Great Red Wine Pairing With Indian Food

This is for everyone who loves Indian food, but hates the wine lists.  There's a place that gets what sort of wines go with spicy, flavorful Indian cuisine.  L.A.'s Badmaash brings astounding dishes to the Fairfax district with a wine and beer list to match.

It's a super-abbreviated list, as it should be.  It's a list that recognizes that if you want a high-alcohol, high-tannin flamethrower Cab, you're probably dining somewhere else anyway.  Cardamom also offers a well-curated list of wines which pair well with the cuisine, but they do cave in and allow some big, oaky reds to sneak onto the page. 

Badmaash offers some truly inspired glasses, like a Riesling, or a Chardonnay by Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr.  And they have the curiously-titled "chilled red" that goes by the name of the Portuguese region where it was made, Vinho Verde.

I'm familiar with Vinho Verde wines from Portugal, young whites designed to refresh, not to impress.  However, I had never had a red one.  Verde, of course, means green, but as it applies to the wine, green means young. 

Tinto Bom red Vinho Verde is young, but unlike the white Vinho Verdes, it is actually aged several years.  It's a perfect complement for an Indian meal.  There's complexity and a great subliminal flavor that works with the food, but doesn't fight it.  The tannins are very low and it's served chilled to maximize that effect.  Alcohol is only 12.5% abv, and the price is usually about twice the white Vinho Verdes cost.  Look to pay just under $20 a bottle.

Antonio Ribeiro is the winemaker, and to my knowledge he's not the Antonio Ribeiro who played Carlton on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  His Tinto Bom is made from Tinta Nacional grapes.  It offers a grapey, earthy nose and a slightly fizzy appearance, much like Lambrusco.  This wine has a complex palate of somewhat muted flavors, allowing the food to step forward and be the star of the show.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Portuguese Wine: Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde is the region, not a grape or a style of wine. It's in the northwest corner of Portugal. It's as if you’re saying, "I think I’ll have a Burgundy," except you’re having a white wine made somewhere else,  from grapes you've probably never heard before. The grape varieties used in making white Vinho Verde are usually Loureiro, Arinto, Trajadura, Avesso, and Azal. They also make red and rose in the region, and all are youthful wines intended to be consumed soon after bottling. In fact, Vinho Verde means, "green wine." It’s not a color reference, but a suggestion that the wine is quite youthful.

Aveleda Vinho Verde 2015

Owned by the Guedes family, the Aveleda winery has been in business since the 1870s. The business is being run by fourth-generation winemakers now, with the 5th generation waiting in the wings for their turn at the helm.

We ceremoniously unscrewed the cap on this one during a picnic at the Hollywood Bowl. It was perfect for the occasion, crisp, light and refreshing. The wine sells online in the $10 range, sometimes well below that. There is a low alcohol content of 9.5% abv, typical in the style.

It features a great, lemony nose with a palate that is refreshing and citrus driven. Minerals lead the way right through the sip into the finish.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Summer Wine: Portugal's Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde is the region, not a grape or a style of wine. It's in the northwest corner of Portugal. It's as if you're saying, "I think I'll have a Burgundy," except you’re having a white wine made from grapes you’ve probably never heard before. The grape varieties used in making white Vinho Verde are usually Loureiro, Arinto, Trajadura, Avesso, and Azal. They also make red and rose, and all are youthful wines intended to be consumed soon after bottling. In fact, Vinho Verde means, "green wine." That is not a color reference, but a suggestion that the wine is quite youthful.

The Casal Garcia winery was founded in 1939 by Roberto Guedes, the father and grandfather of those who run the business now. The roots of the region go back much, much further than that, of course. Romans like Seneca the Younger and Pliny both made references to vines between the Douro and Minho rivers, I am told. The first record of wine in the region comes from a year with only three digits in it, if that gives you some idea how far back we're talkin'.

The Casal Garcia Sweet Vinho Verde DOC Vino Branco is made from Trajadura, Loureiro, Arinto and Azal, all the above mentioned grapes, without the Avesso.

