Thoughts on wine matching with Middle Eastern?

Having a party and bringing in a ME spread. I don't usually drink wine with this food, but I'd like to have it for this occasion. Sure, there will be chicken and lamb, but on the seasoning side---cumin, coriander, chili, turmeric, garlic, citric acid, lemon, za'atar. . . nothing really suggests itself to me.
Thoughts? Experiences?

How about a red from the Languedoc, Provence, or southern Rhone, especially one that is spicy or earthy? I've also enjoyed the few wines I've tried from Lebanon, though I don't recall any specific names.

I love all those wines. Just never tried matching those partic. flavors.
Sounds plausible. Mas de Gourgonnier, Gramenon, Brusset, etc.
The only Leb. wine I know of is Muzar, a pretty pricey Bordeaux style, which I haven't had.
Was also considering maybe something Cab. Franc-based from Loire??
Something that will work with acidic food, and not fight the seasoning with conflicting herbal flavors of its own.
Maybe something a bit smokey. But what?

Any white possibilities for those that prefer it?
Maybe nothing will hold up to the food. Just find something light that won't fight? Pinot Blanc? Trebbiano? White Rioja?

I can't offer any help with wines, but I do know that the liquor commonly paired with Middle Eastern foods is arak. It pairs very well with mezze, roasted fish, and kebabs.

Does it have to be wine? Efes beer goes great with ME food. Available @ Binny's (which also carries some beers from Israel and Lebanon, none of which I've tried).

If the food is well spiced, a Kabinett riesling is a good choice if you don't mind a little residual sugar in your wine. I would recommend a dry riesling from Germany or Austria or a bottle of gruner veltliner if the sugar bothers you. An Alsatian pinot gris might also be a decent choice.

Champagne also pairs well with just about anything, including middle eastern (and almost everyone likes it).

Tuscan reds are so food-friendly that I think they merit consideration, especially since they pair well with lamb.

deesher wrote:If the food is well spiced, a Kabinett riesling is a good choice if you don't mind a little residual sugar in your wine. I would recommend a dry riesling from Germany or Austria or a bottle of gruner veltliner if the sugar bothers you. An Alsatian pinot gris might also be a decent choice.

Champagne also pairs well with just about anything, including middle eastern (and almost everyone likes it).

All good ideas. I would also think that the citrus in a sauv blanc would work. A good rose would work too.

I would worry that a white that is too light won't have enough to stand up to the stronger flavors.

All good thoughts.
Beer would be great, but a number of folks don't drink beer.
I'd love it if the SW France wines worked, b/c I like that wine.
Like Riesling, sweet and dry. Not sure about the sweet with this seasoning--turmeric? Lemon juice? Love Alsace Riesling, but a bit pricey for 50 people.
Thought about med. Chianti as well as I love that too.
Bubbles might be the simplest answer.
Hmm.
Thanks for the input.

The Arak suggestion is the interesting one to me.

I love wine with Middle Eastern food, not sure why. The food is very wine friendly in my opinion and surely supports a wide range of wines. Lotsa great Greek wines would go. Also, NZ pinot.

Although it's been ages since I've done it, but I've had many a great BYO meal @ Semiramis.

We recently had a Middle Eastern night where our neighbor made food from his Lebanese heritage, including his grandmother's kibbe, which he had never made before, and we cooked some dishes from the Jerusalem cookbook. We drank Massaya Gold Reserve (loved it) and Musar Jeune wines and Almaza pilsener from Lebanon, and a Yarden Pinot Noir and Goldstar beer from Israel. A sommelier might not have thought they were all perfect matches (although I'd contest not bad), and it was so much fun trying drinks from the region. Our friend, who is not new to beer, was delighted to be introduced to one from his family's homeland, and I'd happily drink these wines again even if not a theme-night. All drinks were purchased at Binny's Lakeview.

How about some Greek wines? Produced within (or right next door to) the ME, consumed as an accompaniment to a substantially similar cuisine. Hatzimichalis is a well-regarded producer - very likely also available at Binny's although I can't say for sure as B. has the world's slowest-loading website + I have no patience ...

Roger Ramjet wrote:How about some Greek wines? Produced within (or right next door to) the ME, consumed as an accompaniment to a substantially similar cuisine. Hatzimichalis is a well-regarded producer - very likely also available at Binny's although I can't say for sure as B. has the world's slowest-loading website + I have no patience ...

Greek wines were my first thought also. Personally, I love Retsina with lamb, because it cuts the fattiness of the meat. Restina is definitely an acquired taste and few people enjoy it, but there are probably other Greek wines (like a light red or a dry rose) that pair well with Kebabs. Also, it seems like a crisp and tart Sauvignon Blanc might go well with Hummous and Baba Ghanouj. There are probably some Balkan wines that pair well with Middle Eastern Cuisine, but I an not familiar enough with those varietals to make a recommendation.

I was kind of curious about this, so I Googled wine of the Middle East. One thing that came up was the website for a restaurant called Mazza in Utah. They claim to have one of the largest collection of wine and spirits from the region. Their wine list is on-line. Might be some ideas there.

For myself or like-minded small group, I would love to explore Greek or regional ME wine, which I haven't done. (Made some forays into central European wines a few years back. It was interesting, but nothing entered my permanent rotation.) But for a large and very general crowd, I'll be sticking with better known quantities.
Ended up with pleasant if not too adventurous choices. We'll see how it goes in a couple of weeks.
Inexpensive Cab. Franc (Loire)
Tavel rose
Costieres de Nimes white.
And some fino Sherry.
Personally, my money is on the rose and the sherry.

If it was me, I'd go with a pils ... Metropolitan's Flywheel, for example. But if some of your group doesn't drink beer ... well, more for the rest of you.

The book "What to Drink with What to Eat" suggests:
Best:
Pinot Noir, New World
Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages
Middle:
rose, dry
Good:
Chianti Classico
Pinot Grigio
Riesling
Sauv Blanc
Shiraz/Syrah
Valpolicella
Vernaccia
Viognier

AVOID - highly tannic wines