Chianti will be too tart and dry.
Nothing wrong with a good California Zinfandel. It should carry it’s weight against the cumin and peppers, though, so not a mampy pampy one… ask for a nice full round one and pay the extra two dollars or so. Another nice paring is there are some surprising California Pinot Noir, but you don’t want a watery one, ask for one with a touch of bite. If you have a really good wine seller around your parts, a slightly aged New Zealand Pinot Noir is a very very nice surprise. One from the Marlborough region, if you can get it.
As for the white, I’m not so good with whites, because I don’t like sweet and most people’s tastes run to sweet in white wine. I tend to go for spicy, tasty, dry with whites… so they’re usually Gewürztraminer or Pinot Gris.
Hope this helps some. All those years living in the wine districts should have taught me something other than how to drink copious amounts… hahhaa.