Namasté Bordeaux!

The weight and boldness of Bordeaux wines are great company with opulent Indian cuisine

- Sonal Holland

I must admit, when asked to submit my opinion on the subject of pairing Bordeaux wines with Indian cuisine, I was sceptical. Ordinarily, red wines are considered more challenging to pair with flavoursome, spice-driven cuisines. The tannins in red wines from relatively cooler to moderate European climates pose considerable challenges when trying to appreciate with dishes whose flavours are driven by spices, cream-based sauces (read curries) and charred smoke.

In fact, a quick Google search will reveal that fresh, crisp, aromatic whites like Riesling, Gruner, Veltiner, Sauvignon Blanc and, perhaps, even New World rosés are favoured over big and chewy red wines for enjoyment with Indian fare. Hence, it is with much courage that I am about to make a case for the compatibility of Indian foods with wines from Bordeaux, and, in particular, those from the region of Medoc, Saint Émilion and Pomerol. There are three factors to consider, namely fruit profile, weight and complexity.

Evolving in taste

Wines from Bordeaux, particularly the finer examples which are of more interest to us, have been evolving in style and taste over the past decade or so. This is primarily because Bordeaux’s climate has been steadily getting hotter in recent years. The wines today display more ripe fruit than ever before. Although still high in levels, the tannins in wines from the Left and the Right Bank of Bordeaux seem rounder and smooth-textured than from what seemed for vintages in the previous decade.