How the tables have turned. India was notorious for decades of staggering import duties. It has finally swung the doors open for European trade. They have slashed taxes that sat at 150%.
The Mother of All Deals: On January 27, 2026, India and the European Union (EU) officially concluded negotiations. The outcome was a historic Free Trade Agreement. This agreement marks a massive shift in trade relations, particularly for high-tariff sectors like cars and wine. This FTA is a transformational win for the wine industries in both India and the EU. It creates a more competitive and diverse market.
Wine and Spirits: A Cheers to Affordability
For a wine lover, the changes are dramatic. India is finally dismantling its famous 150% protective wall.
- Current Reality: 150% import duty.
- The New Deal:Immediate Drop: For premium wines, the duty drops from 150% to 75% the moment the deal is ratified.
- Phased Reduction: Over the next 10 years, duties will gradually decrease. They will reach 20% for premium ranges. Duties will become 30% for mid-range bottles.
- The Catch: To protect local Indian wineries (like Sula or Grover), there is a “floor price.” Wines priced below $2.50–$5.00 per bottle will see no concessions. This deal is designed specifically to bring in “fantastic juice” like Mosel Rieslings, French Burgundies, Italian Barolo.
- Spirits & Beer: Spirits (Whiskies/Gins) will drop from 150% to 40%. Beer: Duties 110% to 50%.
Key Benefits of the Deal
Benefits for EU
- The world’s leading producer of wine, this deal provides unmatched access to India’s 1.45 billion consumers with drastic price cuts.
- Protection of Brands (GIs): This ensures that terms like Champagne, Prosecco, and Rioja are legally protected in India. It prevents local lookalikes from using these prestigious names.
Benefits for India
- Duty-Free Access to Europe: EU eliminates duties on Indian wine. This change enables Indian brands like Sula or Grover Zali to compete fairly in the massive European market. It also allows them to cater to the growing Indian diaspora.
- Wine Culture: Lower prices for European wines will shift Indian consumer preference from spirits toward wine.
- Technology & Investment: Indian vineyards may get European capital investments. Technical expertise in viticulture (grape growing) could also be introduced. These efforts aim to improve the quality of local produce.
The Car Deal: Luxury at a Discount
The automobile sector was the hardest “nut to crack” in these negotiations. The result is a calibrated quota system.
- Tariff Slashes: Current duties of 70% to 110% on luxury cars will be slashed to 10% over a five-year period.
- The Quota: Only a specific number of vehicles—up to 250,000 per year—can enter at this low 10% rate. This is a massive jump from the 37,000 limit earlier discussed with the UK.
- Benefits: This is a direct win for brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Lamborghini. It makes high-end European engineering far more accessible to the Indian market
For me, the excitement is twofold. India’s diverse culinary heritage is a treasure trove of flavors—a sprawling new playground for wine pairings. It will certainly be challenging. It will be incredibly fun to see how European fine wines hold up. They must complement the complex, soulful spice of the subcontinent.
Yet, there is a distinct bittersweet to the moment. As an Indian, I embrace this trade opportunity and the cultural bridge it builds wholeheartedly. As an American, however, it feels like the closing of a chapter. The U.S. has just lost its position as the most fervent cheerleader for European exports. The momentum of global trade is shifting. This transition is only right.
They say the best pairings are a conversation, not a monologue. 🍷🇮🇳 I’m celebrating the new era of trade between Europe and India. I’m exploring the ‘nerve’ and ‘electric’ acidity of European classics. These include Mosel Riesling and Etna Rosso. I am examining how they stand up to the soulful spice of the subcontinent. It turns out, the perfect match isn’t just about heat; it’s about harmony. Shall we talk pairings?
Ask the Sommelier | Vol. 1: The Delhi Classics
Butter Chicken aka Murgh Makhani
Pairing wine with Butter Chicken is an exciting challenge. You have to balance three distinct elements. These are the creamy texture (yogurt/cream), the acidic tomato base, and the complex spice profile. Unlike its cousin Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken is milder and richer. It demands wines that can either cut through the silk or mirror the velvet.
The French Choice: Butter Chicken is essentially a French sauce with Indian spices. A lightly oaked Chardonnay such as Meursault has a natural hazelnut and butter profile. If the dish has a hint of heat, choose the off dry, rich Alsatian Pinot Gris (Domaine Weinbach). It has a honeyed texture. The slight residual sugar helps buffer the warmth of the chilis. If you prefer bubbles, try a Crémant de Loire (Chenin Blanc base). It offers the racy acidity needed to slice through the butter and cream. Producer Domaine de la Taille aux Loup
If you must go red, you need to avoid heavy tannins (which clash with spice) and high alcohol. A Cru Beaujolais (like Chateau Thivin) is fruit-forward, low-tannin, and high-acid. If you serve the Beaujolais with a slight chill, it acts as a palate cleanser. It effectively cuts through the richness of the butter and cream.
