Tonight I am making coconut and curry leaf biryani while I sip a glass of Yellowtail Big Bold Red wine. Both, needless to say, are very fragrant! I adore biryani and am trying to learn to make a good one. Here’s what is in the spice blend: cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chili, turmeric,  black pepper, kibbled curry leaf, black cumin, clove, star anise and cinnamon. Very fragrant!

The Big Bold Red wine is yummy. Australian wine reviewer and blogger Natalie Maclean has this to say:  “This full-bodied red wine offers flavours of fleshy ripe raspberries and strawberries, along with notes of chocolate, mocha and espresso from toasty oak aging.”

So what perfume might go along with my Indian meal and Australian wine? I’ve found one that has notes of both coriander and cumin that sounds very appealing, as it includes my beloved rose note: Miller Harris’ Rose En Noir.  Top notes according to Fragrantica.com: coriander, cumin and lemon leaf. Heart notes: rose, violet leaf, black pepper. Base notes: tobacco, patchouli, ambrette (musk mallow). No fruit.

BUT according to Miller Harris’ own site, these are the notes in Rose En Noir: “Ruby red raspberry fruits, violet leaf and hints of petit grain provide a tantalising introduction, while rich notes of Turkish rose Damascena and black pepper dominate the heart. Rose en Noir seductively draws down into a deeply rich velvet base of ambrette seed, tabac noir, vetiver and patchouli.” Yes, that is raspberry listed first — just like my glass of wine.

So now, as I savor my glass of wine and smell the fragrance of biryani on the air, I have added a new perfume to my wishlist. It doesn’t hurt that it was originally a limited edition exclusive to my favorite department store in the world, Liberty of London.

Photos: 18 The Mall.