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Patak's Indian Food Wine List

Recommendations by leading wine expert Matthew Jukes

Korma: 2004 Bleasdale Langhorne Crossing White, Langhorne Creek, South Australia, £5.99; The mild, creamy, coconuty flavours of a Korma require a white wine with ripe, tropical fruit and a refreshing, dry finish. This lovely white from South Australia uses three grapes to create a wonderful, and mightily clever blend. The peachy aroma, the melon and pear palate and lime juice freshness on the aftertaste are simply perfect for this dish.
Tandoori: 2003 Deux Soleils, Les Romains Chardonnay / Viognier, Vin de Pays d'Oc, France, £6.49; With medium levels of heat and often a crisp, flavour packed, charred surface overlaying a juicy core, tandoori style food has uniquely delicious flavours. This stunning white from the south of France uses Viognier and Chardonnay to create an exotic wine with structure and intensity. It protects the palate from the spice and yet is not too intense to overshadow the juicy centre of your chosen tandoori base ingredient.
Tikka Masala: 2004 Knappstein Hand-Picked Riesling, Clare Valley, South Australia, £7.09; Riper, smoother, aromatic wines with crisp, palate cleansing acidity are perfect with the nation's favourite Indian dish. This awesome dry Riesling from Australia's Riesling capital, Clare, cuts through the sauce with ease and realigns your taste buds with lime and grapefruit flavours in a trice. Patak's Tikka Masala needs rapier-sharp acidity and a herbal, citrus-stuffed white wine - 2004 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (£7.59) - is a dead cert for this turbo-charged dish.
Balti: 2004 Matahiwi Estate rosé, Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand, £7.49; Classic baltis like a bit more depth of fruit in the glass, and the colour of the wine changes from white to lighter reds. Having said that, I prefer more macho rosés for this job, and Matahiwi is a United Kingdom début dreamboat. With strawberry and red cherry scented nuances, it glides across the palate dousing the spice and not stepping on the toes of the tomato and onion! You will not believe this match!
Biryani: 2003 Avila Pinot Noir, San Luis Obispo, California, £9.99; One of the true aristocratic Indian dishes, Biryani deserves an equally aristocratic grape - and there is none more majestic than Pinot Noir. Smooth, pure, red berry notes, with a whisper of sensual vanilla, work so well with this calm, mild, aromatic and superbly balanced dish.
Rogan Josh: 2003 Cusumano Nero d'Avola, Sicily, Italy , £4.99; Deep and dark with black cherry and blueberry fruit flavours, this fantastic, aromatic southern Italian red is a perfect partner for the bold, robust flavours of a classic tomato and cardamom themed Rogan Josh.
Jalfrezi: 2003 Torres Viña Esmeralda, Penedès, Spain, £6.19; Controversial possibly - the coconut, red peppers and tomatoes might encourage you to look towards a red wine, but I have gone for a very fresh, grapey Muscat-based wine from Spain. Sometimes opposites attract, and this is one of those amazing moments.
Madras: 2003 Scotchmans Hill, Swan Bay Shiraz, Victoria, Australia, £7.99; To take on a heavyweight, powerful, dark dish like Madras, you need a wine with just as much oomph. This top-class, but medium-weight Aussie red is rich, but not heavy and it's stuffed with blackberry fruit. Chill it a touch and let it romance this intense, palate-challenging cuisine.
Vindaloo: 2003 Beaujolais, Romy Père et Fils, France, £5.99; People said it couldn't be done but - as you know - nothing is impossible! Vindaloo sends a shiver down many a spine, but it shouldn't, because with a glass of this sensational Beaujolais at your side you will knock this massive, spicy, rich flavour into a cocked hat. Chill this Beaujolais down and let it do its amazing strawberry and raspberry-imbued magic.

All wine recommendations are available from oddbins

A Guide to Tasting Wine - The Basics

Wine Tasting Techniques

Wine tasting is extremely subjective, greatly depending on the preferences of the taster. However, wine connoisseurs do follow some general 'guidelines' when sampling a wine. These are easy to follow, and if you already enjoy wine, learning the nuances will further increase the pleasure you derive from it.

The three steps in wine tasting are: Look, Smell, and Taste.

Look

You can tell much about a wine simply by studying its appearance.
The wine should be poured into a clear glass and held in front of a white background so that you can examine the colour.
The colour of wine varies tremendously, even within the same types. Strong colour in a wine usually indicates more flavour and greater age. Whereas time improves many red wines, it ruins most white wines.
Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but visually it allows you to clearly observe the body of the wine.

Smell

Swirl your wine. This allows you to smell the aroma, also called the bouquet or 'nose' and introduces oxygen into the glass to ensure the aroma is maximised.
Two main techniques that wine tasters use are:
1. Take a quick sniff and formulate an initial impression, then inhale more deeply, or...
2. Take only one deep sniff.
Either way, after you smell the wine, sit back and contemplate the aroma. Don't try to taste the wine yet, concentrate only on what you smell.

Taste

The most important quality of a wine is its balance between sweetness and acidity. To get the full taste of a wine follow these three steps:
1. Initial taste: This is where the wine awakens your senses.
2. Taste: Slosh the wine around and draw in some additional oxygen, examining the body and texture of the wine... Light or full bodied? Dry or sweet?
3. Aftertaste: Examine the taste that remains in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine.... How long did the taste last? Was it pleasant?
After tasting the wine, take a moment to value its overall flavour, balance and quality.

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