Wines of a tannic nature are not a good choiceFinding the right wine to drink with Indian and South Asian cuisine can be an interesting affair. Most people would think that red wine is most suited due to its old time pairing with meat, and it being cooked in spices. But with a major aspect of Indian food being vegetarian, it’s important not to forget the non-meat dishes when matching wine to suit.Although wine drinking is not a typical activity at the dinner table in an Indian home. The wine market in India has begun to grow over the last ten years. It has now become something enjoyed by the newer generation of Indians. The growth of domestic wine companies in India has certainly given a reply to the demand. Domestic wine companies also dominate wine volume sales and have expanded the Indian wine consumer base with low cost wines.Some popular wines in India are Reveilo, La Reserve, Sante, Sula Red, Ivy Shiraz, Nine Hills, Riviera Blanc, and Chantilli and Marquise de Pompadour; both produced by Indage who bottled the first wine in India.

Three of the largest wine companies in India are Sula Wines, Grover Vineyards and Indage who own approximately 90% of the market.Most people would agree that beer is the most common beverage enjoyed with Indian food. Hence, the advent of Indian beer brands such as Kingfisher and Cobra. But wine is seen as the ideal companion with a meal and wine with a rich Indian meal is no exception.Wine choice can be down to personal preference but research and sommeliers have shown that there are some excellent pairings of wines with Indian and South Asian cuisine. One well known, sommelier (a person who specialises in wines for a restaurant or hotel) is Costanzo Scala. He points out the following three approaches to pairing wine with Indian food:Indian food is associated with a variety of spices. Dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Gosht, Paneer Tikka, Tarka Daal and Biryani are full of complex flavours and zestful aromas. Finding wines to suit such dishes rich in spices involves tasting sessions and exploration of flavours.

Many well known wine drinkers and good food specialists have  conducted such research and have discovered particular wines that do give the palette an enjoyable union when consumed with Indian cuisine.list of popular dry winesHere are some of the popular wines chosen to pair with Indian and South Asian cuisine:Other good pairing wines include, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Verdelho. best crystal red wine glassesWines of a tannic nature are not a good choice for Indian and South Asian cuisine such as Merlot. buy wine from a specific dateThis red wine does not combine well with Indian food due it being very tannic, which is a bitter or astringent taste.best wine and beer clubs

It is very important to serve wines at a suitable temperature. best wine to drink with gameTypical temperatures are, white wines at 5-8 degrees and reds at approximately 15 degrees. best wine journalSpicy foods taste much more nicer if the wines are cooler. Also, the alcohol content of the wine should not be above 12% proof. Most wines vary between 10.5-12.5% alcohol.Choosing a wine for a meal is always down to personal preference but we hope the tips have given you a little guidance to finding that right pairing for one of the most wonderful and popular cuisines in the world.Which wine do you prefer? White Red SparklingView ResultsWhether you're navigating a wine list or plotting an evening of BYO (or ordering delivery and opening what's in the fridge), choosing wine that will taste good with Indian food is quite a pairing predicament.

First of all, there's the challenge of chilies and a wide range of vibrant spices, and second, there's the issue of finding a wine that will go well with the whole range of dishes that you select. For this week's 'Ask a Somm', we turned to a few pros for advice, both general and specific. We asked sommeliers from around the country for a few broad wine recommendations for pairing with an Indian meal, as well as their wine picks for three of our favorite dishes. Here's what they had to say. "German Rieslings are hands down the best wine for Indian food. The slight sweetness these wines often posses tends to balance out the spice in these dishes."— Patrick Cappiello (Pearl & Ash) "Riesling is a popular answer, but I'm not gonna lie: crisp, ice-cold lager would be my first choice."—Carla Rzeszewski (The Spotted Pig, The Breslin, and The John Dory Oyster Bar) "One category I've found friendly for Indian cuisine is Alsatian Pinot Gris. By no means is the acidity so rapier-like, as in Riesling, to strip every element of the dish off your palate.

This, to me, is important, because the most important element of food and beverage is the interaction—this is most apparent after you've swallowed, or sipped. this ethereal lingering, and one should 'feel' something of both the dish and the beverage. Texture-wise, the Pinot Gris of Alsace have a creaminess that complements a lot of the texture in this cuisine."— Scott Cameron (Atera) "Normally I like to drink wines from regions where the food comes from. Since we are in India that probably won't work, so let's get to the drawing board. We have some very intensely flavored dishes here so I want to keep the alcohol in check. I think a wine that is chilled also adds a nice refreshing component to the pairing and when spice comes into the mix, I like a little residual sweetness as well."— Sabato Sagaria MS (The Little Nell Hotel) "Wines with a touch of residual sugar are a great foil to the spiciness. Off-Dry Rieslings and Gewurztraminers can be particularly rewarding. A demi-sec sparkling wine also works really well.

