Pairing wine and hummus is just the beginning. Middle Eastern food provides various dishes containing many fresh ingredients that work for an array of wine pairings.
It’s also incredibly versatile! For example, while some dishes contain meat, many are vegetarian and vegan-friendly. And with that variety, you bet you can pair it with a ton of different wines.
This guide will help you navigate some classic Middle Eastern food and wine that complements them.
Start with the Basics
Middle Eastern cuisine often focuses on certain ingredients, especially herbs and spices, which are a great base for pairing wines.
Some rules of thumb when pairing Middle Eastern food and wine:
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- Middle Eastern food contains a lot of herbs and spices. The wine should match the intensity of the dish.
- Pair wine to the sauce if the dish contains meat cooked in a sauce.
- Middle Eastern food frequently uses raw garlic and onion. High acidity from crisp white wines will help to soften the sharpness of these flavors without masking them.
Here you can find the right wines for some of the most common ingredients in Middle Eastern cuisine. Getting to know these ingredients will familiarize you with Middle Eastern food. Plus, it will help you to create complementary dishes of your own:
- Parsley: herbaceous whites with acidity: Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner
- Onion: crisp white wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
- Cilantro: aromatic whites with acidity: Albariño, Verdejo
- Garlic: herbaceous whites with acidity: Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc
- Cumin: refreshing whites, sparkling whites or earthy reds: sparkling rosé, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Barbera, Syrah (with red meat)
- Tahini (sesame paste): aromatic or nutty whites: riper Riesling, Viognier, Fiano
- Lemon: citrusy whites with high acidity: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling (Mosel Valley style), Assyrtiko
- Harissa (chili paste with spices): dry or off-dry aromatic whites: Gewürztraminer, off-dry or dry Riesling, Grüner Veltliner
9 Amazing Middle Eastern Food and Wine Pairings
The Middle-East and North Africa have a long history of winemaking in Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
These countries make delicious wines of their own that pair wonderfully with their cuisine. And as good as they are, they can be hard to come by outside of their borders. So we’ve put together 9 delicious pairings of Middle Eastern food and more commonly found wine below.
Classic hummus. By N. Barbaros.
Hummus
The wine you should pair with hummus depends on the flavor of the hummus and what it’s accompanying.
Classic Hummus
Try medium-bodied dry rosé wine or an aromatic, fresh white like Albariño or Assyrtiko.
Why It Works: The acidity in…
