Curry, beer or wine? Both at Trishna, a hot tip

I’m passing through Singapore today, back home from my three weeks of wine travel in Australia.  Though I’ll just see the airport, it does influence the inflight menu.  On the outgoing flight, a very delicious Malay sea bass curry with roti pratha made a fine match for the textured and round, but fresh and slightly spicy, Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Pinot Gris 2008 from Henty.

After a wine trip, I crave dead simple home cooking (egg and chips) but also spicy food.  Palate-wise, the latter is a bit of a no no when you’re invariably tasting from dawn ’til dinner.  But that’s not to say wine doesn’t go with spicy food.  You just have to get the match right. 

Just before I left London, I had lunch with a winemaker mate at Trishna off Marylebone High Street and, for fans of wine, beer and modern Indian cuisine, it’s perfect.  I love it that they offer tasting menus with wine and beer options.  We went for the sommelier’s wine recommendation, Wein vom Stein Grüner Veltliner, Neumayer Traisental 2007 which, like the Pinot Gris had the body with freshness to work well with our spicy food.   Its earthiness was particularly good with the paneer tikka with fenugreek leaf and corn chat.

I have food and wine blogger Shaan Mahrotri of garlic confit to thank for the recco (as he said, it’s particularly strong on fish and seafood).  Look forward to Mahroti’s own wine venture’s opening in the New Year.