My wife whipped up a coconut chicken curry to warm our bones here in blizzard town. However, I’m a coconut curry novice and am unsure as to what will pair well here. Spätlese? I’d really appreciate some suggestions from the board.
Thanks in advance,
Bill
The fat from the coconut milk will need something with acid to cut it. I’d try Champagne and see how you do. If there’s a considerable amount of heat, Germans may work better.
I typically do Kabinett or Spatlese Riesling depending on the heat level. I also tend to go Rheingau or Pfalz because they tend to be a little more tropical fruit than Mosel, which I think pairs a smidge better (it’s a minor distinction). I have also had good luck with aged Trocken Riesling from the Rheinhessen.
Aromatic white or bubbles.
Extra pinch of salt if you are going with the bubbly.
aged sauternes. the phenols in the fenugreek match well and texture works too.
Gewurztraminer . . .
+1. A 1999 Suduiraut was a fantastic match a few months ago.
A Gewurztraminer or a demi-sec/tendre Loire Chenin. Something like a 2007 Chidaine Le Bouchet might do the trick.
German Riesling- Kabinett or Spätlese.
Riesling is the safe choice, though I think you could also go for a drier Austrian or domestic (eg Trefethen).
Personally I like a nice Oloroso or Amontillado, which complements and stands up to curries that have a hit of savory fish sauce. la gitana would be my everyday go-to… Or an El maestro Sierra VORS or Fernando de castilla antique if I’m feeling festive.
I see huge variations in recipie for these dishes. That would have an impact…
Sancerre with lemongrass and coconut
Rose Champagne works better with spice.
An unusual choice would be an Oloroso Sherry, which I have found pairs superbly with a lot of Indian dishes.
I’ve grown tired of the “you need acid to cut the fat” argument. The textures can be so off that the pairing doesn’t work. I’d rather make the texture work first, and as long as the acidity and sweetness in the wine are the same or higher than the dish, the pairing will work.
All,
Thanks for the great suggestions. I played it safe last night and went with the 2005 Schäfer Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese, and it worked out well. Like a tropical fruit salad on the flamboyant nose, with a whiff of coconut cream (which I swear was wafting from the glass, not my bowl). It has an unctuous, creamy palate that showed this nice bit candied lemon peel to give the impression of acid, even if it was definitely low in that department. Anyhow, I liked the way its creamy richness matched that of the dish, even if a shade more acidity would have been great.
And to be clear, this was a very mild curry, so no big spiciness to deal with here.
We’ve got plenty of leftovers, so I’ll try something different tonight and report back.
Thanks again,
Bill
Sometimes classics are classics for good reasons. I’d love it if you tried a Sauternes next, personally, and report back. The more I think about it, the more I like it (exotic fruit and richness galore!), and will have to try that for myself!
Don’t forget the other classic, the magnum of 07 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the Swiss Army Knife of wine pairings!
With Gewurz, you get the texture, complimentary flavors, and often the bit of sweetness that in my opinion is necessary for a dish like this. You don’t have acidity “to cut the fat”, and yet it’s by far my favorite pairing for almost any sort of curry. Rhone whites with butter or cream sauces and other rich dishes are another example of why you don’t actually need lots of acidity for that reason. I tend to prefer highly acidic whites in general, so that’s what I usually drink with food, but I wouldn’t often say they are necessary to a good pairing.
For night #2, I ended up going with the 2013 Albert Boxler Edelzwicker Reserve, which was suggested by the good people at MacArthur Beverages. In 2013, it’s a field blend of Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Gewurz, and its powerful acidity and bit of spritz provided a nice contrast to the richer, tropical stylings of the 2005 Spat I’d had the night before. Floral and spicy, with a bitter bite on the finish, the Gewurz showed strongly in the blend. While the wine lined up well aromatically with the dish, I found myself missing the way the rich, creamy texture of the Schafer-Frohlich matched that of the creamy curry. In fact, I found myself enjoying a glass of the Boxler after dinner much more than the glass I’d had while eating.
Well, I’ve got one more round of leftovers still in the fridge, so I’ll throw another type of wine at it for the good of science and see what I discover.
Cheers,
Bill
Thanks for the follow up! Fun to hear your experiences with texture.
As a side note, those blends with gewurz can be great after a few more years of age, once the obviously gewurz aromatics start to recede. Said differently, it’s ok to age them!
Well said!