Grains of paradise — flavouring profile

Grains of paradise is West Africa's aromatic pepper — a warm, peppery pungency lifted by cardamom, ginger and citrus — so like black pepper it wants a wine kept moderate in alcohol, but with an aromatic, citrus-and-spice character to meet its perfumed warmth.

The compounds that matter. A cousin of cardamom and ginger, grains of paradise gets its bite from paradol and gingerol — pungent compounds that warm the palate like a mild heat rather than the nose — over a lift of cardamom-and-citrus terpenes such as cineole and humulene. So it reads peppery and warming, but more aromatic and citrussy than plain black pepper. Like all pungency, it behaves as gentle heat: it raises the perception of alcohol, so a high-alcohol wine tastes hotter beside it. The spice seasons grilled and braised meats and spiced West African dishes, and turns up in spice blends and as a botanical in gin and beer.

What it demands of a wine. Moderate alcohol first, so the pungency has little to inflame, and an aromatic, peppery or citrus character to mirror the warmth and lift. Fresh acidity and supple, moderate tannin suit the grilled and braised meats it favours, with enough body to match but no hard grip. Keep oak light, since heavy vanilla buries the perfumed, citrus-spice character.

Seek. A peppery, citrus-toned aromatic white is the closest mirror — its white pepper and grapefruit meet the spice on its own ground, at a gentle alcohol. For grilled and spiced meats, a peppery, medium-bodied cool-climate red, savoury rather than jammy, echoes the warmth without overheating it. A fresh, fruity, low-tannin red served cool suits lighter spiced dishes, its moderate alcohol leaving the pungency nothing to flare.

Avoid. High-alcohol, jammy reds, which the pungency turns hot and hard. Heavily oaked wines, whose vanilla smothers the cardamom-citrus lift. Big, tannic reds, too firm for a warm, aromatic spice.

Three to reach for. Grüner Veltliner (Wachau); cool-climate Syrah (Crozes-Hermitage or Saint-Joseph); Cru Beaujolais (Gamay), served cool.