The Italian Choice: The grape Garganega (Soave) has a distinct saline minerality. It also has an almond finish that counters the sweet tomato cream. Specifically, look for a “Classico” bottling from a producer like Pieropan or Inama
If you prefer red Barbera d’Asti (Piedmont). Traditional red wines with heavy tannins (like Barolo) will taste bitter when paired with chili and spice. You need “low tannin, high acid. Barbera is the perfect “red for white wine drinkers.” It is packed with juicy cherry fruit and has almost no tannin, meaning it won’t clash with the spices. Its high acidity keeps the meal from feeling heavy. I am a huge fan of Barbera from the Nizza grand cru producer DaCaPo Vini
If you are in a mood for something unique, try Lambrusco di Sorbara (Emilia-Romagna). A dry (Secco) or off-dry frizzante red .Lambrusco is the “secret weapon” for tomato-based curries. The red berry fruit complements the tomato, while the bubbles scrub the palate of the heavy cream. Producer Cantina Della Volta
The Portuguese Choice: Encruzado is Portugal’s hidden gem for Burgundy lovers. It has a waxy, full-bodied texture and high acidity that mimics a high-end French white. It’s an intellectual pairing for those who want to move beyond Riesling.
The German Choice: Mosel Riesling Spätlese. This is the fire extinguisher and flavor enhancer rolled into one. the sweetness tames any background heat, and the acidity ensures the meal never feels cloying. Producer JJ Prum
Palak Paneer
Pairing wine with Palak Paneer is a masterclass in “green on green” harmony. The challenge here isn’t heat—it’s the iron-rich, earthy bitterness of the spinach and the creamy fat of the paneer cheese.
In the wine world, spinach is a notorious pairing foe because it can make some wines taste metallic. You need wines that enhance the herbal side of the dish. They should also provide enough acidity to cut through the richness of the cheese.
The French Choice: Sauvignon Blanc (Loire Valley). Look to Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. Sauvignon Blanc is naturally high in “pyrazines”—the compounds that give wine those grassy, bell pepper, and herbal aromas. This creates a bridge to the spinach. Its razor-sharp acidity acts as a “lemon squeeze” over the dish, brightening the earthy greens and lightening the heavy cream. It’s a refreshing, high-energy pairing. Producer Domaine Saget al Perriere
If you must go red, your best bet is a Chinon (Cabernet Franc) from the Loire. Cabernet Franc naturally possesses a bell pepper or leafy aromatic quality. The red fruit (raspberry/redcurrant) provides a sweet contrast and It’s light enough not to overwhelm the mild cheese. Unoaked versions like producer Domaine Bernard Baudry
The Italian Choice: Vermentino (Tuscany or Sardinia). A Vermentino di Gallura or a coastal Tuscan Vermentino has salty minerality, hints of crushed herbs and pine. It’s bright, coastal, and incredibly fresh that mirrors the earthy greens. Producer Piero Mancini
Dal Makhani:
Pairing wine with Dal Makhani is a challenge of texture. This is a dish defined by “butter” (makhani), slow-cooked black lentils, and a deep, smoky creaminess. It isn’t usually about sharp spice; it’s about earthy richness and velvety weight. To succeed, you need wines with enough body to stand up to the cream. You also need enough nerve to keep the pairing from feeling heavy.
The French Choice: White Burgundy (Chardonnay). Côte de Beaune specifically Meursault or a high-quality Chassagne-Montrachet. These wines undergo malolactic fermentation, giving them a creamy texture that matches the lentils. And, the limestone-driven high acidity of Burgundy ensures the wine doesn’t get lost in the sauce. It’s Pure luxury. It turns a humble lentil dish into a 3-star Michelin experience.
The Italian Choice: Etna Rosso (Nerello Mascalese) from Sicily (The volcanic slopes of Mount Etna). If you want a red, you need The Burgundy of the South. Etna Rosso is pale, aromatic, and low in tannin. It is high in volcanic minerality and smoke. Its wild strawberry notes provide a bright contrast to the earthy lentils. Producers Donnafugata or Pietradolce.
The Spanish Choice: Reserva Rioja (Tempranillo) from Rioja Alta (producers like CVNE or La Rioja Alta). Traditional Rioja is aged in American oak. This aging process imparts notes of dill, coconut, and sweet spices like cinnamon and clove. These spices are common ingredients in garam masala. It’s warm, comforting, and deeply savory.
