A fan of fiery curries, sizzling stir-fries, Mexican tacos, and spicy barbecue? We’re with you, but aren’t these delicious dishes tough to pair with wine?

The fact is, spicy food is among the most challenging (and rewarding) to find the right wine for. Heat has a unique impact on the palate that immediately transforms the impression a wine makes.

In the second in our series about food pairing guides, we explore how spicy heat interacts with wine. We also suggest ideal styles to balance wonderfully fiery fare and create ‘spicy food wine pairing’ harmony at the dinner table.

Technically, spiciness is not a taste but a sensation resulting from compounds like capsaicin, found in chili peppers.

Such compounds stimulate heat receptors in the mouth, with the result a warming and (occasionally) burning sensation that can linger for minutes. The intensity of the perception of heat depends on the concentration of capsaicin.

Spicy dishes can be found in a range of international cuisines, often featuring peppercorns, fresh or dried chilies, and warming spices. Typical ingredients include:

Fresh chilies

Jalapeño, habanero, Scotch bonnet, bird's eye chili, serrano

Dried chilies

Ancho, chipotle, cayenne, Aleppo pepper

Spice blends

Curry powder, garam masala, harissa, jerk seasoning, and gochugaru

Condiments

Hot sauce, sambal, sriracha, chili crisp, peri-peri sauce

Seasonings

Black pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, white pepper

The way you cook has an influence on the intensity of spiciness in a dish, with some enhancing techniques including:

Toasting

Dry-toasting spices (without oil or butter) intensifies aromatic compounds and adds flavor complexity.

Reducing sauces

The more you reduce a sauce that features spicy elements, the more concentrated its heat will be. Reduction of spicy glazes also intensifies heat.

Charring and grilling

Smoke and char can highlight spice perception, adding further intensity.

Frying

With a recipe that uses fried chillies or chilli oils, frying spreads the heat throughout the dish.

Fermenting

Fermented chili sauces often blend heat with acidity and savory complexity. Much-loved spicy dishes include:

• Thai green curry

• Vindaloo

• Sichuan beef

• Buffalo wings

• Jerk chicken

• Kimchi stew

• Spicy tuna rolls

• Mexican tacos with salsa

• Nashville hot chicken

• Spicy ramen

How do we pair these dishes with wine so as not to reduce the appealing spice of the dish, while not totally destroying the experience of a wonderful wine on the palate? It’s tricky, but it can be done. Let’s start at the beginning. How do we assess heat levels to go for the right pairing wine?

Just like we can measure speed, ABV, and the intensity of sound, we can measure heat in food.

The name of the measurement scale for chili heat is “Scoville”, so named after the American pharmacist, Wilbur Scoville, who devised it in 1912.

To give an idea of how many Scoville Scale Heat Units (SHUs – yes – it gets really technical!) there are in a spicy ingredient, here’s a range of examples:

Mildest to hottest

1. Ancho (1,000–2,000 SHUs)

2. Gochugaru (typically 1,500–10,000 SHUs -depending on variety)

3. Serrano (10,000–25,000 SHUs)

4. Harissa (SHU level varies broadly, depending on recipe)

5. Habanero (100,000–350,000 SHUs)

While nobody is going to start measuring SHUs in the comfort of their kitchen (your taste buds probably do the job well already), the above gives an idea about how widely heat intensity levels can vary. Why is this important? The answer is that chili heat and wine influences choices.

The effect that spicy recipes can have on a glass of fine wine is a travesty! Just imagine being ready to enjoy a top-class white or red only to find its body weakened, its flavors masked, and its tannins taking over because you didn’t get the spice balance right.

Specifically, spicy food can:

• Unpleasantly increase the impression of alcohol heat

• Amplify the perception of tannic bitterness.

• Emphasize acidity

• Reduce fruit

• Increase impression of dryness in dry styles

• Create a persistent burning sensation when matched with high-alcohol wines

Fortunately, there are ways around this litany of potential meal spoilers, enabling both hot dishes and a first-class wine to bring out the best in the other.

Generally, dishes that feature moderate heat are easier to pair with wine than super-spicy cuisine. The best approach is to have a personal “heat scale” (after all, our palates differ) that you use as a gauge for spice intensity and wine pairing.

Whatever your personal scale, the aim is contrast and palate refreshment. Wines with opulent fruit, lower levels of alcohol, gentle acidity, and an off-dry to sweet profile perform best (a touch of residual sugar contrasts the heat and cools the palate).

When it comes to pairing spicy grub with wine, whites offer the most versatility. The following varietals offer something for every SHU level.

• Riesling (especially off-dry styles making it best wine for curry heat)

• Gewürztraminer pairing (opulent tropical fruit – also good fit for intense heat)

• Chenin Blanc off-dry to sweet styles

• Viognier (floral, stone fruit, low-acidity, and viscous mouthfeel make it good match)

• Moscato (relatively low alcohol, natural delicate sweetness, and aromatic fruit mean it’s ideal)

These white wines are full of unique character, offering ripe fruit and freshness that balance and complement rather than compete with spice

Even dry styles of effervescent wine are great matches for hot food. The bubbles offer a refreshing, cleansing, and cooling effect on the palate. Sweeter styles are even more of a win!

Excellent choices include:

• Champagne

• Crémant

• Prosecco (DOCG offers rich fruit to counter heat)

• Cava

• Sekt

• Sparkling Shiraz (for warm rather than searing chili heat dishes)

If you’re a red fan all the way, go for low-tannin, fruit-forward styles with low (if any) oak, gentle tannins, and lower alcohol to mitigate the food’s chili heat.

Reds to consider include:

• Pinot Noir (soft tannins and styles from hotter regions have rich fruit)

• Gamay (low tannins and fruity)

• Grenache (gentle tannic profile and fruit-forward)

• Frappato (has light-bodied, fruity, soft tannins ideal for hot food)

• Zweigelt (warm spice and gentle tannins)

• Argentinian Malbec (from region’s warmer vineyards is so fruity, giving a delicately sweet impression)

Chill not, just your white or sparkling, but that red before serving with spicy fare. A touch of coolness soothes the palate.

A sweet touch is your friend when pairing wine with spicy food. Fiery dishes that feature ingredients like coconut milk, sweet glazes, mango salsa, or a touch of sugar, often pair better with a range of wines. The delicate sweetness doesn’t mask the appealing heat but softens the overall perception of spice.

So next time you're cooking up a delicious fiery curry, yummy spicy barbecue, or mouth-watering chili-soaked stir-fry, why not think beyond your usual? This wine pairing guide shows that, chances are, there’s a grape and style you love that fits the bill.

Want to read more? Take a look at some of our other blogs:

• • Wine and food pairing tips: Umami
  • Sommelier wine pairings for Syrah
  • Five classic wine and cheese pairings