How to Pair Wines with Thai Cuisine

While there are certainly wine aficionados among the Thai people, and exquisite wine bars for you to check out, especially in Bangkok—pairing wine with authentic Thai cuisine isn’t quite the trend there. But it’s not impossible to enjoy the best of both worlds. In fact, you can absolutely savour wine with the rich plethora of Thai delights. The secret is to first understand the flavours of your dish, and find the right wine to match it.

The Thai Palate

Northern, Central or Southern Thai cuisine, there’s always more than one flavour in any given dish. Rather, they often have a balance of sweet, sour, spicy and creamy that creates a harmonious combo to excite and satiate your taste-buds. It’s why we love Thai food so much!

There are four general categories: Boiled dishes, spicy salads, pounded foods and curries. The taste combos usually have a slightly more pronounced flavour that depends on which region the dish comes from.

Northern Thai favours sweetness with a creamy touch and are usually milder; with the exception of north-eastern or Lanna dishes, which are spicy, piquant and savoury. Central Thai has the most diverse dishes, and flavours may range from the zesty tempered with tangy tastes, to the sweet and salty. Southern Thai food is heavily influenced by Malaysian Malay cuisine, hence their cooking features lots of chillies, spices and herbs for that signature fiery and aromatic taste, balanced with the sweet and tangy. Come learn more details about the regional cuisines here, and discover how you can master authentic Thai flavour combos in your cooking!

Pairing with Wines: Harmony is Key

Just as Thai cooking is all about balance of flavours, the wine for your beloved dishes should also create a harmony of taste sensations. Consider the weight, heat and intensity of your dish. Is it a light salad? Match it with a light crisp white. Is it a zesty, tangy Tom Yum soup? Ease the heat with a light white with fruity flavours. Having the classic sweet-savoury Pad Thai? Pair a full white with yellow fruit depth and no oak influence to enhance the flavour.

In general, sweet and tangy fruity wines can temper spicy flavours. Crisp young white wines can accentuate creamy Thai dishes. Velvety-textured wines can balance the hot and tangy.

Tips to Remember

Salty dishes may amplify alcohol flavours that clash with the food’s taste. So avoid wines with high tannins or oak.

For whites: a good Riesling of any origin and style, is probably the easiest match for almost all Thai flavour combos. Other great choices are Pinot Gris, Gewuztraminer, Chenin Blac, Chardonnay Vermentino, Gruner Veltliner, Fiano and Verdelho.

For reds: wines with high tannins content can intensify Thai spiciness, and not in a yummy way. Choose wines with softer textures and savoury reds like a cool-climate Shiraz, Merlot, Sanglovese, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo and Gamay.

More Wine Pairings with Asian Flavours

Want more delicious wine pairings with umami Asian delights? Come have a taste of our 10 handpicked faves, with recipes you can cook and savour at home!