Beer became my automatic go-to whenever the menu was Asian, especially spicy Asian, after I was burned too many times with wine.
“Burned,” literally, because the wine made the already hot dishes seem hotter. Didn’t matter if it was red or white, the wine simply spread a fire not even water could douse. I had to turn to tea or yogurt-based smoothies for respite.
What I discovered later is that wine can work with spicy Asian foods, even Thai red curry beef (one of my favorites). I had just been ordering the wrong sort of wine.
“The heat in curry is accentuated by higher alcohol and by dry, crisp wines, as anyone who has ever tried to pair a sauvignon blanc or huge Napa cabernet with it can attest,” says Alder Yarrow of San Francisco, the man behind the influential wine blog Vinography.com. “Instead, look for lower alcohol alternatives like the slightly sweet demi-sec rose Champagne, or less well-known sparkling red wines like brachetto from Italy’s Piedmont region, or lambrusco.”
Notice Yarrow didn’t mention the usual go-tos for Asian foods: riesling or gewurztraminer. Both are really fine wines on their own or with food, but sometimes they almost seem cliche. It was good to know there were other alternatives out there.
I took the question to Twitter, asking for other suggestions for red curry beef. Again, the answers surprised me: Spanish or Chilean wines, sparkling pinot noir or sparkling shiraz, even regular pinot noir served slightly chilled.
For Antonio Gianola, a Houston-based sommelier who was recently a partner in Catalan Food & Wine restaurant there, the picks are reds: Ribera del Duero from northern Spain and aglianico from southern Italy.
“I have had great luck with earthy, minerally reds and intense curries,” he said. “You could go with more fruit like an Australian shiraz or a (Spanish) Jumilla too.”
As for whites, Gianola likes French muscadet. “It was something I kind of stumbled upon,” he recalled. “I thought the food might overwhelm the wine, but it did not.”
The lesson of all these possible choices is that the wine that works best with Thai red curry beef, or any other dish, for that matter, is the wine that tastes best with it to you.
And don’t ever feel your only choice with these foods is beer, unless a beer is exactly what you want.
The curry challenge
We paired three whites, three reds and two bubblies with red curry beef, a decidedly fiery version whose heat made the tasting daunting. Panelists split fairly dramatically over how well each wine worked with the curry. Ironically, tasters agreed on one thing after it was over: We all needed a beer. Scores reflect how well the wine paired with the Thai red curry beef.
2005 Legaris Ribera del Duero Crianza
This Spanish red, made of tinto fino (aka tempranillo), smoothes out the curry’s fire with its earthy notes of leather, incense, mushroom and cinnamon. Slight mushroom nose, deep plum color. This wine scored first when rated on its own. $21
2009 Kenwood Gewurztraminer Russian River Valley
Ripe with floral notes and backed by a lively citrus kick. The sweet freshness of the wine is a neat foil to the curry’s salty heat. $14
2006 Schramsberg Cremant Demi-Sec
This California sparkler offers plenty of toasted brioche and caramel flavors. Lovely aroma: violets, jasmine, pear. A slight touch of honey softens the wine’s profile while countering the curry’s heat. $38
2009 Bodega Tamari Torrontes Reserva
A white from Argentina with a grapefruit-like aroma and flavor enlivened with a shake of white pepper and lime. Flavors of peach and mango. The wine plays well with the curry spice. $10
2007 Stoller Pinot Noir JV Estate Dundee Hills
A classic Oregon pinot, this red has an earthy, mushroomy nose and plenty of cherry fruit and black pepper. The curry helps highlight the fruit flavors of the wine. $27
2008 Down Under Shiraz
A steal, this Southeastern Australia red is fresh and uncomplicated. Its fruitiness dampens the curry heat. $3
2009 Terras Gauda Albarino Abadia de San Campio
This Spanish white from the Rias Baixas region is tart, crisp, minerally. The sassy grapefruit flavor helps tone down the spice. $22
NV Chandon Rose
A California bubbly with a cheerful salmon pink color, this tart wine is lively on its own but tends to disappear into the curry’s complex flavor. $22
You want that wine. But your store or area distributor may not carry it. State law may prohibit you from ordering a wine online. What to do? Ask your wine retailer for a wine similar in flavor, style and price. Remember, too, prices vary.