Why not a Riesling? The creamy, earthy nature of Dal Makhani often benefits from a wine with more texture and body. The Meursault or the Rioja provides a weight that matches the slow-cooked intensity of the lentils.
Chaat
Pairing wine with Chaat is a high-wire act. You are juggling a chaotic, beautiful explosion of flavors: tamarind tang (acid), chili (heat), yogurt (fat), and mint/coriander (herbaceousness). To match the shatter of a papdi or the explosion of a pani puri, you need wines with high energy. They must also have high acidity and aromatic intensity.
The French Choice: Crémant d’Alsace (Brut Rosé). A sparkling Rosé from Alsace made from Pinot Noir (Domaine Dopf au Moulin). Chaat is all about texture and crunch. The bubbles in a Crémant mimic that texture. Red berry fruit, like strawberry and raspberry, provides sweetness. This sweetness tames the green chili. The carbonation acts as a palate cleanser for the yogurt and deep-fried elements.
The Italian Choice: Lambrusco di Sorbara (Secco). The lightest, most floral style of Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna. It’s low in alcohol and incredibly refreshing with mouth watering acidity. The slight savory/salty edge in the wine complements the chaat masala and black salt. Producer Tenuta Cleto Chiarli
The Spanish Choice: Manzanilla Sherry. A bone-dry, saline Sherry aged under flor in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, for the wine geek. Chaat is a salty, savory snack. Manzanilla is one of the few wines that doesn’t just tolerate salt—it thrives on it. It stands up to the pungent cumin and mint water in pani puri like a champion. Producer Bodega Valdespino
Goat Meat aka Mutton
Goat is leaner than lamb but is packed with so much flavor. It requires wines with a robust spine. The wines should either have high acidity or structured tannins to keep pace with the meat’s unique umami.
The French Choice: Northern Rhone Syrah. Syrah from the Northern Rhône is the king of smoke and pepper. It has a savory, almost meaty quality that mirrors the gaminess and smoky depth of the coal grilled seekh kebabs. Producer M. Chapoutier
The Italian Choice: Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, a deep, structural Rosato. It drinks more like a light red rather than a pale Rosé. It requires an Indian dish with umami, smoke, and a touch of fat. Seekh Kebabs are savory, fatty, and carry the char of the grill. Cerasuolo is made from the Montepulciano grape, which has a natural affinity for grilled meats. Producers Masciarelli or Tiberio
Italian’s believe “what grows together goes together”. Sardinia is the land of goats and Cannonau aka Grenache. Soft tannins and ripe, spicy red fruit serve as a sweet buffer. They balance the savory intensity of a slow cooked goat curry.
The Spanish Choice: Garancha from Priorat. If you are slow-roasting goat (Raan) with heavy spices, you need a wine with muscle. Priorat Garancha is grown on volcanic licorella slate soils. Its minerality slices through the fat. The dark concentrated fruit stands up to the aggressive garam masala. Producer Camins del Priorat by Bodega Alvaro Palacios
Biryani
Pairing wine with Biryani is about respecting the perfume. The dish can be a Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani or a Lucknowi Chicken version. It is defined by long-grain basmati, saffron, and warm spices (cinnamon, clove, cardamom). The dish relies on these flavors rather than aggressive chili heat.
The German Choice: Riesling Spätlese (Mosel). A Spätlese is a late-harvest Riesling with just enough residual sugar to act as a flavor bridge. Biryani is essentially an aromatic rice dish. German Riesling, with its notes of peach and flowers, vibrates at the same frequency as saffron and cardamom. The slight sweetness of the wine hugs the caramelized onions (birishta) and dried fruits. Meanwhile, the legendary German acidity ensures the ghee-laden rice doesn’t feel heavy on the palate. Producer Weingut Willi Schaefer
The French Choice: Côtes du Rhône (Grenache Blend aka GSM). If you are eating a Mutton Biryani, you need a wine with more guts. A Southern Rhône blend (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) is the classic choice. Grenache is low in tannin but high in ripe red fruit. The black pepper notes in the Syrah mirror the peppercorns and cloves in the rice. Biryani is served hot and is quite rich. A slightly chilled red wine provides a temperature contrast. This contrast brings out the fruit and floral notes in the wine. It keeps the pairing refreshing. Producer Château de Beaucastel.
India is an amalgam of distinct flavors—so why treat it like one dish? I’m breaking down the best of the East, West, North, and South, pairing regional legends with world-class wines.
Coming soon: The ultimate guide to Indian Desserts. (Yes, we found the perfect bottle for Gajar ka Halwa).
Are you drooling yet?
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