Wine goes with kebabs and curry?

Sheela Narayanan | tabla! | Fri Mar 12 2010

Singapore, March 12, 2010

ITALIAN wines and Indian food – not a combination you see often. But on March 9, fine-dining restaurant Yantra at Tanglin Mall hosted a wine dinner with a Tuscan vineyard, Castello Banfi (above).

The brand’s general manager Enrico Viglierchio told the sold-out crowd of more than 20 Indians and non-Indians that it was his first time pairing his estate’s wines with Indian food and he was keen to see whether his wine would go well with Yantra’s menu.

The evening started with the sparkling Rose, the Rosa Regale, a sweet effervescent aperitif which went down well with the women but not so much with some men who said it tasted like adult candy floss.

It was followed by the Pinot Grigio, paired with the starter plate of Kachori Chaat, Chutney Wale Macchi de Tikke (tandoor roasted King fish with mint and coriander), Afghani Murgh Tikka (chicken and cheese kebab).

The evening then moved on to the reds with the Rosso Di Montalcino, one of the vineyards’ classic wines, matched with the Raan-e-Yantra (roasted baby leg of lamb, flambeed with fennel flavoured rum) and Peshwari naan.

Next came the Banfi’s Brunello, the Poggio All’ Oro, paired with a sampler plate of main courses, the Murgh-e-Khaas Kaliya (chicken in a yoghurt gravy with rose petals and mace), Nehari (lamb in a light yoghurt gravy), Masaledaar Mattar aur Khumb (green peas and Champignon mushrooms), Dal Yantra and Guchhi Pulao (pulao with Kashmiri morels).

The meal ended with sweet dessert wine Moscato d’Asti paired with Meethe Paan ki Kulfi (kulfi made with sweet paan) and Berry Rasmalai and jalebi.

Wine connoisseur Morgun Pathi from The Local Nose, a Singapore-based wine website, said: “The wines on their own held out very well.”