I don’t know about you but when winter sets in, my mind turns to spice. ‘Tis the season to cook fiery, belly-warming winter curries. Or, if I’m totally honest, to let our local Indian joint do it for us.
Aldinga Bay Café is one of South Australia’s hidden treasures. As the name suggests, it’s located on the Aldinga Beach esplanade and as a place to warm your cockles, it can’t be beat.
When Alex Schulz and Aruna Mogan took over the much-loved eatery last year, they not only focussed on serving stellar vindaloo, korma, paneer, and aloo palak, they also put thought into the wine offering.
If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me what wine to pair with Indian dishes, I’d own an Aldinga Beach holiday house. It’s a common predicament and the kaleidoscopic nature of spice means each dish is different.
“For Northern Indian food, I recommend big bold red wines,” Alex says. “But acid-driven white wines work with any spicy food because the acid cuts through fat and spice.”
They are particularly fond of the Harrison Wine Piel Grenache Blanc ($38, harrison.wine) made from the French white variety sourced from the Schwarz Vineyard in Bethany, Barossa. Much like winemaker Riley Harrison, it’s all personality.
“It’s great to pair with pretty much any curry with spice and fat,” Alex says. “Vindaloo is great with a zippy white wine with texture, drive and flavour.”
Meanwhile, saag paneer goes well with something rich and earthy like a Tempranillo, while slightly chilled red wine works well with lamb Rogan Josh. “A Pinot Noir lends itself well to a non-creamy curry like that,” Aruna says. “For some reason, people always think you should pair Indian food with something sweet but I say no. You don’t want to mask the spice, you want to taste it.”
Nearby in McLaren Vale, Lino Ramble winemaker Andy Coppard thinks a lot about fruit character and texture. “For me, food and wine are intrinsically linked,” he says. “Rarely do I sit down and just drink a bottle of wine by itself. It’s almost always accompanied by lunch or dinner with friends.”
Andy’s Lino Ramble 2024 Fiano ($32, linoramble.com.au) kicked back with 120 days of skin contact which means texture.
“It warms your heart,” Andy says. “And it has what some people would describe as a fennel-like character.” It’s sensationally savoury and there are undeniable dried herb aromas to the Italian white, too. “It works a treat with any curry that has fenugreek or coriander in it,” Andy says.
Personally, Andy can’t get enough of dahl. “I love dahl, it’s the great Indian gift to the world. There’s a curry leaf character in this wine that goes really well with that.”
On the flipside, the Lino Ramble 2024 Dot to Dot Arinto ($27) had zero skin contact so is a crisp, zesty head-snapper. “It’s a Portuguese variety and in terms of spicy food, peri peri chicken, fish tacos, or salt and pepper squid or tofu are a winner.”
Across the hallway in McMurtrie Road cellar door shared by three artisan wine brands, winemaker Alex Sherrah is also ready to flex his Fiano creations.
The ancient variety is native to Campania in southern Italy, and has garnered quite the reputation in McLaren Vale thanks to the region’s Mediterranean climate and adventurous winemakers.
Alex describes his Sherrah 2025 Skin Party Fiano ($32, sherrahwines.com.au) as an “orgy of whole berries and partying yeasties.” No matter your state of undress (not advisable in chilly climes) it is delightfully rich and enthralling, with or without food.
“Most importantly, you want natural acidity to cut through greasy, heavy dishes,” he says. “Whether they’re creamy or spicy.”
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