One of the more difficult wine-and-food matches is finding a wine to go with spicy foods, such as curries. Before you start trying, understand the difference between spicy — meaning heavy with spices — and hot and spicy.

Many Pan-Asian dishes can be heavily spiced yet not have intense heat. For example, many Indian dishes have pungent aromas and complex flavors, yet are not necessarily hot on the palate. Similarly, Thai cuisine can be intensely flavored, with the heat of the dish dependent on density of the pepper flakes.

So how to match? Again, start with the heat. If you’re having a high-heat dish, try to go with lower-alcohol wines that have some residual sugar or a perceived sweetness. For example, German Rieslings — specifically from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer — have very low alcohol levels (as low as 6%), and can simultaneously offer a touch of sweetness. A German wine labeled as “QbA” will give you some perceived sweetness, as will one with “Kabinett” on the label. For a bit more sweetness, move up to a Spatlese. All three are likely to offer a refreshing foil to hot and spicy cuisine. Vouvray (from France) has a similarly fruity, almost-sweet flavor profile, though the alcohol is higher. Gruner Veltliner, from Austria, can also be a good choice, as is Alsatian Gewurztraminer, which has complementary aromas and flavors of litchi and rose petals and can be nearly bone-dry or mildly sweet.

Rose wines can also be excellent matches, as most have mild flavors, are lower in alcohol than reds, tend to have a refreshing profile that is similar to white wine, and have enough body and structure to stand up to complex dishes. In addition, many roses have a nice ripe strawberry or watermelon juiciness that resembles hard candy — offering a slight touch of perceived sweetness that foils well against spicy food.

If your heart is set on a red, try a Crianza (Spanish wine based on Tempranillo), which will tend to have a roasted, spiced character that melds well with similarly spicy food. A chilled Beaujolais Cru can be a refreshing match, as can an inexpensive Aussie Shiraz — just be careful about the alcohol level.

You shouldn’t fear matching spicy foods with wines; rather, take it on as a challenge. It can get expensive to try different combinations out at a restaurant, so browse a site like CurrySimple to find spicy additives for home experimentation. For example, you can get packages of Thai-style Red Curry, Green Curry, or Yellow Curry to add to meat, noodles, veggies, or fish, and taste a few different bottles next to the dish. Some matches may not work at all, but others may prove to be mindblowing. And that’s what wine enjoyment is all about — finding the ultimate match.

After reading Picnic and Barbecue Wines – Part 1, you should have a handle on what makes for good wine selection for this Memorial Day weekend — as well as any other outdoor food fest you enjoy this summer. Now, I’ll suggest some specific wines.

Rose / Pink Wines

Personally speaking, I find pink wines absolutely perfect for barbecues and picnics (and I’m man enough to admit it) — for three reasons. First, they’re easy and light, fitting in with the casual atmosphere; second, pink wines tend to have mild flavor profiles and good acid levels, allowing for varied food matching; and third, they’re best enjoyed chilled, and therefore refreshing on a warm / hot afternoon.

When choosing a rose, stay away from White Zinfandel, unless you know for sure people in the party enjoy it. Most White Zins have a sugary flavor that clashes with many foods (though that same sweet element may be OK for foiling very spicy dishes). Instead, look for dry rose. The most reliable dry pink wines come from Spain (which are often labeled “Rosado”) and the southern regions of France — though there are plenty of good bottles from other areas as well (for instance, California and Portugal have some goodies). Go to the Spain aisle first for the best values, and look for “Navarra” somewhere on the label — that’s a region well-known for rose wine. If you don’t see one from Navarra, don’t fret, as other Spanish regions make fine rosado as well. Then walk up the French wine aisle and look for pink bottles. The best-known rose from France is Tavel, and is likely to have a light pink/orange, almost salmon color. No matter which region you choose from, be sure to get the freshest vintage possible (2006 or 2005 is ideal right now), as pink wines tend to lose their bright, fresh flavors quickly. Here are some of my favorites:

Mas de Gourgonnier Rose (France), Pink Criquet (Bordeaux, France), Sofia Pinot Noir Rose (California), Vega Sindoa (Spain), Guigal Tavel (France), Delas Tavel (France), Domaine Ott Rose (France).

