Curry is a big subject—and a great one to discuss in relation to wine. (Plus, your house smells so good for about a day after making it.) But what is it? When I say curry, do you think of Indian food, as that’s its region of origin? Or Thai or Chinese or Japanese or somewhere else, as curry was carried to all those places by traders and colonizers?
To the basics: Curry is crazily various and adaptable. This is going to sound alarmingly simple, but the three foundational ingredients in most are garlic, turmeric and ginger. You build onto that with any proteins, vegetables and aromatics that you want. Curries can be described as wet or dry, which is just what it sounds like: You can add liquid, stock or coconut milk to make the dish more like a stew, or not. In the latter case, the ingredients end up more coated in the spices.
The Spice and Silk Routes were basically like the Internet of millennia past, carrying unfamiliar goods and flavors east and west across the vast distances between Asia and Europe. Thanks to these trade routes, we in the West have enjoyed a mix of flavors and ingredients for centuries. That, however, has not meant that their original use or culture has been preserved.
Is White or Red Wine Better with Curry?
When a dish’s region of origin doesn’t have a local wine culture, finding the right match can be tricky. But curry can be crazily good with wine. It’s so penetratingly aromatic that, when you do find a good pairing, it beats any old European reduced-sauce dish matched with a local red—like when The Wizard of Oz goes from black-and-white to color. Fruity and floral whites like Riesling can ring your bell with curry, especially if the sauce has coconut milk.
What Wine Goes Best with Vegetarian Curry?
In this case, my friend Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator’s former editor at large, goes the other way—with an aged red wine. It sounds crazy, but it works.
The recipe below comes from chef Srijith Gopinathan, whose restaurants include Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner Copra in San Francisco. It is a really solid workaday curry at its core, which is an important thing to have in your arsenal. No single element is especially emphasized. And the ingredients are a little loose: “vegetables such as…” means you can use what you want or even add chicken or whatever else you like. So, when you pick a wine, think about that.
The more obvious wine match with veggies and coconut milk would be a white, but Harvey is right that, on a good day, curry can wake up a somewhat stately red and pull out aromas that a steak can’t reach or would bludgeon. It is not science at all—more like archery by the light of the moon. But when a red hits with a curry, it erases any past failures.
To me, most Cabernets tend to miss here. Zinfandels can be okay, with their fruity components, but avoid ones with high alcohol levels—sometimes creeping above 15 percent—as their flavors can turn metallic with the spice. Instead, look for Tempranillo (for example, from Rioja), Grenache (Garnacha) and Nebbiolo (such as Barolo and Barbaresco) and avoid those that have been extensively aged in new oak, which tend to be too tannic for a good curry’s aromatics. Some producers age their Riojas and Barolos longer than required by appellation rules and only release them after a decade or more.
Our Editors' Recommended Red Wine Pairings for Vegetarian Curry
• The lovely Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Gran Reserva 2016 (93 points, $50), a blend of Tempranillo and Graciano, has black cherry, plum skin, mineral, lavender and herb notes, plus fine, sculpted tannins and a lightly spiced finish. Drink now through 2036.—Alison Napjus
• The fresh, lively Bodegas Ontañon Tempranillo-Graciano Rioja Gran Reserva 2011 (91, $50) has a sanguine overtone to the dried cherry and dried cranberry flavors. The tannins are plush and it finishes with dried herb and spice notes. Drink now through 2034.—A.N.
Find more Riojas in our Wine Ratings Search.
Recipe: Vegetables in Cashew Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small white onion, peeled and sliced
- 2 teaspoons red chile powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeded, stemmed and chopped fine
- 1 large tomato, finely chopped with seeds and skin (or 1/2 cup tomato puree)
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews, plus a few for garnish
- 14 ounces coconut milk
- 2 cups vegetables (such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes, carrots and edamame) cut into small florets and similar-size pieces
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, for garnish
Preparation
1. Heat the coconut oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook until the moisture has been absorbed. Reduce heat to low. Add the chile powder, garam masala and turmeric. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and ginger pastes, add the jalapeño and cook for 5 minutes more, until jalapeño is very soft. Add the tomato and cook for another 5 minutes, until tomato is very soft.
3. Combine the cashews and coconut milk in a blender, and process to a fine puree. Add this mixture, plus 1 cup water, to the pot. Stir to combine; it should have the consistency of a pureed soup. Add salt and additional jalapeño to taste.
4. Add the vegetables and let simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Take care not to let the mixture boil, or the coconut milk may curdle.
5. Sprinkle the mixture with chopped cilantro and a few whole cashews. Serve over basmati rice. Serves 4.
What Wine Goes Best with Thai Salmon Curry?
In the West, we tend to think of curry as a cool weather food, but consider the climates where the dish originates and you’ll realize it does not have a season. That said, certain preparations and wine matches lend themselves to different times of year.
My coworker Julia Larson, Wine Spectator’s editorial assistant and a very knowledgeable food reference, came up with the recipe below, which she enjoys in the fall as temperatures begin to drop. It’s warming and hearty, but not heavy.
Thai curries vary widely but often have fish sauce for an umami bass note and creamy, luxe coconut milk to meld the elements. The go-to wine with Thai curry generally is Riesling. (Not for nothing does Las Vegas’ Lotus of Siam, one of the country’s leading Thai restaurants and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner, have a stellar selection of them.)
Riesling’s essential aromatic character sings with the tropical fruit characteristics pulled out by the coconut milk, while its acidity refreshes the palate. As high alcohol can be an irritant with spicy food, Riesling’s relatively low alcohol makes it friendlier to dishes with zing. While many people think of Riesling as being predominantly sweet (and a touch of sweetness can also help offset any heat from the spices), today, excellent dry examples abound from Germany and Austria to Australia, New York's Finger Lakes and beyond.
Our Editors' Recommended White Wine Pairings for Thai Salmon Curry
• The Markus Molitor Riesling Kabinett Mosel Zeltinger Himmelreich 2022 (92, $37) has an herbal edge and pithy bitterness that offset its core of ripe, fleshy plum and melon.—Kristen Bieler
• The mineral-driven August Kesseler Riesling Rheingau Lorch 2022 (90, $36) shows savory green herbs, cool mint and crushed stone from start to finish, with generous star fruit and peach notes firming up for the taut, dry, finish.—K.B.
• The tasty Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry Mosel Red Slate 2022 (88, $18) offers inviting white blossom and peach flavors, citrus zest and slate notes and mouthwatering acidity.—K.B.
Find more Rieslings in our Wine Ratings Search.
Recipe: Red Thai Salmon Curry with Red Bell Pepper and Basil
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as grapeseed, vegetable, avocado, sunflower, etc.)
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream)
- 1 pound of skinless salmon filets or belly
- 1/2 cup Thai or Italian basil leaves, chopped
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges to serve (optional)
Preparation
1. In a heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven, add neutral oil and bring to medium heat on the stove. Add the shallot and lightly stir until slices just start to get color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the grated ginger, fish sauce and Thai red curry paste, stirring to combine. Once the curry paste mixture has turned a darker brick color, bring in the bell peppers, tossing until fully coated. Cook until the bell peppers are just starting to soften, around 5 minutes.
2. Add the coconut milk and stir until the curry paste has dissolved into it and the mixture is a light red color. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring liquid to a simmer, about 3 to 5 minutes. Nestle the salmon in the curry broth, making sure the fish is fully covered by the liquid. Put a lid on the pot and bring the temperature down to the lowest setting. Let the curry simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the salmon is fork tender.
3. Add the salmon to plates with rice or vermicelli noodles and ladle the curry and peppers on top. Add the chopped basil leaves on top and serve. Serves 2
