’s always a winning moment when as a host, you make things easier for your guest. So, serve your cheese sliced and if it is already soft, then just let it be its own hero! “I feel this invites guests to go ahead and dig in! It’s also good to set out the cheese 30 minutes to an hour before serving, cold temperatures mute flavours. If you think your cheese will set out during a whole evening of entertaining find a creative way to keep it semi-covered.”
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