Green cardamom — flavouring profile

Intensely aromatic — eucalyptus, citrus and sweet spice in one green pod — cardamom is powerful enough to dominate a dish, and it needs a wine aromatic enough to answer it.

The compounds that matter. Two compounds lead: 1,8-cineole, the cooling eucalyptus-camphor note, and alpha-terpinyl acetate, a sweet, floral-citrus terpene, with limonene and linalool behind them. The character is high-toned and penetrating rather than hot, so a neutral wine simply disappears beneath it.

What it demands of a wine. Real aromatic intensity to stand up to the cineole lift — floral, citrus-and-spice perfume — plus fresh acidity and, where cardamom rides with chilli and warm spice, a touch of sweetness.

Seek. Powerfully aromatic whites are the only honest match — Gewürztraminer and dry Muscat meet the floral-citrus intensity head-on, while an off-dry Riesling carries cardamom into spiced and chai-scented dishes with sweetness to spare. Viognier suits the creamier, gently spiced preparations.

Avoid. Neutral, low-aromatic whites vanish beneath it. Oaky wines muddy the eucalyptus lift. Tannic reds clash with the camphor note.

Three to reach for. Gewürztraminer (Alsace); off-dry Mosel Riesling; dry Muscat (Alsace).