How to pair wines with spicy food – from fiery Sichuan cuisine to South American jalapeño heat
- As a general rule, pick whites with an aromatic sweetness, like a German riesling
- If you really must drink red, a fruity Beaujolais is an excellent choice
Choosing a wine to pair with spicy food can be challenging.
Many drinkers would pick a young fruity rosé, with minimal tannins, or a ripe Bordeaux from the Right Bank – usually merlot and, again, with soft tannins.
A better pairing, however, would be a white wine. Given their aromatics, German rieslings are a good choice. If you go with a trocken (dry), there is no need to pick an older, and more expensive one; youthful is good because the dryness and hint of fruity sweetness pair well with the aromatics of Sichuan food. If you’re feeling brave, a sweeter riesling – around the spätlese level – is a good option as, when tasted with the spicy heat of mapo tofu, the wine won’t seem sweet.
Going further afield, a Torrontés from Argentina is a terrific choice because of its floral, lilac-y, jasmine-hued nose. Look for wines made by Susana Balbo, from the Salta region, which are reasonably priced.
If you insist on drinking red with Sichuan food, then go with something that’s on the young side, without too much oak, which will dull the palate. Beaujolais is a great choice, because there’s lots of strawberry fruit in the wine along with a light acidity.
