Wine to try
2006 Montrose Pietra Sangiovese, Mudgee, A$26
Flavour, flavour, flavour – there’s bucketloads of flavour in this dish. Firstly, the dense flavours of the köfte – the minced-beef’s beefiness enhanced with the addition of cumin, paprika, coriander and ginger. The spicy tomato sauce and spinach bring even more robust flavours with the yoghurt adding a soothing touch. A white wine would be overpowered, as would a rosé, but a medium bodied-red with its own spiciness works well. Montrose pioneered sangiovese in Australia, way back in the mid-1980s, when Carlo Corino introduced the variety from Tuscany. Today, there is a plethora of sangiovese on the market, yet the Montrose Pietra has confidently stood the test of time. Its spicy, savoury flavours are simply perfect with the robust characters of this dish, working with the food but at no point overpowering it.