An experienced physician and researcher, Dr. Erol Onel serves as vice president of Heron Therapeutics, through which he is researching a long-acting, non-opioid drug for treating pain. Recreationally, Dr. Erol Onel enjoys cooking and has a passion for pairing foods with wine. He especially likes finding great pairings for difficult foods, such as spicy dishes.

1. Difficult Wine Pairings - What Are
the Best Options for Spicy Foods?
Erol Onel

2. Introduction
• An experienced physician and researcher, Dr. Erol Onel serves as vice
president of Heron Therapeutics, through which he is researching a long-
acting, non-opioid drug for treating pain. Recreationally, Dr. Erol Onel
enjoys cooking and has a passion for pairing foods with wine. He especially
likes finding great pairings for difficult foods, such as spicy dishes.
As a general rule, fruity and off-dry whites pair best with spicy foods, since
the sweetness can provide balance to the heat. Also, residual sugars can
help highlight the complexity of a spicy dish. Oaked white wines tend to
overpower, so they are generally not the best choice.
Red wines can also pair well with spicy foods, provided they do not have a
lot of tannins, which can overpower spice and make a dish taste bitter.
Fruitier reds and those that have a bit of spice or acidity tend to be the best
options.
Finally, alcohol has a tendency to negatively accentuate heat, so individuals
should generally avoid high-alcohol wines with spicy foods.