Pairing Wines with Spicy Food

By Tamarind in Wethersfield and Thai Palace in Bloomfield

You love spicy food, and you love wine – but you can’t seem to make them work together.

Pairing wines with spicy food can be difficult because of the layers of flavors and the many ingredients involved, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

By following a few suggestions, you’ll be able to find wines that work with the dishes, and that also enhance the taste of both the wine and the food.

Depending on your preferences, you can complement the spice and heat flavors by pairing with a dry, spicy wine, or try to contrast with a sweeter wine.

When choosing a wine, you’ll want to avoid oak and high alcohol. The wines most suited to this spectrum of flavors are wines that are medium to low in alcohol, wines that are refreshing, and wines with crisp acidity.

Alcohol tends to negatively accentuate heat, whereas crisp acidity provides an enhancing contrast to both heat and richness, while also lifting the many layers of flavor in the dish.

Little or no oak treatment is another suggestion to heed when choosing a white wine. Heavy oak dominates and can really dumb down the flavors.

Fruity, aromatic, and off-dry whites are some of the best options to consider. Sweetness from the residual sugar in off-dry wines offers a contrast, and balances the heat and spicy flavors. The sweetness also serves to showcase the many different flavors in the dish.

Similarly, fruity and aromatic whites are excellent candidates. While dry, these wines can give the impression of sweetness that works to balance and compliment heat and spice.

For red wines, the things to watch out for are alcohol and tannin. Low to medium tannin wines work best, as wines with a lot of tannin can accentuate bitterness, as well as overpower the dish.

Look for reds that are fruitier and/or spicy in style and have a good level of acidity.

Have a favorite wine that you pair with spicy food? Tell us about it!