Thai food, known for its complex blend of exotic spices and heat, pairs surprisingly well with wine, especially a number of white wine varietals. To find a complementary wine pairing for any Thai meal, start by identifying the main ingredient of the dish and follow a few simple tips to ensure a perfect match.

What Ingredients in Thai Food Pair with Wine

Thai food has a variety of spices that are commonly seen throughout recipes. Ingredients like lemongrass, chilies, turmeric, tamarind, kaffir lime, ginger, and coconut milk are staples in most Thai cooking. Powerful flavors like garlic, shallots, and fish sauce are also seen in many Thai dishes. Those spices and powerful flavors are often offset by fresh fruit flavors including mango, pineapple, and apricot.

Pairing Wine with Thai Curries

Some of the most popular dishes in Thailand include some type of curry element. Red and green curries are two of the more popular choices, each with varying levels of heat. When pairing wine with a curry based dish, remember that wines that are on the sweeter side will help cut the heat from the chili peppers in the meal.

Green curry is probably the spiciest of Thai curries and should be paired with a sweet wine, one that will not only cut the heat, but will stand up to the bold flavors in the dish. One pairing suggestion for green curries is a Champagne or sparkling wine. Bubbles in wine work well to counterbalance spicy foods.