With all of those layers, Indian cuisine looks to be balanced out with a rather simple beverage for a balanced taste during the meal. This is why people who partake of Indian food are looking to pair Indian cuisine with wine.

When picking out the ideal wine to pair with Indian cuisine, there are two factors to consider with the food: the sauce and spice level.  

Some wines that go quite well amidst a broad range of Indian dishes include:

• Gamay
• Grüner Veltliner
• Riesling (dry or sweet)
• Sparkling rose

Dishes like butter chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, and even chicken Kurma tend to use coconut milk, yoghurt or heavy cream to create a thick sauce. The spices are toned down very slightly in this form, making them slightly less rich. The heat and kick in Indian cuisine is an acquired taste for some, so these are perfect introductory dishes for people trying out Indian cuisine for the first time. This will also allow them to taste the meat better since the dish is not overpowered by the taste of the spices. Pair wine with these by using deeper red wines with medium tannin.

• Carignan
• Deep colored rosé (Clairet, Saignêe Rose, Tavel)
• Gamacha
• Lambrusco
• Sangiovese
• Sparkling rosé
• Zinfandel

Green sauces may not be that popular in Indian cuisine, but there are a number of dishes featuring herbaceous sauces worth trying. Expect the tastes of leafy greens, onions and fresh green chutney dominating the flavour profile of green sauces. Green sauces go best with white and sparkling wines as they bring out the fine interplay of flavours with each pairing. 

• Albariño
• Extra-brut sparkling wine
• Muscadet
• Riesling (dry or sweet)
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Silvaner

Open a bottle of cold fruity wine for dishes like chicken masala, vindaloo lamb and vegetable jalfrezi. Tomatoes and curry paste give your favourite Indian cuisine favourites that kick, so choosing wines like rosé or reds will definitely take your taste buds on a culinary journey. 

• Light-to-medium-bodied reds ​(examples: Carignan, Gamay, Garnacha, GSM Blends, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt)
• Sparkling rosé
• Still rosé

Indian cuisine's flavour profile is quite intense, so pairing it with a simple wine makes for a great balance in tastes during a meal. It's all about finding a counter-balance for the spices. Cream sauces are best paired with deeper reds. Green sauces are best paired with white and sparkling wines, while tomato-based sauces and spiced curries are best paired with still rosé, light-to-medium-bodied reds and sparkling rosé. The next time you have Indian cuisine for dinner, don’t be afraid to ask for a bottle of wine to complement it.

Looking for the best indian restaurant in London? Check out Tower Tandoori today! We’re one of London’s oldest Indian restaurants serving up authentic Indian delicacies. We also serve wines to go with our full-flavoured dishes.