January 17, 2017

Tips for Beef and Wine Pairing

The general rule for pairing beef and red wine is leaner = lighter.

Lean Cuts of Beef

When pairing wine with lean cuts of beef, look for light or medium bodied red wines.

These wines have slightly higher acidity than other types, and this cuts nicely through the texture of lean meat. A general rule that you can follow is to match the intensity of the dish with the wine – so, if it’s a rich beefy stew, a slightly bolder, medium red will do well, and vice versa.

Fattier Cuts of Beef

Fatty red meats work really well with bold or ‘full-bodied’ red wines, which have high tannin.

Tannin is an astringent, which works as a palate cleanser and ‘scrapes’ the fattiness of the beef from the inside of your mouth.

Beef Pairing Guide

Here’s a handy guide to pairing beef and wine, which we have borrowed from wine.net:

Beef

  Suggested Wine Accompaniment

Prime Rib    Red Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chianti Classico Riserva, Syrah, Zinfandel
Filet Mignon    Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Red Burgundy, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Aged Chianti, Pinot Noir
New York    Red Bordeaux, Red Burgundy Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Rhone, Syrah, Petite Sirah
Porterhouse    Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti
Ribeye    Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Sangiovese, Syrah, Zinfandel
Flank    Syrah, Merlot, Chianti, Cotes du Rhone, Nebbiolo
Sirloin    Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Bordeaux, Zinfandel, Chianti, Syrah, Red Rhone, Merlot
Tartare    Chianti, Pinot Noir, Red Bordeaux or Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Chablis, Gewurztraminer
T-Bone   Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Bordeaux, Merlot, Chianti Classico, Sangiovese, Syrah

Getting your beef and wine pairing just right might take a bit of testing… but we’re sure you’ll manage to navigate through it.

Cheers!

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