Alternative Drinks To Have With Curry

When it comes to Indian curry or Thai food over here in England, light, refreshing, not-too-gassy beer is a firm favourite. Brands like Kingfisher, Cobra, Singha and Jaipur are absolutely leading the way. But what if you don’t want to drink beer? Here are a few alternative suggestions for the best drinks to have with curry as shown by me on talkRADIO this week: 

Wine

When spice is involved, whether aromatic or chili hot, the best sort of wines to have with curry are white and aromatic with lots of flavour and ripe fruit notes. Off-dry wines work brilliantly here too, even if you think you might not normally drink them. It’s because that touch of sweetness really tames the heat and the riper, richer flavours stand up to the stronger flavours of the curry. Key wine styles to seek out for curry would be Alsace Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Marsanne, off-dry Riesling. A crisp, sparkling wine will work too, especially when there is a touch of residual sweetness. Try these:

Wolfberger Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer is a soft skinned grape that makes wines that are low in acidity, very soft and incredibly aromatic, with notes of lychee and rose petal with a touch of ginger. That kick of sweetness is the perfect foil for spice. 

Find it at Co-op for £9.95

Irresistible Marsanne

This wine blew me away at the press tasting. Marsanne is a grape that hails from the Rhone valley in France - usually blended with Viognier and/ or Roussanne to make the famous, weighty white Rhone wine. Standing alone here, it needs nothing else. Ripe, round and peachy with notes of apricot and honey. Incredibly gluggable and excellent value. Nice label too. 

Find it at Co-op for £8

Bowler & Brolly, Classic Cuvée English Sparkling Wine NV

Bowler & Brolly is ALDI’s new own brand English wine range and this one is made with the three Champagne grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Meunier) in the traditional method. Hailing from Lyme Bay in Devon, this is super crisp and refreshing with a good amount of fruit and a chalkiness that battles the spice. The perfect upgrade tipple for your spicy cuisine.

Something Different

Sollasa & Tonic

A gin alternative created specifically to complement Indian Cuisine by co-founders Vishal and Sajag along with leading chefs and mixologists. It was named after a 12th century book called “Manasollsa’ written in Sanskrit which is considered to be the first ever Indian cuisine recipe book. Lower in ABV than most spirits at 20%, it has delicious, complex flavours of orange zest, lime, lychee, mint and basil, with notes of coriander seed and cardamom. Serve it long with Indian Tonic. Find recipes on their website too.

Find it on Sollasadrinks.com for £29 (70cl)

Thursday Club with talk RADIO: Top wines from Co-op

This week on the Thursday club, it’s the last in our supermarket series and this time, it’s the turn of the Co-op! I’ve chosen an impressive little white that you may not have heard of before, a simple and delicious pink Rioja and I also spotted a real bargain red that tastes a lot more expensive than it is…

Co-op Irresistible Marsanne 2019

Made by one of the star winemakers of the Languedoc; Jean-Claude Mas from Les Domaines Paul Mas, this is a well-made, perky white that is simply a great expression of the Marsanne grape. Marsanne is normally associated with Rhone Valley and often blended with Roussanne as it can often be a bit much on its own, but this one is really attractive. Think of ripe peach, pear and subtle, tropical fruit flavours with a lovely, creamy texture and good weight. It’s a bit different. If you like Viognier, you will like this. 

Find it for £8 here

Cune Rosado 2020

Cune is a name to know in Rioja for its fruit-forward, modern styles of wine that are easy to love. Despite its youth, the 2020 pink is drinking perfectly now, with a pretty scent of ripe cherry and delicious strawberry notes on the palate. It’s elegant, juicy and so easy to drink. Amazing value too, knocking many Provencal rosés off the shelf. 

Find it for £8.50 here

Co-op Tinto, Vina Gala NV

This was the surprise of the tasting to me. A non-vintage wine that clearly has some age on it - it must be a small parcel they have picked up. Made with 100% Tempranillo (the same grape that makes Rioja), this is super savoury with notes of grilled meat, leather and a flash of stewed strawberry and woody spice. Perhaps not one for everyone, but with a bit of air and either a slab of meat or some cheese, this properly belies it’s ridiculously low price. 

Find it at Co-op for £5.85 soon to be online