Wine Gifts & Accessories

Food and Wine Matching:

Wine and Chilli – A Match Made in Heaven?

Chilli heat comes in various guises – as a subtle undertone in a mild, slow-cooked Chilli Con Carne or as a sharp kick in the mouth in Thai-style dishes. Either way, Chilli needs treating with respect!

The Principles

Chilli likes sweetness – think of your sweet and sour from the takeaway, or sweet coconut milk in your green Thai curry. Chilli heat is balanced by sugar, making it taste less hot and allowing you to enjoy the other flavours in the dish.

Chilli also likes fruit – again, a common match with chilli is mango in Thai cooking. This is because of the allied sweetness that often comes with fruit (see above). Dry whites with good fruit characteristics work here too (because we naturally associate fruitiness with sweetness, even if the wine itself is bone dry).

Chilli does not like tannin – the two substances collide and make the tannin seem more obvious and drying than it really is.

So What Works?

Wines with a touch of sweetness to the palate work very well with fresh chilli flavour – Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Gerwurztraminer all work well in the white category. The Sangoma Chenin Blanc from South Africa is a steal at £6.75. Pinot Gris from New Zealand is a great choice for those feeling a bit more adventurous and is great with creamier curries with almonds which work fantastically well with the apple-strudel flavours of the wine (Pinot Gris is the same grape variety as Italian Pinot Grigio, only with a lot more ‘omph’). Try the Framingham range of wines for a special occasion – neighbour to the infamous Cloudy Bay, the off-dry Riesling at £9.50 and the Pinot Gris at £10.75 are classics. Otherwise, good crisp Sauvignon Blanc is a great all-rounder in the dry corner.

Rosés do, by nature, have a slightly higher residual sugar level in most cases, making many of them off-dry. The Chateau du Cenglé Provence Rosé (£7.50) works wonderfully well with delicate Asian spices with its fresh strawberry flavours and hint of sweet spice.

For a red wine, make sure it is fruit-driven with low tannin. Pinot Noir can work with lighter dishes, Merlot or Carmenere with richer dishes. A smooth Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel may fair OK with a mild Chilli Con Carne as the high protein levels in the meal will soften any tannin in the wine before it can kick up too much of a fuss. Try the Framingham Pinot Noir at £12 or the smooth Vina Chocalan Merlot at £7.50.

Easy Wine and Chilli Matches

Thai/Chinese Style – Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc

Pork with Spice Rub/Spicy BBQ Sauce – New Zealand Pinot Noir

Chilli Con Carne – Merlot or a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, Carmenere

Lamb Curry/Rich Indian Curry – Carmenere works well with lamb-based curries, or merlot is another fail-safe choice

So What to Avoid?

Really tannic reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and, by association, left bank Claret, will not fair well against seriously strong chilli heat. If the heat is mild and the dish rich in protein then a New World Cabernet Sauvignon will probably be OK, however few clarets have the fruit structure required to stand up to the heat.