Traditionally pairing Indian cuisine and wine together has not received much recognition. While not a big presence in India, there are a number of vineyards and tasting rooms in India and the country is now experiencing a growing interest in wine tourism. Apparently grape and wine production goes all the way back to the Bronze Age, introduced to the region by Persian traders.

Portland now boasts a number of wonderful Indian restaurants, ranging from those that promote street food to that of a more classic traditional style. Writer Mark Stocks in his recent article that he wrote for the February issue of Oregon Wine Press, Spice it Up, takes some of the guess work out of trying to figure out which wine to pair with various dishes.

It was a delicious topic to photograph. I initially took one approach, with a bright orange background as I always think of gorgeous primary colors of yellow, pinks, oranges and red.

Then I had second thoughts and went for a totally different look. Which meant I needed more food which was not really a big problem because I love Indian food. But then I became obsessed at to what color napkins I should use. I then spent too much time actually visiting fabric stores all over the city trying to find the perfect color. I returned back to the studio not entirely happy with my finds. Then I remembered a project from years ago, a Christmas stocking, when I used some silk, the exact color I spent the day looking for and I had just the right amount left over!