His specialty: a delicious Mauritian Curry.
One of the characteristics of Mauritian Curry is that it is both sweet and spicy.
Small raisins soften the spicy taste of peppers and exquisite chutneys help you cool off your mouth when you've just bitten a piece of green chili. It's an adventure: you never know on what you are going to end up.
Although this is quite charming and delicious, it doesn't make it easy to find a good wine pairing.
So when my friend told me I was in charge of finding a wine that would be well suited for his dish, my first reaction was: "ouch". Tough one.
Usually when I cook a curry, I go for the only easy wine-food pairing I know for this dish:Gewürztraminer.
Look it up on the internet if you want, if you type "what to drink with curry", you basically have this :
- Beer
- Riesling or Chenin
- Gewürztraminer
And it does work I must admit.
1. The bitterness of beer blend well with the spiciness of the curry, and cools off the hottest chili.
2. Riesling ior Chenin are also a good choice as their freshness tames the chili yet enhances the flavors of the curry with the overall acidity of the wine.
3. Finally Gewürztraminer is both sweet and complex, rich and dense. It's not always easy to pair Gewürztraminer with food as each glass of this wine explodes with aromas of rose, lychee and spices (cumin mostly). Yet curry seems to work perfectly with it. The sweetness of the wine blends magically with the raisins of the curry. The cumin and pepper aromas mingle with the spices of the Mauritian dish. And the overall opulence of the wine disciplines this adventurous dish.
Yet this time, I felt like doing something new.
Living dangerously.
Finding a wine I would usually not drink with a curry dish.
So I went for a strong, spicy red wine from the south of France.
A wine which would contrast rather than complement our food.
A wine whose alcohol level would tame a sweet dish.
Whose notes of toasted bread and spices would magnify the curry's sweet and sour aromas.
A rich and supple texture with elegant tannins which would be in harmony with the opulence of the curry dish.
Vin de P
And it worked out very nicely.
I'm far from being a pro at making wine and food association but sometimes a little bit of imagination can help you find a new interesting combination.
You shouldn't always focus on finding similar aromas in your wine and in your food.
Sometimes contrast is the key.
It can reveal a whole new dimension to your wine and to your food.
Don't only concentrate on aromas, you should also take into account the texture and intensity of the wine and of the food to elaborate great associations that would not seem adequate at first sight.
Domaine de L'Aigle, Pinot Noir, Gerard Bertrand, 2006
Languedoc-Rousillon
Nose: Berries (black and red), pepper, clove, toasted notes
Mouth: supple and rich, well balanced however with surprisingly soft tannins for a Languedoc wine.
