Enjoying the delights of wine with Thai food is now as common as fish cakes in Sydney’s Thai restaurants. Even though there are pundits who say that the sweet, salty and spicy flavours of Thai cuisine do not complement the tasting notes of wine. These same pundits proclaim to know that Thai people prefer to drink beer with their spicy meals. But import duties have made wine an expensive treat in Thailand even though wine consumption is growing.

I smile like a drunk when I read food and wine reviewers talk of matching wine with Thai food. As the cuisine is best eaten in a banquet style with a number of dishes shared between diners, permitting diners to enjoy a mix and match of diverse tastes.

So how do we match the wine with the food? Do you order a full bodied red to match the red duck curry or panang lamb or perhaps a crisp white to complement the citrus flavours of a Thai salad?

The answer is straight forward; order the wine you enjoy and let the meal take care of itself. As some diners prefer white wine with spicy food while others red; we are all individuals and all have different tastes.

As the unofficial Sommelier at Chedi Restaurant; I am often asked to recommend a wine; I reply “do you prefer a red or white”. Knowing their preference, I can then ascertain, which style and price point the customer prefers.

But I would suggest that you have faith in your own judgment and choose the wine that you have enjoyed before. Forget the wine snobs and as Andre Simon once wrote “Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.”

However my favourite quote was delivered by some anonymous oenophile; “Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it.”

Enjoy wine

Posted: Monday, March 29th, 2010 @ 11:21 pm
Categories: About Thai Food.
Tags: best thai restaurant Newtown, chedi restaurant, thai, Thai food and wine, thai restaurant Newtown.
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