wine-pages.com/organise/spice.htm

Caspar's Reviews

and here:

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Originally posted by Henry Williams

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Originally posted by raj


Everyone hated the Indian "Soma Reserve" red & white as "crude & insipid". All the heavily tannic reds also lost out (even to the lamb).

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I tried the Soma "Reserve" at Vinopolis this afternoon.

Majestic also stocks them at GBP 4.99. Looks like they have been bottled in Germany. I just don't see why they say "A quality wine which is ideal with Indian food." I'll question the quality and just because it hails from India doesn't mean it is appropriate for Indian food.

Anyone tried Spice Trail?
I believe they are from Romania.

Henry Williams

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Very interested to read this debate. I am the Marketing Director for Siam Winery. We have just launched our Monsoon Valley Range of Wines that have been made specifically to complement Thai food. Perhaps most significantly, they are truly Thai. Made from local grapes, grown on the floating vineyards (2 harvests a year), and vinified by Thais.

The product is unique, and we really do believe complement Thai spice. Our winemaker, Laurent Metge-Toppin, spent much time researching what best goes with Thai food (especially the spice). And found that low acidity, light, dry wines best complement the spice on the palate.

If anyone would like to try our wines, and see what you think, do get in touch.

stephen@siamwineryeurope.com

I am a sommelier at a vry good indian restuarant in Sydney, Australia and wine with indian (indeed spicy) cuisine is a constant subject of discussions i have with patrons and wine reps.

given the complexities of spicy food (heavy, fragrant masalas etc), it is extremely difficult, in my opinion, to match spicy food withmany medium-bodied and full-bodied red wines. I hope i am not opening myself up to something here. As much as wine theorists will say that this goes with that and so forth, i find the tannins and alcoholic heat generated on the palate are not complemented at all by rich, spicy dishes - particulalry in indian cuisine. i find that the enjoymnet of both the food and the wine is dulled. I generally encourage customers, if they bring a huge red wine to the restaurant, to enjoy the wine on its own first, and perhaps hav a beer or a sparkling red with the meal. the latter, i find is sometimes magical, strangely enough.

light-bodied white wines are also sometimes overwhelmed by the complexities of the cuisine, although i enjoyed a luscious clare valley riesling (jim barry lavender hill - 2003) the other day. on the other hand, sometimes lightly spices dishes are often well-matched to slightly older, oiler whites, particularly alsatian and german rieslings and traminers. (the 2000 trimbach reserve riesling is awesome, here).

i would really be interested to try the thai wine that's been mentioned in this discussion.

would welcome comments.

I'm intrigued by the notion of a sparkling red with Indian food - I shall definitely try this and report back. Harshal - can you recommend any in particurlar? We don't have a great selection of sparkly reds in the UK, but we do have many Oz wine specialists.

try the peter rumball sparkling shiraz from coonawarra, south australia. if you want to indulge, the e&e black pepper sparkling red or the morris of rutherglen sparkling durif are good options.

shall keep my eyes peeled for the tokaji pinot gris you mentioned.

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Originally posted by raj

How enlightened. A sommelier in an Indian Restaurant - Anyone know of an Indian restaurant in the UK that has one?

I'm intrigued by the notion of a sparkling red with Indian food -

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http://www.letstalkwine.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=328&SearchTerms=sparkling,red

for my comments on Banrock Station sparkling shiraz with a curry.

And the Tamarind in London has a sommelier.

Whilst interesting, and see my comments on sparkling red above, IMHO Champagne / Sparkling wine is that bit too fizzy for food making one bloated.

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Originally posted by arb

[quote]Originally posted by wedwardes

IMHO Champagne / Sparkling wine is that bit too fizzy for food making one bloat

Is that spicy food or food in general?

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I often drink sparkling water or beer with food (spicy or otherwise). Many drink Colas. Some drink Champagne. There must be an optimum intake of CO2 to balance the refreshing qualities of the gas whilst avoiding bloating.

rgds, warren

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