Wine and Indian Food

The Shenandoah Valley is packed with vineyards, giving you an amazing opportunity to try all sorts of Virginia Wine. Our friends over at Narmada Winery (Amissville Virginia) are offering guests a unique experience at their Indian style winery.  You can pair many of the wine with authentic Indian food, for a truly inviting experience. Our rental cabin in Amissville is less than 5 minutes away, offering you a cabin to retreat back to for total rest and relaxation on our 25 acres.

When pairing Indian Food with Wine, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Spicy Indian food is considered to be one of the most difficult food pairings. The strong spices that go into each dish might have a strong effect on the palate. So, choosing a wine, mind the foods  strongest ingredients.

Choose a Low Alcohol  Level  Wines

Stay away from wines more than 14% alcohol. Initially alcohol may actually help to make the seem less spicy. The reason is the active ingredient in spicy food is capsicum  which is soluble in alcohol but not plain water. But after a while you will find that capsicum keeps getting replaced on every mouthful, your taste buds will have become more over-sensitized as the high level of alcohol  will start to accentuate the heat. So, go  for a low alcohol levels.

Try  Sweetness to Help  Calm  the  Heat

A touch of sugar within the wine can balance the heat of the dish. Almost all the hottest sauces contain specific  ingredients such  as vinegar and chili. Vinegar contains  an acidity. When you counteract  some sugar with the acidity the balance of the spices changes. So, the level of spiciness may be the same, but you won’t get the strong sensation.

Beware oak wines

The spice of the food against the spices of the oak may start  to  polarize the dish. Aggressive   oak treatment can give a chewy sensation to the experience of eating.
If you love the taste and sensation of Indian spices, chose wines   with citrus in the background, for example,  Sauvignon Blanc. This wine would go well with  pakoras  and  samosas.