Pairing Off: Yes, there's a wine to go with vindaloo. At least we hope so.

Ordering from an Indian restaurant can put you in a spot of bother. Samosas, absolutely. Rogan josh, yes. Butter chicken, tandoori dishes, dal, naan—by the time you’re finished with your wish list there’s no room on the table for salt lassi.

What you need is some self control. A plate of lamb vindaloo will do. And you could use a glass or two of wine.

This brings up another matter. While a simply dressed lamb shank would be a snap to pair, a proper vindaloo—skip the blast furnace British adaptation—wavers in the vicinity of tangy, sweet and earthy with a modest but notable wave of heat, achieved through ingredients that require a calculator to keep track.

Lamb vindaloo prepared at Namaste India Bistro on Lighthouse in Monterey holds the chile burn in reserve behind lavash layers of herbs and spice with a tart and almost fruity vinegar bite. The heat does persist, making the final volley on the palate.

Scott Kuramura at Taste of Monterey on Cannery Row is unfazed by all of this. His wine pairing instincts suggest red and white options, ranging from Syrah to Riesling.

“You want something heavy and a little spicy if red,” he explains. “With white, something with staying power on the palate.”

Going with a sweeter wine works in this case, he adds, as the residual sugars will offset the spice.

Kuramura selects a blend from the racks at Taste of Monterey, a 2017 BSV Red Wine from Big Sur Vineyards composed from Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah. It’s a hearty wine, presenting itself first with aromas of blueberry and dark plum, with notions of chocolate and dried zest, with a whisper of mixed herbs.

Blueberries pounce on the palate, but there are other flavors eager to make an impression—the comfort of a cedar humidor and a well worn leather recliner, the anticipation of powdered chocolate, crushed herbs, with cracked peppercorns on the finish. It’s as loaded as the vindaloo.

And the two match up neatly. The berries and fruit that carry the wine remain bold and rich and pry into some of the layers of the sauce. The foundation of herbs and caramelized flavors peak through.

More of the chocolate notes stride forward from the red blend, taking on a bittersweet savor. At the same time, the wine tamps down flickering chile until it reaches the back of your palate, where it clings and rekindles.

So it works. Now you can go back and try again, this time with a biryani.