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Pairing Turkish Wines with Herbs & Spices

 

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Many of us have heard the old adage to pair white wine with chicken and fish and red wine with red meat (like beef and lamb). That advice has pretty much gone out the window over the last years. For one thing…where does pork live in this configuration? What happens when you put a cream sauce on red meat? White wine with delicate fish and seafood sure…but what about heavier (dare I say “meaty”) fish like swordfish or tuna steak? It’s called a “tuna steak” for a reason after all!

The best pairing advice has nothing to do with your protein (or vegetable if you swing that way). It’s all about the sauce! Or herbs, seasonings etc. When was the last time you cooked something and used absolutely no season, herb, no pepper, no salt…never, right? For that reason, when choosing a wine to pair with your meal, think less about the base and more about the flavors you’re adding.

A Few Simple Guidelines

Now you needn’t worry about trying to remember every single herb or spice that pairs well with every single wine. Luckily, there are a few general guidelines:

1. Herbs are “soft” (basil, dill, parsley) or “hard” (rosemary, thyme). Soft herbs tend to do better with white and rosé wines and hard herbs with red wines. 
2. Similarly, fresh herbs work better with white and rosé wines while dried herbs do better with red. 
3. One doesn’t often cook with only one herb or spice. Think about the overall flavor profile of the dish and/or which is the dominant flavor. Parsley, for example, often gets overpowered by more strongly flavored herbs so for that dish don’t pair for the parsley. 
4. Pair like with like. If you know the wine you’ve chosen has notes of mint or basil, use those when cooking. Or, the other way around, if your dish calls for any “brown spices” (e.g. cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice) look for a wine that has those flavors. 

Why do some herbs and spices pair well with some wines but not others? Flavor compounds in grapes share the same compounds as some herbs and spices. We know that winemakers don’t actually, for example, add black pepper or clove to Boğazkere, but the wine has that flavor. So, while you are going crazy in the kitchen with adding flavors to your food, think about with wines also have those flavors. And if you still need a little help, this handy chart will help get you started.

Getting a Feel For Flavor

How do I know which herbs and spices work with which grapes/wines? For one thing, I had to learn what all these herbs and spices tasted like on their own. Trying everything you can and really thinking about what you’re tasting is a great way to train your palate. I suggested on a recent podcast that I’ve licked rocks to understand what’s meant when wines are described as “gravelly” or “stony.” I wasn’t entirely joking. 

While researching for The Essential Guide to Turkish Wine, I wanted to give some pairing advice for all the grapes. But, I a) struggle with this myself, b) didn’t have a particularly well-developed palate at the time, and c) also didn’t know the Turkish grapes the way I do now. I spent a lot of time in my kitchen eating dry spices. Seriously. Lick some allspice, take a sip of wine. Do they work together? Try some garam masala, drink a little wine. How was that? And so on and so forth. 

Let me tell you…it was informative but it was also one of the most unpleasant ways ever to drink wine. 

Go Forth and Experiment

Turkish wine still has a big question mark next to it for many people. The grapes can be difficult for foreigners to pronounce. If you get past that, the grape’s profile may be entirely new and not knowing what to expect flavor-wise could make you think twice before spending money on the bottle. There’s also a terrible rumor that Turkish wine doesn’t pair well with food. Don’t listen! It absolutely pairs well with not only Turkish but also international foods. 

Got Thai food? Reach of an Emir. Indian dishes go well with Bornova Misketi. Hasandede does well with Singaporean food. Stuffed peppers and eggplant are marvelous with Barburi. Try Çal Karası with harissa. Yogurt, ever present on the Turkish table, Öküzgözü rosé. 

Also remember that the most important thing is whether you like your pairing. You can break all the pairing “rules” but if you like it, then it was successful. 

For more inspiration on pairing food with Turkish wine (or food and wine pairing generally) check out some of my food pairing articles. Let me know in the comments what some of your favorite flavor pairings are!