(Stuff.co.nz)
Updated: 2007-08-17 20:19

Do you put much thought into what wine to take to a BYO restaurant, or are you more likely to dash into the dairy a couple of doors along from the restaurant and grab the first bottle of reasonably priced wine you can find?

BYO restaurants, particularly those serving spicy food, seem to represent a bit of a wine no-man's-land.

An air of resignation hangs over the table as the bottle is pulled from the paper bag and given to the waiter.

We begin to eat... palates seared and lips tingling, a few sips are taken before we wonder again why we didn't just stick to beer?

So, what does the Winefairy drink when she goes BYO?

Japanese - Dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sparkling

If you decide not to go down the Sake route the above are all good combinations.

Thai - Gewurztraminer, medium Riesling, fruity Pinot Gris, Rose, light Pinot Noir

A wine with a little sweetness and good acidity goes well with the slightly sweeter, yet hot, spicy and sour flavours in Thai food.

Chinese

If you are going in a group perhaps co-ordinate your wine as depending on what you order, there are many possible combinations. For example:

Anything fried, dumplings - sparkling wine to cut through the fat and heaviness

Sweet and sour combinations - something off dry (dry Riesling, Chardonnay)

Fish - Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling

Spicy dishes - Gewurztraminer

Richer dishes such as stir fired beef, black bean - Cabernet, Merlot

Duck dishes (including pancakes) - Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah

If co-ordination fails a good multipurpose wine would be a fruit driven unoaked Chardonnay.

Malaysian - Viognier

A lot of the Malaysian food we get in New Zealand is quite heavy - dishes like chenai, curries, laksas, Nasi lemak, Mee/Nasi goreng and of course, roti.

Food like this demands a robust wine that still has aromatic appeal.

Viognier is highly aromatic and often made in a big, almost pungent, fruit forward style full of floral charm but with enough complexity to stand up well next to this kind of cuisine.

Indian - Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir

A Chardonnay with some oak or a barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc would also go well if you are heading in the tandoori direction, while heavier dishes such as Massamun and korma would go well with a lighter Pinot Noir or Merlot.

Final advice

If you prefer to drink red wine, avoid highly tannic ones as these won't go well with hot, spicy and sour flavours which tend to make these kinds of wine taste harsh and even more tannic than they are.