I don't know why I think of sweet wine as old fogey wine, but I do. And by sweet, I mean off-dry, which is what this wine really is. It just seems like it would be right at home at a bingo game. This Portuguese white wine hits 9.5% abv, as is typical in Vinho Verde, but sweet is not typical. However, it still has plenty of zip in the freshness department. The sweetness, by the way, comes as fruit, not sugar, much like an off-dry Riesling. There are tangerines on the nose and pears on the palate, but don't sniff or swish for much too complexity. Chill it and have it on the porch, while yelling at those kids to get off the lawn.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Portuguese Wines With Food

Portugal’s grapes and wines are fascinating.  They seem so foreign to the rest of the wine world - hard to understand, but easy to like.

Wines of Portugal served up a luncheon and education hour recently for a group of wine writers, educators and sommeliers in Los Angeles, to which I was happy to be invited. We congregated in the back area at Republique and got schooled by the speaker, Evan Goldstein, below.

The Master Sommelier opened with remarks about a few of the 300 grape varieties that are indigenous to Portugal, and some of the difficulty of wrapping one’s American head around them. He said it's not easy teaching folks about Portuguese wines. "Grapes that people can't pronounce and a language that sounds like a bunch of drunk Russians arguing," he said, "make a rather hazy platform for wine education."

The idea of serving lunch items with the wines, Goldstein said, was to put the wines in the context in which they want to be shown - with food. The wine expert offered some tips on pairing wine with food, and he says it boils down to three key elements.

First, Goldstein says protein is not always the star. Especially in restaurants, you may find several commanding flavors in the side dishes that beg to be addressed by the wine. 

Second, he emphasizes the cooking impact. Is the food grilled? Smoked? Blackened? He says all of these cooking styles can overwhelm a wine. 

Third, is there a sauce? If so, that's the key to a wine pairing. A wine you would match with plain pasta is very different from the one you’d match with a marinara sauce that goes into it.

Goldstein gave us the chance to mix and match with the lunch, which was served in three, two-stage courses, perfect Portuguese pairings prepared by Walter Manzke and Eric Bost of Republique and Telmo Faria of San Francisco's Uma Casa.

Before we sat, a wonderful aperitif wine was poured, the Esporão Verdelho, Alentejo 2015.  The wine makes a great opener, with a mineral-driven citrus nose and flavors of grapefruit and lemon in a crisp, fresh acidity. The 13.5% abv wine was made entirely from the Verdelho grape, grown in the Alentejo region, in the south-central part of Portugal. It was declared the best wine of the year in that country, the first time a white wine had ever won the honor.


Each lunch course was paired with four wines, from which we were to select the one that best fit the dish, according to our palates. This, Goldstein assured us, meant that there were no wrong answers.

First Course

Hamachi Crudo Gazpacho, Mustard Seed Oil  

The Sogrape Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde, Vinho Verde 2015 was the best with fish, fins down.

Sopa de Funcho, Chilled Fennel Soup; Dungeness Crab, Corn Salad  

As I suspected, the easiest sipper was the best with the soup, the Terras d’Alter Reserva Branco, Alentejo, 2014.

Second Course

Spinach Cavatelli, Forest Mushrooms 

I would have preferred a white wine with mushroom, I always do. Of the three reds, the best fit was probably the Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Tinto, Alentejo, 2011.

Arroz de Pato, Morel Mushroom and Duck Confit Risotto; Seared Duck Breast, Red Wine Cherry Sauce  

All three reds did fine with this one, great in fact.  

Third Course

Beef Tenderloin, Sweet Onion, Oven-Dried Tomato, Bacon

Wines #11 and #12, from the Douro selections, were best. An elegant pairing where the tannins seemed put to good use

Carne a Jardineira, Braised Short Rib, New Potatoes, Baby Carrots, Summer Beans, Braising Jus

All four Douros were great with this course.

The wines:

1 Aveleda Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde, Vinho Verde 2015
 From the northwest part of the country; winemaker Manuel Soares; 11% abv
The Loueira grape gives the wines wonderful floral capacity, while the Alva Rinho grapes brings the fruit. Great acidity.

2 Sogrape Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde, Vinho Verde 2015
Nearly all Loureira grapes, only 5% Pederna; 11% abv four months aging on the lees
The nose is chalky with muted citrus notes. Grapefruit flavors dominate with a very fresh acidity.

3 Caves Transmontanas Vértice Grande Reserva Branco, Douro 2013
Yes, a white from Douro, in the northern part of country, where Port comes from.
13.6% abv; half gouveio and half Viosinho; light oak
Muted mineral aromas of chalk and lemons, with a slight toastiness. Smooth and earthy in the mouth, full with a light citrus overlay.

