PAIRING WINES WITH SPICY FOODS

Are you wondering what to drink with those fiery flavors that are all the rage these days? Lots of folks choose beer, particularly with south of the border hot stuff, but also with pungent oriental dishes, from Vindaloo (India's hottest curry) to incendiary Thai, Hunan or Szechuan cuisines.

For some of us, however, beer's effervescence seems only to "stoke the fire" instead of calm it down. Any carbonated drink, in fact, can make chili peppers more explosive, at least for an instant. When the bubbles collide with the heat, the sting almost ricochets! While some people (chili heads) love that, others want a little relief between bites. Happily, there are lots of wines that can handle the blaze.

Blush Wines

Blush wines with their light, cool, refreshing fruit flavors and appealing hint of sweetness are a soothing balm for the fieriest dishes. Maybe that's why sangria (wine mixed with fruit juices, orange slices and ice) was invented. Sangria does work well with culinary pyrotechnics, especially those hot Latin chilies, but so do a number of wines, such as Gewürztraminer, Chenin Blanc and Riesling.

A slight touch of sweetness takes the edge off the heat of spicy foods, but if the wine is too sweet it will interfere with the other flavors. The perception of dry or sweet, however, is strictly personal. Wines that work quite well have just the right touch of sweetness, balanced with crisp acidity, to be refreshing. Look for young wines.

Pinot Gris

Spicy dishes offer the perfect opportunity to try some of the zesty, newish wines that are becoming more widely available in the United States (such as Pinot Gris) most of which now comes from Oregon. Hopefully, more winegrowers will grow Pinot Gris, not only in the northwest but also in other parts of the country, including cooler regions of California. If there is plenty of supply prices will remain low. With few exceptions, Pinot Gris that is made in this country is a simple, fruity wine.

Other Dry Whites

Some dry whites also work with spicy foods, especially fish and shellfish or chicken. Chardonnay that really has the character of Chardonnay is rarely a good choice, especially the oaky ones. White wines that can do the job nicely include Soave, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and genuinely dry Riesling. Again, young ones are best.

Vin Gris

One category of wines to consider with pungent dishes is Vin Gris. These dry or very slightly off-dry pink wines are delightful with a variety of spicy foods, whether southwestern in accent, oriental or Middle Eastern. Discover how well they work the foods of Morocco. Though white and red wines are made there, the youthful dry pinks are best with the local food, fresh, light bodied but flavorful enough to go with lamb dishes, cous cous and certainly with those tangy little sausages that are so popular throughout the Middle East.

Reds

Moderately spicy foods, such as milder meat curries, tandoori chicken and simple fajitas, can handle young red wines like lighter Zinfandels, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir and certain blends. Choose wines that are light enough to be chilled, which makes them all the more refreshing and palate soothing.