Beer is so refreshing with spicy, salty and smokey foods. What wines go best?
When you are enjoying Thai, Indian, Szechuan, Tex Mex, Creole or spicy BBQ -- why not try a bubbly alternative to beer -- Champagne and sparkling wines. Their refreshing effervescence is like a firefighter hosing down your palate to douse the heat in the food.Non-sparkling wines are also a good alternative as long as they are low to moderate alcohol. High alcohol wines like Chardonnay and Cabernet add a feeling of heat in our mouths which is the last thing we need with highly seasoned foods.
Wines made from really ripe grapes create a sense of sweetness in our mouths and we generally refer to them as fruity wines. Fruity wines can easily counterbalance the heat of dynamic foods.
Unoaked or lightly oaked wines are also a good choice because oaky flavors just add weight and extraneous flavors to foods that are already spicy, salty or smokey.
So here is my list of recommended wines:
- Bubblies: Champagne and sparkling wines
- Unoaked, crisp whites: Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, Pouilly Fume Muscadet sur lie, Chablis, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and many more
- Lightly oaked reds: Barbera from Italy, Shiraz from Australia, Beaujolais Village or cru Beaujolais, Chinon and Saint-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil from France, and many more
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