4 Terras d’Alter Reserva Branco, Alentejo 2014
A five-grape blend from Alentejo, in the south central part of country.
25% Siria, 25% Arinto, 25% Verdelho, 10% Viosinho, 10% Gouveio and 5% Viognier; 13.5%; winemaker Retar Breight
A slight floral aroma precedes an elegant display of citrus. Peachy flavors are quite sippable in this full, less acidic wine.

5 Aveleda Follies Touriga Nacional, Bairrada 2011
From  north central
All Touriga Nacional grapes from the north-central area.
Winemaker Manuel Soares; 13.5% abv; one year in French oak
The nose has lots of black cherry and spices, while the palate gives dark fruit and beautiful oak notes, like cedar. Nice tannic structure.

6 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Tinto, Barraida 2011
100% Baga grape, a winemaker’s fave;  40 year-old vines; 13% abv
A rosy perfume graces the nose, while black fruit and big minerals define the palate.

7 Cortes de Cima Tinto, Alentejo 2012
40% Aragonez (Tempranillo), 35% Syrah, 15% Touriga Nacional, 10% Petit Verdot;  12 months mostly French oak; 14% abv
The aromas here are beautiful. I even included an exclamation point in my notes. Syrupy, perfumed cherry and blueberry scents lead to flavors of black and blue fruit with spices and easy tannins.

8 Wine did not arrive

9 Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional, Douro 2012
100% Touriga Nacional; 14% abv; 16 months in 30% new oak
A dark, spicy nose predicts more darkness on the palate, with savory, spicy flavors and very nice tannins.

10 Sogrape Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Tinto, Douro 2013
Kitchen sink composition: 50% Touriga Franca, 25% Touriga Nacional, 10% Tinto Roriz (again, Tempranillo), 5% Tinta Cao, 5% Touriga Fêmea and 5% "other;" 13.5%; 12-18 months in French oak
Violet and dark fruit on the nose, with a palate that’s fruity and savory, yet breezy.

11 Ramos Pinto Duas Quintas Tinto, Douro 2013
43% Touriga Nacional, 37% Touriga Franca and 20% traditional Douro grapes; 14% abv
Beautiful floral accents join the minerals on the nose. Flavors of black and blue fruit are draped with a savory aspect and a great acidity.

12 Prats & Symington Post Scriptum de Chryseia, Douro 2013
50% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 11% Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. The rest, who knows? 14 months French oak; 13.8%
This wine has an easy, rosy nose that is muted and light, but the earthy minerals make a strong showing on the palate. Savory and tannic.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Portugal's Classic White Wine For All Seasons

During the winter months, we tend to lean heavily upon red wines - wines that will warm us while it is on the way down.  A Cab, a Merlot, a Zin... or a Port.  Especially a Port.  Sometimes, though, a nice white wine is what we want - even when there's a chill on the thermometer.  Light on its feet and ready to refresh, a good white wine provides a nice change of pace and keeps things interesting.  Don't make them wait for spring to roll around before you enjoy them.

The Vinho Verde wine appellation is in Portugal's Minho region, in the northern part of the country.
The Las Lilas Vinho Verde 2013 is made using Portuguese Louriero and Treixadura grapes from estate vines 25-plus years old, growing a thousand feet above the Duoro River.  Winemaker Jose Oliveira has crafted a white wine made for sipping.  At 10% abv, you can afford to do so liberally.  It's a pretty affordable quaff, retailing for around $10 or less.  This wine was provided as a sample for review by the importer, The Artisan Collection.

The Las Lilas Vinho Verde - a pale, white wine - pours up frizzante, with a slight bit of bubble action showing on the sides of the glass.  Pleasant aromas of white peaches and nectarines are the first above the rim, while the scent of grapefruit kicks its way through the mellow to liven up the joint.  On the palate, there is a nice citrus play, with orange, lemon and lime peel figuring into it. That grapefruit angle is a bit more subdued on the tongue than is in the nose, but still adds freshness to the overall sensation.

The wine finishes without extreme tartness but the memory fades fairly quickly.  Its crisp acidity and refreshing zing combine to make it a great match for a shrimp salad or a ham and cheese sandwich.  It's a great wine for spring or summer, but you shouldn't feel compelled to save it for then.  Pair it with potato soup or clam chowder right now.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter