Best Value
Angove Long Row Riesling 2025
McLaren Vale, SA
$11.17per bottle
$134.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Food & wine pairing
Best wine with curry
Aromatic whites for creamy curries, soft reds for lamb.
How are you cooking it?
Riesling
Fresh acidity and a hint of sweetness balance spice and creamy sauces.
- Lighter than the dish: best with a lighter version of it
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- Low tannin, so the chilli won’t taste harsh
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Spicy dish: soft tannin keeps the heat friendly.
Best Value
Reschke R-Series Riesling 2025
Limestone Coast, SA
$14.67per bottle
$176.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Sister's Run St Petri's Riesling /2025 2024
Eden Valley, SA
$16.42per bottle
$197.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Earthworks Riesling 2025
Barossa, SA
$17.00per bottle
$102.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Grenache
Soft, spicy red with low tannin. Great with lamb rogan josh.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- Low tannin, so the chilli won’t taste harsh
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Spicy dish: soft tannin keeps the heat friendly.
Best Value
Angove ESTD 1886 SMG Shiraz Mourvèdre Grenache 2024
Riverland, SA
$16.67per bottle
$100.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Mr Mick Grenache 2024
Clare Valley, SA
$18.17per bottle
$109.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Ulithorne Dona Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2020
McLaren Vale, SA
$19.58per bottle
$235.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Gardner's Vineyard Grenache 2014
Eyre Peninsula, SA
$19.00per bottle
$114.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Rosé
Fruity and chilled. A safe pick for a table of mixed curries.
- Lighter than the dish: best with a lighter version of it
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- Low tannin, so the chilli won’t taste harsh
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Spicy dish: soft tannin keeps the heat friendly.
Best Value
Winesmiths Premium Dry Rosé 2000ml
SA
$7.94per 750ml equivalent
$127.00 for 6 × 2L
Cellars
Best Value
Rhythm and Rhyme Rosé NV
Riverland, SA
$11.00per bottle
$132.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Smith's Lane Estate Rose 2024
North East Victoria
$12.00per bottle
$72.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Bonny Doon "Vin Gris de Cigare" Rosé 2021
California, USA
$12.50per bottle
$150.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Tip
If the curry is very hot, beer may be the honest answer. For medium spice, off-dry Riesling wins.
Best avoided
Oaky Chardonnay and firm, tannic reds both clash with spice.
About curry and wine
Today’s picks run from $7.94 to $19.58 a bottle, chosen for value from 59 matching wines across the Australian retailers we compare. Six-packs and dozens are shown as a price per bottle.
Questions
What wine goes best with curry?
Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Grenache are the best matches for curry. Fresh acidity and a hint of sweetness balance spice and creamy sauces.
What’s a good cheap wine with curry?
Winesmiths Premium Dry Rosé 2000ml is the cheapest of today’s picks at $7.94 a bottle from Cellars. Prices are checked every 4 hours.
What wine should I avoid with curry?
Oaky Chardonnay and firm, tannic reds both clash with spice.