The spice of life

ome people say beer goes better with curry than wine does, especially craft beer, and this might indeed be true. It’s not to say that wine doesn’t go with curry, but just remember that it has a higher alcohol content so you can’t gulp down great draughts of it. The best wine match for anything spicy is an off-dry wine with a little bit of residual sugar to wrap up the chilli flavours and provide balance. Here are three to try. A lot of people shy away from the gewürztraminer varietal because they can’t pronounce it, but it’s really one of the best wines to pair with spicy food. ( You say it like this: guh-vertztram- eener.) The Paul Cluver Gewürtztraminer 2015 (R80) is a great example: just off-dry and packed with litchi, rose petal and ginger spice aromas. It’s a great partner for Thai-style seafood curries or anything involving chicken. There are two kinds of riesling in South Africa: the average stuff, now labelled “Cape Riesling” and the good stuff that originates from Germany. The Jordan The Real McCoy Riesling 2015 (R110) is in the latter camp. It’s off-dry but balanced by zesty, lively acidity, which makes it a fresh and appetising partner for any rich and complex curry, particularly one involving coconut cream. Red wine can be tricky to pair with a curry because tannins are often accentuated by chilli heat. The answer is to try a smooth and ripe red, like the Oldenburg Grenache Noir 2014 (R250). The price will make your eyes water, but at least the wine won’t. It has lots of juicy red berry flavours and the tannins, although present, are soft and rounded. There’s also a hint of peppery spice, which will complement any tomato-based beef or lamb curry.