How to match reds, whites and more with your next chilli-fuelled meal.
As chilli and spice are expert tastebud manipulators (much more than the flavours in, say, a bowl of pasta), certain elements will make a wine more compatible with spicy food. For one, consider the alcohol content. High-alcohol wines increase the heat experience, so if you already find a dish hot, it will only become hotter if the wine has a higher ABV. The combination will throw out a wine’s flavours, too. Lower-alcohol wines are the best picks to help you appreciate the flavours going on in the glass as well as on the plate.
Spice has a tendency to mess with your senses, so your palate will likely need some relief from all that heat, which is where high-acid, crunchy wines are a great fit. Sitting at the other end of the wine spectrum to fleshy, oaky and high-tannin characters, acidity that runs crisp and clean across the palate will refresh and balance the dining experience, rather than throw off or amplify, as some other styles can do.
With chilli, things will inevitably warm up, so the cooler the wine, the better. That goes for reds, too. In fact, especially for reds. Chilling the right red wine brings the bright fruity notes forward, subdues the alcohol and softens the tannins that would otherwise clash with the spice. About 15 minutes of fridge time for reds will take the edge off nicely, whereas a couple of hours of chill time is best for whites.
Consider white wine as you would beer – your go-to. Always served chilled, just like beer, the foundation is strong. For us, riesling is the package deal – it’s a favourite for its high acidity and floral and zesty notes, plus there are plenty of styles to choose from within this one grape variety.
Off-dry rieslings, for example, are slightly sweeter styles that work especially well for spicy dishes, particularly those that also have a touch of sweetness (many hot dishes are balanced this way) as it mirrors these accents and off-sets the heat.
Rieslings across the board tend to have loads of aromatics, which will work to enhance the intricacies and flavours in a meal, rather than compete with them; they’re especially good with Thai and Indian food. Otherwise, the high acidity and herbaceous notes of gewürztraminer and New Zealand sauvignon blanc also suit the set-up well, as do albariño and even chenin blanc. We’re spoilt for choice, really.
If you must have a red with your meal, well, you simply must. White wine may get all the glory, but reds can certainly hold their own in the spicy space, matching well with warming Chinese Sichuan flavours, as one example. Just remember to avoid the big, heavy reds. This is not the time for bold cabernets – save those styles for a simple yet perfectly cooked medium-rare T-bone. We’re here for the tart, youthful and fruit-forward reds. And, as already mentioned, take your meal to the next level and serve them chilled.
So, what are we popping in the fridge? That would be gamay, pinot noir and lighter merlot styles for their softer tannins – wines high in tannins will taste extra bitter and feel more astringent on the palate against a chilli-spiked spread. As for what we’re serving with these wines, we’re all about spicy dan dan noodles or anything Korean barbecue.
Conventionally speaking, rosé is typically served with delicate soft cheeses and Mediterranean dishes, like a very Frenchy ratatouille. But like whites, rosé is also well suited to the fiery blaze of chilli. Proudly fruity, and with plenty of ripe summer berries, citrus and melon tones, even drier styles offer the illusion of sweetness, so rosé is a natural partner for heat.
For an off-dry option, there are many rosé styles deeper in colour and richer in sweetness that still have that bright acidity, making them especially suitable for taming a spicy Mexican meal, as one example. But if it’s a dry rosé you’re after, a crisp pinot noir style of rosé is versatile (we love them with coconut-milk curries).
Does sparkling need an occasion? No, but a spicy meal can become one if you want it to be. Celebrate the fact that sparkling’s bright effervescence balances and refreshes the palate when eating something with spice. Notable mentions go to spicy fried chicken and dumplings powered by chilli oil as the bubbles will cut through these heavier elements.
Champagne is a match for most, but for a brighter finish, fruit-driven prosecco is even better. This is also a prime moment for pét nats, where their juicy, complex nature makes them suitable for the funky heat of kimchi and spicy layers of jerk-rubbed meats. If you want to fight the tongue-burn even more, a sweet and lower-in-alcohol sparkling moscato will stand up to just about any spice – try it out with hot calabrese salami or a bowl of chilli-charged seafood marinara.
