Items12The creator’s order
  1. 1RieslingRieslingOff-dry, with Thai curries and noodles A touch of sweetness is the cheapest fire extinguisher in wine. The residual sugar in an off-dry Riesling tempers chili heat, while its sharp acidity keeps each mouthful of green curry or pad thai tasting fresh. Lower alcohol helps too, because chili…0
  2. 2GewürztraminerGewürztraminerWith creamy, gently spiced Indian curries Gewürztraminer smells of lychee and sweet rose before you have even taken a sip, and that perfume meets the warm spice of a curry house order head on instead of being flattened by it. It also tends to taste sweeter than it really is, which flatters a…0
  3. 3LambruscoLambruscoWith pizza, especially meaty or extra-cheese ones A red that fizzes and goes in the fridge sounds like a party trick, but it is exactly what a pizza needs. Lambrusco comes from Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, and its bubbles and lively acidity cut through melted cheese while its fruitiness…0
  4. 4Grüner VeltlinerGrüner VeltlinerWith sushi and sashimi Grown mostly in Austria, Grüner Veltliner makes a dry, crisp white whose acidity works like a knife on oily fish. It slices through the richness of salmon nigiri or an eel roll without muscling the delicate flavors out of the way, which is more than most bigger, oaky whites…0
  5. 5BeaujolaisBeaujolaisWith fried chicken Beaujolais is made from Gamay, a red with high acidity and low, soft tannins, so it refreshes between greasy, crunchy mouthfuls instead of turning bitter against the salt and spice. Give the bottle a short spell in the fridge, because it is best served slightly chilled, and a…0
  6. 6Cava (Spanish wine)Cava (Spanish wine)With fish and chips A dry sparkling wine does to battered fish what a squeeze of lemon does: the acidity and bubbles cut through the fat of the batter and reset your palate for the next chip. Cava is made the same way as Champagne, with its second fermentation in the very bottle you buy, but…0
  7. 7Pinot noirPinot noirYoung and fruity, with crispy aromatic duck and pancakes Duck and Pinot Noir are an old partnership, and the Chinese takeout version works as well as any. A young, fruit-forward Pinot from the New World copes with the sweet and salty pull of hoisin sauce, and its light body suits shredded duck…0
  8. 8Chenin blancChenin blancOff-dry, with lemon chicken, sweet and sour and other sticky Chinese dishes The sticky, citrusy sauces of a Chinese takeout can make a bone-dry white taste tart and thin. Chenin Blanc keeps its zingy acidity whatever the style and is a natural match for food with a sweet and sour element, so an…0
  9. 9MalbecMalbecArgentine, with burgers A fruit-forward, medium-bodied Malbec is about as close to a burger's natural partner as red wine gets. Its tannin and acidity cut through fatty beef and melted cheese, and its ripe plum fruit suits a charred patty and smoky sauces. The grape is most closely associated with…0
  10. 10Vinho VerdeVinho VerdeWith peri-peri chicken Vinho Verde is not a grape but a protected Portuguese wine region, and its whites are young, fresh, often lightly fizzy and pleasingly cheap. That fruitiness stands up to the spice of a peri-peri marinade, while the gentle prickle keeps a hot, smoky plate of chicken and…0