The big thing to avoid with spicy food is tannin and oak. Put away those big Napa Cabs when it's time for Indian food."—Jason Wagner (Henri, The Gage) "I always look for off-dry or phenolic whites, eventually rosé, and more rarely red. For the off dry white, you can really have fun with a lot of wines people don't really drink anymore like old Sauternes, Jurancon, off dry Vouvrau, Cabernet d'Anjou (an off dry rosé); of course off dry riesling. Skin-fermented Friuli wines works also pretty well."— Pascaline Lepeltier (Rouge Tomate) "Alsatian Gewurztraminer can be great with lamb vindaloo."—Jeremy Quinn (Telegraph, Webster,Bluebird,Reno) "I would go with a rosé made from Syrah (and if you can find a back vintage rosé, all the better.) It doesn't have to be old, but a year or two older would work wonders. Or Spanish rosato made from Mencia grape would do just as well."— Arthur Hon (Sepia) "Generally for Indian food, I recommend off-dry whites (Rieslings, Pinot Gris) or chilled, fruity or spicy reds (Gamey, Dolcetto, Freisa, Grenache).

For the lamb dish: Cabernet Franc from Lieu Dit in the Santa Ynez Valley, 2011. It's slightly carbonic with a bit of prickle that makes the wine very juicy to drink."—Hristo Zisovski (Altamarea Group) "For whites I'd go with a blend, which offered aromatic bursts to complement the spices in the dish, along with both body to match the dish and enough acid to refresh. Arbe Garbe's Malvasia blend from Russian River Valley would be my pick. Low alcohol, chillable Grenache or a gulpable Gamay such as Marcel Lapierre's Raisins Gaulois." "Spicy Lamb Vindaloo can light you up if you're not careful. Something like Bugey Cerdon would be fun to try and hopefully mellow some of that heat, not to mention it's delicious and kind of unique." "This would be the dish I'd roll the dice with for a Sherry-style wine: Amontillado such as Perez Barquero's Gran Barquero. As long as the spices in the dish were more aromatic and less actually spicy, the fuller-bodied Amontillado (it's made with the grape Pedro Ximenez, as it comes from Montilla rather than the Sherry region of Jerez) could stand up to the dish but play with the aromatic component.

"—Carla Rzeszewski (The Spotted Pig, The Breslin, and The John Dory Oyster Bar) "For Chicken Korma, choose rosé made from Grenache or a Grenache blend. The roundness of the coconut milk and yogurt provide a distinct texture component to the dish that needs to be addressed with the right rosé. I'd choose a Provencal-style Grenache based rose as opposed to the Spanish kind. The key is to provide some body in the wine without overpowering the dish. Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, an Italian rosé made with Montelpuciano (a dark thick skin red grape) will work just as well." "Chicken Korma tends to be a little more mild on the spice so you could try something like Gewurztraminer or a Condrieu. A little Riesling never hurt but something with some richness so perhaps something like Domaine Weinbach's L'Inedit." "An aged Mosel riesling, when it starts to have aromas of elderflower and yuzu (you can also do NY riesling); or an aromatic wheat beer like the white nest from Hitachino." "With the Chicken Korma, we need to be aware of not only the spice, but also the coconut milk and cream elements.

Here I would choose a relatively low alcohol wine to moderate the spice while bringing in some fresh acidity to cut the creamy richness of the dish. The aromatic and bright 2012 Banyan Gewürztraminer from Monterey County in California is around $13 and offers a perfectly refreshing counterpoint to each bite."—Brian Smith (Club W) "With Saag Paneer I'm looking for a white with great acidity to cut through the cheese but also some good weight so let's pop a couple Austrian wines maybe a Riesling Smaragd and a Gruner Smaragd and let them fight it out Mad Max Style: 'Two wines enter, one wine leaves.'" "With saag paneer, I enjoy lighter-bodied, brisk reds, like Austrian St.-Laurent or Beaujolais." "For Saag Paneer, look for a rosé that's high in acidity and mineral quality. Rosé from Sancerre or Germany or Pinot Noir-based rose will be delightful! The key is to provide a great palate cleansing effect for the spinach that's been enriched with cheese." "A wine that wants greens alongside it, yet with a little body.