White Wines

For many, the best option for an outdoor party is a nice chilled white wine — partially because a cold beverage is most appropriate on a sunny day, and also because white wines tend to match well with a number of different dishes. Best bets:

• Sauvignon Blanc from France (esp. Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume), New Zealand, South America, or California (make sure it’s unoaked)
• Chablis from France (not from California!)
• Vouvray or Muscadet from France
• Pinot Grigio, Orvieto, Soave, Vermentino, or Verdicchio from Italy
• Pinot Blanc from France or Italy (also labeled as Pinot Bianco)
• Riesling from Germany — make sure it’s dry; look for “Kabinett” on the label
• Albarino or Rueda from Spain
• Gruner Veltliner from Austria

Some suggestions: Sartarelli Verdicchio Classico, Fair Valley Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa), Bruni Vermentino “Plinio”, Domaine Seguinot Bordet Chablis AC (France), Norton Sauvignon Blanc (Argentina), Brander Sauvignon Blanc (California), Masi Masianco Pinot Grigio (Italy), Argiolas Costalomino Vermentino (Italy), Mount Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (NZ), Clean Slate Riesling (Germany), Pierre Boniface Apremont (France), Basa Rueda Blanco (Spain), Las Brisas Rueda (Spain), Bodegas Aldial “Naia” (Spain)

Red Wines

You can go two ways with red wine at a barbecue: get a bottle to go with everything, or find something specific to burgers (or steaks, if they’ll be on the grill). When trying to match with everything, the easiest route is a bottle of Beaujolais — preferably a Cru Beaujolais, which means you’ll pay somewhere between $12-25, and the label will include one of these names on it: Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie, or Saint-Amour. Any of those appellations can be chilled, and will match with a wide variety of foods — and will go particularly well with grilled white meats such as pork and chicken (i.e., bbq ribs, shish-kebab). Beaujolais-Villages is OK, too, though not as interesting as a Cru. Whatever you do, don’t get a Beaujolais Nouveau — its shelf death was mid-January. The brand that is most likely to be seen in stores is Georges Duboeuf, aka “The King of Beaujolais”. Louis Jadot is also reliable — but don’t be afraid to try different brands, as you may find a gem (if there’s a Beaujolais other than Duboeuf or Jadot on the shelf, chances are the store’s wine buyer found something he/she thinks is special).

Matching a wine with burgers is fairly easy, and should be an inexpensive exercise. Simple French reds such as Cotes-du-Rhone or Minervois work nicely, as do soft red Zinfandels from California and Shiraz from Australia. If you limit yourself to a price range of $9-$14, you will likely find that most of these wines will be excellent for burgers: Merlot, Shiraz / Syrah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon (particularly soft ones from South America), Malbec, Garnacha, Monastrell / Mourvedre, Dolcetto, Nero d’Avola, and Petite Sirah.

Some of my all-time favorite red wines for burgers and barbecue are: Wrongo Dongo, Delas Cotes-du-Rhone “Saint-Esprit” (France), Domaine Cros Minervois, Vinos Pinol Ludovicus (Spain), Quinta de Parrotes Alenquer Tinto (Portugal), Chateau La Roque Pic Saint Loup, Croix du Mayne Cahors, Spadina Nero d’Avola, Chateau Calbet Cabardes, Kanonkop Kadette (South Africa), Mas de Guiot Grenache-Syrah, Rock Rabbit Syrah, Domaine de Gournier Merlot, Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile), Elsa Bianchi Malbec (Argentina), Juan Benegas Malbec (Argentina), Kermit Lynch Cotes-du-Rhone (France), Punto Final Malbec Reserve (Argentina), Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot (California), Castano Monastrell (Spain), Vinum Cellars PETS Petite Sirah

The simple yet succulent Sunday dinner: roast chicken. It’s one of my favorite dishes to prepare, because it’s so easy (see this simple roast chicken recipe).

It’s similarly easy to pair roast chicken with wine — though it depends on how you personalize the preparation. If you stay simple, using little other than salt, pepper, garlic, and one of those “poultry seasoning” packets, then the most complementary wines would be an unoaked Chardonnay, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, Champagne, dry rose, Cru Beaujolais, or a light, simple style of Pinot Noir.

If you must do Pinot Noir, make sure it is in the lighter style, or has a green / “stemmy” character (such as what you get from Alsace Pinot Noir). Many of the post-Sideways Pinots were formulated to appeal to the masses, and as a result are overloaded with jammy flavors that will clash with the white meat. Better to go with a fresh rose or a Cru Beaujolais if you prefer not to do a white.

Some of my favorite wine matches for roast chicken:

• Sauvignon Blancs: Geyser Peak, Goldwater “Dog Point”, Babich, Mount Nelson, Veramonte, Michel Bailly Les Loges Pouilly-Fume
• Chardonnays: La Crema, Geyser Peak, Edna Valley, Golden Kaan, Merryvale, Columbia Winery, Ravenswood
• Other whites: Colosi Sicilia Bianco, Francis Coppola Viognier
• Roses (pink wines): Pink Criquet, Mas de Gourgonnier, Domaine Lafond Tavel
• Beaujolais: any Cru from Duboeuf, such as Brouilly, Fleurie, Morgon
• Pinot Noir: Calera, Robert Mondavi (Carneros), Estancia Stonewall, Leon Beyer, Marcel Deiss,
• Other reds: Les Deux Rives Corbieres Rouge, Ludovicus Terra Alta Pinol