Toooften,Indianfooddrinkpairingsare
uninspired.MikeBenniehasfreshthinking
that goes far beyond the usual suspects.@mikebennie101 @mikebennie101CURRYINGFAVO U RHODDLESCREEK
ESTATECHARDONNAY
2018,$22A brilliant
chardonnaythatis equal
partsgenerousinflavour
andrefreshing,becoming
a particularlyexcellent
foilforyourtakeaway
currynight.Expectcrisp
stonefruitandfaint
nutty-savourinessin this
delicious wine.TEMPLEBRUER‘THE
AGONIST’CHENIN
B L A N C2 0 17,$26
Fromstalwartorganicwine
producers,thishasenough
aciditytocutthroughthe
creaminessofIndian
dishesandcomeswitha
touchoffruitysweetness
tomanageanyspicyheat.
Trythisoutwithyour best
butter chicken.LARRIKINGIN
‘SCOUNDREL’LONDON
DRY,$75Thedry,
botanicalfreshnessof
ginmarriedtothegentle
sweetnessandbubbles
oftonicwaterallmarry
particularlywellwithfiery
Indiandishes.Larrikin’sdry
stylehereis sophisticated
and detailed.YULLI’S‘SEABASS’
MEDITERRANEANLAGER
(375MLCAN),$5
Thiscrisp,lightlybitter
andultra-drinkablelager
comesfroma goodplace
andgoodpeople,and
doesgoodthingswith
yoursuburbanIndianarray
ofdishes.Kickthingsoff
with a sip and a samosa.HENSCHKEJOSEPHHILL
GEWÜRZTRAMINER2018,
$36Gewürztraminerwines
seemtobewrittenintolore
asthego-toforpiquant
dishes,andthisonefrom
biodynamic-farmedvines
is wildlyfragrant,coolin the
palate,gentlykissedwith
rosewaterflavours,and
utterlywonderfulwith
northern Indian cuisine.ONEOFTHEfinestsommeliersI know
is a manbythenameofHarshalShah.
Hisbackgroundis Indian,thoughhehas
workedwidelyaroundtheworld,with
a particularfocusonhigh-enddining
andprestigiouswines.A consummate
gentleman,stoicallytraditional,perennially
well-dressedandarmedwitha rapier-like
wit,Shahis nowleadingoneofIreland’s
poshestwinemerchants,PembrokeWines.
Butduringhisextendedtimein
Australia,hislandmarkroleinvolved
elevatingthewinecultureatAki’s,a
top-flightIndianrestaurantin Sydney.
Theextensivewinelistchampionedthe
bestwinesofthebestregions,which
meantyoucouldbedrinkingexceptional
Burgundyoneminuteorsippingon grand
marqueChampagnethenext.
Thisdedicationis a farcryfromthe
lackadaisicalapproachtypicalin Indian
cuisinebeveragepairings.Common
wisdomseesneutral,refreshingbeersor
light,aromaticwhitewinesthemainstay
matches,eventhoughIndiancuisineworks
withsomeofthebroadestflavour and
texturepalatesyou’llfind.
I fondlyrecallvisitingShahat Aki’s,
impromptu,tohavehimsitmedownand
schoolmeonhowanarrayofwines
workedwiththebreadthofthecuisine.
Thatday,heopenedseveralMargaret
Rivercabernets,pitch-perfectmedium-
weightredsthatbroughtsweetnessto
mildcurries.Heshowedmetexturalwhites
maturedin oak,chardonnayincluded,that
hadanopulencethatsettledin gloriously
withcreamiercurries.Thedisheswith
moreheatwereperfectlybalancedbytwo
polesofwine:firstly,aromaticandfruity
gewürztraminerwasa treat,butfleshy,
full-flavouredredswerea revelation.
Unusually,thingslikeBarossashirazor
blendswithgrenachewereparticularly
friendlywithdishesthatwentfromwarm
throughtoeye-wateringlyhot.
Shah’svisionmaybea littleharderand
fasterthanmost,butkudosforhiswork
elevating the Indian dining experience.delicious.com.au/drinks
ToperusemoreofMike’s
favourite drinks. MIKE BENNIE IS ALSO CO-OWNER OF A SYDNEY-BASED WINE AND LIQUOR RETAIL BUSINESSMAANWINES‘HANDY
MAAN’GMS2017,$20
Grenache,mourvèdreand
shirazareblendedin this
lightweightbutbright,
crunchyandvivaciousred
wine.I imaginethiswith
vindaloodishesorsimilar,
butI betit wouldbe
anabsolutetreatwith
smoky-fragrantthingsfrom
the tandoor. It’s gorgeous!DRINKS.
32 delicious.com.au