We all love a good BYO. They’re tasty, cheap and cheerful. And of course, you can bring a drop of choice. But what if that drop could enhance your experience that bit further? We explore this notion by kick-starting our Toast BYO Basics series with one of our favourite Southeast Asian cuisines
Welcome to part one of our four-part series of Toast BYO Basics where we explore the best tipples and tricks to enhance your cheap and cheerful dining out.
Everyone loves a good BYO. There’s just something about being able to take your own vino to a bustling, delicious and authentic dinner spot with friends. And often being able to bring your own booze brings a sense of satisfaction that can’t be met at other restaurants. But, unfortunately, often the actual wine of choice is overlooked during this dining journey. And here at Toast, we feel it’s time this changed.
For the first installment of this series we will be looking at BYO Basics for one of the most fresh, spicy, zesty and kaffir-lime-laced cuisines in the foodmosphere: Thai food.
Whether you’re going for a fresh green papaya salad doused in lime and chilli, a pad Thai dotted with juicy prawns or a warming red curry topped with fresh coriander, there is a wine out there that can enhance that zingy delight in a way you didn't know possible. We’ve made life simple for you and taken all your BYO desires – cheap, easy and yummy – and broken our advice into two simple categories: yes and no. It is the basics, after all.
Yes
- The key flavours to make up Thai cuisine are sweet, sour and hot and salty. Therefore, dry white wines can pair beautifully with this cuisine in order to cut through spice and richness without disturbing the perfect balance of flavours lying on your plate.
- Drinking sweeter wines with spicy food allows the fruitiness of the wine to really be shown off as the residual sugars tend to take a step back when heat is involved.
- If you’re not big on white wine, a zesty and floral rosé can be a wonderful match for a Thai curry, especially if it's a bit on the rich ‘n’ meaty side. A fresh rosé will add more punch to the palate than a white – especially with rich dishes – but will still remain complimentary to fresh herbs and Southeast Asian flavours.
- Don’t be shy about something a little sparkly. Sparkling wines can be fantastic with Thai food, especially if the food is fried. The bubbles will cut through grease and freshen up the palate.
No
- Oaky wine is one to avoid with your Thai food. The vanilla tones in oaked chardonnay tend to disagree with aromatic herbs and exotic spices and therefore won’t do a great job of pleasing your palate.
- Big, bold tannic wines are a no-no when it comes to Thai food. Spice and acidity will turn tannic wines bitter and will ruin both the food and the wine. So leave those fancy cabernet sauvignons at home please.
So now that we’re clear, check out our top picks for best BYO wines to tick the boxes, Thai edition:
Mission Estate Vineyard Selection Pinot Gris
SOHO White Collection Pinot Gris
?
