In general, white wines exhibit more acidity than red wines. Acidity gives wine its crispness enhancing its refreshing qualities and enabling wines with more acidity to be paired well with spicy foods. Wines that are aromatic and fruity, yet lower in acidity, will do the trick as well.

To beat the heat here are a couple of things to keep in mind when pairing wine with spicy food:

1). Alcohol level, medium to low levels of alcohol usually makes for refreshing wines with crisp acidity. Higher levels of alcohol with turn up the heat and accentuate it.

Moderately low: Italian Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.

2). Fruity, aromatic and off dry white wines will offset spicy dishes and the sweetness adds balance to the spices.

Good choices: Reisling, Moscato and White Zinfandel.

3). Avoid oak, it can overpower and dominate, whether the food is spicy or not the flavour of the food can be lost when there is too much oak present. Avoid heavily oaked Chardonnays.

4). If red wine is a must keep it low in alcohol and tannin. Think Chianti and Chile Rojo. An overpowering presence of tannin can add a bitter flavour to your spicy dish. Reds to avoid are Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Barolo.