H-Wines' 'Wine Pairings - Indian Fare'

MONTGOMERY, TX -- “I was strolling down the street one day … in the merry merry month of May. A roguish pair of eyes … they took me by surprise … in the moment my wine loving heart was stole away.”

Well, I tried. There wasn’t a ‘fountain in the park’ either, and the eyes belonged to the co-owner of H-Wines, a French expat named Steve Hari. Yes, I’m in Historic Montgomery with gas prices getting higher) it's getting easier just to stay in town. It was 10:27 am, and in talking with Steve my eyes widened when he said his place has ‘wine pairings’ with different styles of dishes every Wednesday evening. This week it was Indian dishes, and my eyes widened again, almost allowing my peepers to fall out of their sockets onto the sidewalk.

I revere Indian dishes, and remember watching YouTube reruns of UK chef Rick Stein with his trip to India, which gave me confidence to start making my own curry dishes (which in India means ‘sauce’ or ‘gravy’). So I was excited to be tasting dishes from an actual Indian chef. I had afternoon appointments in downtown Conroe until 7pm. So after I finished I high-tailed it to Historic Montgomery.

I met up with Steve again at H-Wines, and he introduced me to KP Patel, who’s creations I would be tasting, paired with selections of Hari’s suggestions. I was starting to drool with anticipation by the way. I mean, how many in the region have actually heard of pairing wine with Indian food? So to me, Steve and KP’s idea is genius.

Steven brought out the first wine, a ‘Sancerre Rose 2020,’ which comes from the Sancerre area south of Paris, France. Emanating from the Pinot Noir grape, it has a subtle dryness that is pleasing to the palate, and the color was of a state that warrants a still life by Patrick A. Pierson, which stems from a short maceration period as compared to red wines. I enjoyed the aromatic hints of cherry, strawberry, and vanilla that makes this a wonderful choice for a starter.

The SR 2020 was paired with Papri Chaat, which is a traditional Indian street snack food, prepared using crisp fried dough wafers known as ‘papri’, along with boiled chickpeas and potatoes, yogurt, black chickpeas, sweet and spicy chutney, all topped with chat powder and fried chickpea noodles. I likened it to Indian nachos, with a sweet, sour, tangy and subtly spicy flavors, coupled with a creamy and crunchy taste.

The entree wine, ‘O de la Vie Minervois Syrah 2019,’ is a homage to the French phrase “eau de vie,” or water of life; and it was. It’s an exclusive offering from the Burgundian region which is produced from qualifying vineyards with younger vines, and there are rules with which way a hillside is sloped, and it must border a specific stream, and clay-limestone soil is required. I found the water of life fragrant and intense, not overpowering, yet it went down smooth, and with its varietal purity, it performed like Enrico Caruso, on an April 17th 1906 San Francisco stage.

The Syrah 2019 was paired with a Butter Chicken Friand (i.e. friand meaning ‘tasty item’ in French). The butter chicken in itself is absolutely divine, but Chef KP Patel put his spin on it, by stuffing his creation into puff pastry baked to a golden brown. All I can say is ’c’est magnifique.’ The dish is spiced with his clientele in mind, and for the H-Wines crowd, it didn’t burn our tongues off. In my case, I asked for extra spice, and found myself slurping it up with a spoon, after I finished the dish. The dish is accompanied with a small cucumber/onion salad as a palate cleanser. In retrospect, I should have saved the sauce for the dessert.

For the dessert wine, Steve brought out his very own ‘Rataf Black Spanish LeNoir 2022’, with grapes from Hari’s own vineyard, and prepared in his winery in Coldspring with his business partner Philippe Legrand. Rataf is shortened from the proper ‘Ratafia’ which generally refers to a sweet alcoholic beverage. The Black Spanish grape, possibly a remnant of Spain’s colonization in Texas, has a long history in Texas. For a quick millisecond, I likened the Rataf 2022 to a sweetened grape juice, but it's so much more than that. The sweet aroma is inviting and sets the stage for the anticipation of the actual sweet accompaniment itself. It’s hard to believe that Black Spanish grapes are declining in Texas, because Hari and Legrand have done a wonderful job with the Rataf. And the savory pairing options of the Rataf go on with BBQ and lamb, as well as with sweets like Black Forest Cake.

Patel brought out his version of a ‘ratafia biscuit’, which is a macaroon, to be eaten between the sips. In this case KP presented a ‘Kaju Katli,’ a diamond shaped cookie-like Indian sweet made from a dough mostly made from ground cashews. It really melts away on the tongue, and its sweetness hits the spot. Cashews are a healthy nut, and if they have a sugar free version, this would be a daily occurrence dessert in my residence. And with so few ingredients, I might like to make this myself.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening at H-Wines, and although I didn’t have time to invite a guest, I soon found myself with others at the bar, sipping and chatting the night away with interesting and successful people of which I prefer their company.. Steve Hari and KP Patel pair well together in bringing wonderful wines and truly inspired culinary creations to the table. If you’re looking for a sophisticated evening, a time that matches well with great wines and dishes, you can’t go wrong at H-Wines and their Wednesday ‘Wine Pairing Dinners’.

Alcohol Disclaimer: This column is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please drink responsibly, not just for yourself, but for others around you.

H-Vines is located at 14343 Liberty St. in Montgomery. H-wines.com

Chef KP Patel can be reached at CalvaryCateringTX@gmail.com

Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net

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