Pink peppercorn — flavouring profile

Not a true pepper but the dried berry of a Brazilian pepper tree — sweetness and pine where black pepper brings heat (a cashew relative, worth noting where nut allergies are in play).

The compounds that matter. The aroma is terpene-driven — pinene, limonene and myrcene give a sweet, resinous, juniper-and-citrus lift with only a whisper of warmth. There is almost no piperine, so pink peppercorn carries none of the pungency that makes black and white pepper inflame alcohol and tannin. The question is not how to tame heat but how to match a delicate, sweet-and-piney aromatic without flattening it.

What it demands of a wine. An aromatic wine that meets the terpene lift rather than burying it — floral, citrus-and-stone-fruit perfume, fresh acidity, and a frame light enough that the berry's delicacy survives. A little texture helps on richer plates; keep it crisp and pale where the berry is scattered raw.

Seek. Terpene-led aromatic whites are the natural mirror — dry Muscat, Gewürztraminer and Viognier share the same floral-resinous register. A dry, mineral rosé handles the lighter savoury dishes. For a red, stay light and perfumed — a fragrant Pinot Noir or a chilled Gamay, never anything dense.

Avoid. Big, tannic, oak-driven reds steamroll the berry and turn its sweetness shrill. Heavily oaked, low-acid whites smother the terpenes. High alcohol coarsens the delicate pine-and-citrus lift.

Three to reach for. Dry Muscat (Alsace); Viognier (Condrieu); a dry Provence rosé.