A Guide to BYOB

Buying wine at a restaurant can be ridiculously expensive. You could end up paying 3 times more than you would here at Joe Canal's at a nice restaurant. There's a way past that, however: BYOB. There are quite a few BYOB restaurants in our area that make delicious food and have lovely ambiance. Why not scope out a local BYOB restaurant, and stop here on the way! One of our knowledgeable Wine Managers will be happy to help you choose the perfect bottle for your dinner, but here is a general list to guide you, based on the cuisine you'll be eating.

Chinese
Dominant flavors in Chinese food include ginger, garlic, sesame, soy sauce, chiles, and oyster, all of which fall into either the sweet or the salty taste group. This means that your best matches are going to be sweetish, spicy or fruity white wines. If you're going for reds, choose low-tannin, unoaked reds, because salty foods make a wine's tannins taste more bitter. Light, crisp roses or sparkling wines would also be a very good match, as their texture can either cut through any heaviness in a dish or underline the delicacy of more fragile ones, such as wontons or steamed dumplings.

Japanese
Overall flavors of Japanese cuisine are bitter and vinegary, with elements such as wasabi, vinegar, soy sauce, and onions. Therefore, you should avoid acidic wines and go for chilled, off-dry, fruity white wines and any sparkling wines with dishes like sushi or sashimi. For heavier dishes like tempura, choose fuller, fruitier styles like Champagne. Or, of course, you may opt for a bottle of traditional sake.

Thai Thai food has playful, contrasting tastes including lemongrass, citrus, chile, ginger, coriander and basil, and can often be difficult to match. Try a crisp, dry white like a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. A fruity, robust Shiraz will also work well with this spicy chile or beef dishes.

Mexican
Very hot and spicy foods need equally spicy wines with a touch of residual sugar to counteract the spice. Try fruity whites and acidic roses to temper the heat. Low-tannin reds that are fruity and spicy like a Merlot or a Pinot Noir will also work.

Indian
What matches well with the Indian staple, curry? Stay away from the oak and stick to full-bodied wines. Possible matches include Merlots, Zinfandels, and Syrahs, a rose with samosas and pakoras, or a Gewurztraminer with tandoori.

Italian
While we could get into the specific flavors of Italian foods and pair precisely with the dishes (Riesling with gnocci, for example), why not do like the Romans do and drink Italian wines with your Italian dinner? Chianti is a traditional Italian staple and you can't go wrong with a bottle on your table. Other Italian wines that would be fantastic to grace your table with would be Barolos, Barbarescos or Barberas.