12 56 Which Wines Best Match Thai Food?
A question often asked is about which wines work best with Thai Food, This month, Leigh Higgins from Feast Thailand Food Tours gives us her tips. “I love Thai food,” Leigh says, “but I also have a passion for wine, from sparkling to Cabernet Sauvignon. I don’t profess to be a wine connoisseur or to be trained in wine pairing, but I know what works for me. This is my personal guide to match wine with Thai Food.”
only be described as a ‘sweet spot’. This is more like a temperature range, with red around 15 to 20° and white around 8 to 13°. As the wine passes through this range, you will notice the flavour profile change; it will seem more ‘right’. Often a wine may be judged as poor, but was it really the wine being sub-par, or was it just not at the right temperature? A general tip for home is to put your red wine in, or pull your white wine out of the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to drinking.
Choose a wine that can stand up to the spice levels of Thai food, that is lower in alcohol, has some level of residual sugar, as that is what helps it balance the spice level.
In Thailand, where room temperatures can be high, this is an even greater consideration.
An off-dry German Riesling is the perfect choice. As Thai meals comprise many dishes, flavours and heat levels, Riesling is able to cope. Other aromatic whites are Pinot Gris / Grigio, Gewürztraminer and Chenin Blanc. Thai food is quite diverse; southern dishes are very different to those of the north. These white wines have higher acidity to assist in cutting through the flavours from the different regions. For drinkers of red, look for wines with softer tannins and not much oak. Forego a big Australian Shiraz or Cabernet for a subtler Pinot Noir, Rosé or Beaujolais. The lack of oak and subtle palate is perfect. Match heavier dishes with heavier wines, again avoiding oak. Tempranillo and very lightly oaked Sangiovese are two that work. A style not to be forgotten is sparkling wine! There is a reason why beer is great with Thai Food and it’s not just about accessibility; the bubbles do help cleanse the palate of oil and spice. The same can be said of Champagne or other sparking wines. They are very versatile, pairing with stronger meat dishes, yet delicate enough to go with lighter seafood. Italian sparkling wines are particularly superb, as they seem to enhance the flavours of many Thai dishes. Another other tip for wine in Thailand is to drink it at the right temperature. It is commonplace to see red wine being consumed far too warm. The term ‘room temperature’ refers to the temperature of a wine cellar, not the room in which the wine is served.
HUA HIN TODAY, July 2017
Drinking a red wine at 28° can dramatically change the taste of the wine. Wine temperatures need to get to what can
If you haven’t been to Monsoon Valley Vineyard in the Hua Hin hills, you should really give it go. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon grazing on food and sipping pleasant wine. They will also make some recommended wine pairings to complete the experience.