BASICS: WINE WITH STEAK Leaner = Lighter – As a general rule, the leaner the red meat you are matching, the lighter the red wine you can use. A rich cut, such as prime rib, will pair nicely with a bold and high tannin red wine such as Petite Sirah or Cabernet Sauvignon. BASICS: WINE WITH LAMB Smooth Tannin – Because of lamb’s delicate texture and flavor, choose a bolder red wine with smoother tannin such as Syrah or Malbec. Learn about pairing wine with… When pairing wines with leaner cuts, look for light or medium-bodied red wines. These wines should have slightly higher acidity that will cut through the texture of the lean meat. A general rule to follow is to match the intensity of the dish with the wine; so if it’s top sirloin beef stew, a slightly bolder, medium red such as Sangiovese will do nicely! Fatty meats work great with bold red wines that have high tannin. The tannin is an astringent which works as a palate cleanser to ’scrape’ the fattiness from the inside of our mouth.

This is why bold reds, like Barolo or a Napa Cabernet, work so well with a filet! Lamb is a lot more delicate in flavor than most beef, so generally you can select lighter, more delicately flavored wines. red wine sweet brandLamb also really takes on the flavor of the sauce, so consider the sauce when pairing. cheap wine store londonOpt for more medium-bodied wines or bold reds with smoother tannin. best time to visit winery in vaNeed a few examples?where to buy wine nz Malbec, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Touriga Nacional and Petit Verdot will work wonders with lamb.top 10 wine destinations 2015

Veal is one of the few red meats that can match with white and rosé wine. A great example of this is how the classic Viennese dish, wiener schnitzel, goes perfectly with Austrian Grüner Veltliner. top 10 wine flavorsOf course, in this scenario, the veal’s delicate flavors are maintained by the preparation method of frying, so take a moment to understand the preparation method and the sauce used when pairing. best red wine brand in indiaJust like with lamb, veal also really takes on the flavor of the sauce. best food and wine cities in france Try pairing it with lighter reds such as Pinot Noir, Rosé of Sangiovese, Valpolicella (made with the local Italian Corvina grape) and Zinfandel.top 100 wine 2010

Venison is a rich and sometimes gamey red meat. It’s also pretty lean. Look for rustic medium-bodied red wines. When you put the two together, the wines will taste fruitier and the meat will taste less gamey. Check out Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Chianti, Valpolicella, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The sauce is such an important aspect of wine pairing that you can get away with pairing an even wider variety of wines with red meat. For instance, a great match with sweet and tangy Asian dishes like Korean BBQ pork ribs would be a slightly sweet Lambrusco, a bold and fruity South Australian Shiraz or a South African Pinotage. EXAMPLES: Sweet Tangy BBQ, Pomegranate and Molasses, Korean Barbecue, Mongolian Beef, Hoisin PAIRINGS: Look for fruity red wines: Lambrusco, Gamay, Australian Shiraz, California Syrah, Zinfandel, Primitivo, Negroamaro (from Puglia, Italy!) EXAMPLES: Mint Sauce, Chimichurri Sauce, Garlic Rosemary PAIRINGS: Look for fruity bold red wines with smoother, more well-integrated tannins such as Argentinian Malbec or Monastrell.

If the dish uses a lot of raw garlic and onion, seek out medium reds with higher acidity to cut through the residual allium flavor, such as a Côtes du Rhône or a Carménère. EXAMPLES: Bordelaise, Demi Glace, Poutine Sauce, Red Wine Sauce PAIRINGS: Seek out more earthy, bold red wines including Bordeaux, reds from the Languedoc-Roussillon, and Northern Italian reds such as Barbera and Dolcetto. EXAMPLES: Espagnole Sauce, Marinara Sauce PAIRINGS: Find medium-bodied red wines with ample acidity to match the acidity in the tomatoes: Sangiovese, Merlot, Carménère, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo and Bardolino. EXAMPLES: Yoghurt Sauce, Blue Cheese Sauce, Béarnaise, Bechamel, Stroganoff, Peppercorn Sauce PAIRINGS: Cream sauces offer a wide variety of pairing options: With a yoghurt sauce look for Grenache or even a Rosé wine. With a peppercorn sauce, match with wines with peppery notes such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz. With stroganoff opt for an earthy French Syrah.

With lasagna topped with Bechamel, seek out a medium-bodied red like Valpolicella Ripasso. With Béarnaise, look for a bold red with more acidity, such as Bordeaux, Chilean Cabernet or Lagrein from Italy. Lighter red wines pair with leaner cuts and red meats that are served closer to the raw form. The magic of these pairings is the acidity of the light red cutting through the delicate texture of a rare steak. Try them with Beef and Venison Tartare, Beef Pho, and Lamb Gyros. Medium red wines match with multi-ingredient dishes. For example, the following dishes really work with medium red wines: Bolognese Sauce, Beef Stew, Tomato-based Dishes, Lasagna, Hamburgers, Indian Lamb Curry, Nachos, Ragout, and Beef Bourgogne. Côtes du Rhône wines Tempranillo (Crianza level Rioja) Bold red wines compliment steaks, chops, and barbecue. The high tannin in bold red wines act as a palate cleansing astringent with fatty cuts of beef. Tempranillo (Reserva & Gran Reserva)