(Image credit: Jayme Henderson) Despite the prevailing notion that spicy foods are difficult to pair with wine, I set the stage with some fiery Asian cuisine and decided to put the theory to the test. This quest was prompted by an annual project that happens at my house. Over the summer, we dry, crush, and blend our garden's various chili peppers. The result is a potent and flavorful source of heat that I would usually quench with a good pilsner or a margarita, but rules must be broken. Recipe: Egg Noodles with Rich Chicken Curry Sauce (Khao Soi) (Image credit: Anjali Prasertong) I hit the wine store and selected wines that traditionally complement spicy foods. I chose fruit-forward, low alcohol wines, with low tannins and minimal oak, that are best served chilled. I invited over some friends and prepared a spread of spicy Asian-inspired dishes, serving them alongside our wine selections. 1. Riesling: This is considered the classic pairing with spicy food because of the varietal's intense fruit concentration and natural acidity, often complemented with sweetness.

I chose two slightly sweet versions from Germany, where it is the country's most widely planted grape variety. 2. Chenin Blanc: I selected a slightly sweet or "demi-sec" style of this wine from France's Loire Valley. Although Chenin Blanc often exhibits wild and funky aromatics, it is one of the few varietals often vinified sweet, while still maintaining great acidity. 3. Pinot Gris: I chose a Pinot Gris from Alsace, France because this style most commonly contains a little residual sugar, balanced by a lush, rich mouth-feel. Acidity and sugar are not the only components that can mediate heat. Viscosity in a wine can serve the same effect. 4. Moscato d'Asti: This sweet, low alcohol, lightly sparkling wine from the Piedmont region of northwest Italy is delicious on its own but often complements spicy fare. Resist easily taking a big gulp of this wine! At only five percent alcohol, this wine is supremely quaffable (if you can't beat the heat, drown it!). 5. Lambrusco - I chose this red wine because it is fresh, fruit-driven, and sparkling.

I am not usually inclined to pair Asian cuisine with red wines, but this often overlooked gem from northern Italy demanded a try. 10 best wine bars in londonAlthough this was not the favorite pairing, this wine was definitely the most talked about.best book on spanish wine (Image credit: Jayme Henderson)red wine glass cell phone case After tasting these wines as a group, we agreed unanimously that the Dr. L Riesling was the standout pairing. top 10 best wine coolersAlthough the St. Urbans-Hof Riesling showed better fruit concentration, it was the balance of sweetness and acidity that set the Dr. L apart when pairing with spicy Asian cuisine.quotes on wine making

What other varietals have you paired with spicy cuisines? Have you experimented with pairing other reds? the best wine tours san franciscoFor me personally, I find Mexican cuisine particularly challenging to pair with wine. Have you had success with a particular varietal or producer? More on Wine & Spicy Foods from The Kitchn 3 Rules for Pairing Wines with Spicy Foods Wines for Hot and Spicy Foods Wine With Artichokes & Asparagus? Wine Pairings for 6 Difficult Foods Good Question: What Beers and Wines Pair With Stir-Fry?White Wines for Thai food Riesling and Gewürztraminer are some of the best white wine choices for Thai food. These wines offer floral, citrus, peach and mineral accents that pair well with spicy dishes and have won many fans among Thai food lovers. Riesling and Gewürztraminer paired with stir-fried vegetables like zucchini, squash, asparagus, and carrot;

spicy chicken in chili paste; yellow noodles with crab meat; duck in red curry; and stir-fried chicken and cashew nut are all favourites of mine. One of the best wine and Thai food matches I have experienced was in Songkla where I had an incredibly spicy yellow curried seafood plate with an icy cold Moscato d'Asti from Santo di Stefano. The whipsaw of spicy heat of the curry and chilled fruitiness of the Moscato was like a rollercoaster of flavour sensations. But for the ultimate in Thai food and wine combinations try deep-fried fish and mango salad or mussaman chicken curry paired with a sparkling Shiraz. Then there is the world's most popular white wine, Chardonnay. It's equally happy with Thai cuisine. Good Chardonnay offers generous apple, melon, pear flavours, along with spice, honey, butter, butterscotch and hazelnut nuance. Look for lightly oaked versions that are refreshing and not heavy. Personally, I find lighter Italian white wines to be perfect with herb-infused Thai dishes.

Most Italian wines have an intriguing, slightly bitter taste that works well with Thai food. Another good bet is Semillon; its rich, honeyed flavour contrasts nicely with spicy Thai curries and dips. Don't Overlook Red Wine Many people seem surprised to discover how delicious Thai food is with red wine. The wines of the Rhône Valley, Syrah, Grenache and Mouvedre are perfect partners to Thai food. Not too heavy, spicy and fruity, their peppery character and fruitiness makes an ideal contrast and compliment to rich Thai foods. California Zinfandel's peppery and jammy blackberry flavours work perfectly with the more hearty Thai dishes for much the same reasons. Try a peppery Zinfandel with a chilli-laden red curry beef plate to get the forehead moist and the senses firing on all cylinders. As with Italian white wines, Italian reds have an uncanny affinity for Thai food. The Sangiovese-based wines of Tuscany are perfect with Thai food, and the wine's flavours seem to come alive when paired with local fare.

The two most important rules to remember when pairing wine with Thai food are that full-bodied wines should be served with robust, heavy dishes and lighter wines with lighter fare. And that crisp, acidic wines marry well with fatty foods, while soft wines are better suited to food with a touch of sourness. Other than that one should enjoy the wines they like the most without worrying about rules too much. Why Smart Thai Food Lovers Choose Wine Forget about beer and Champagne; the carbonation just intensifies the heat of chili peppers and bitterness of herbs while doing little to accentuate the food's other tastes. Unless you enjoy belching and sweating in front of others, go with wine or go without. And what about Thai wine? There are two ways it is marketed and both are based on false logic. Some people try to make you feel obligated to drink Thai wine with Thai food simply because you are in Thailand. A salesman once asked me, "What's the matter, don't you like Thailand?" when I politely declined to buy his Thai wine.

I just smiled and said I was into fusion. He didn't get it. The other false logic propagated about Thai wine is that since it is from Thailand it somehow tastes better with Thai food. Actually, I have had some acceptable Thai wines and they seemed to taste better with Swedish food than they did with Thai food, but that is not the point. One should choose wines they enjoy, not wines they are obligated to drink. Taste is a personal experience; any wine can taste good with Thai food if you enjoy that wine. Thai food is rapidly replacing Chinese as the world's most popular Asian fare. Wine has always been an important part of the dining table in both Western and Asian cultures and you could lose a lot of time thinking fine wines and Thai cuisine don't work. So mix it up, guided by the assurance that the two go hand in hand, just as with any other cuisine, and say 'yes' to Thai food and wine the next time the urge strikes. You just might discover your only regret is that you did not enjoy the two together sooner.