What wine should I serve with steak? Classics and surprises.

by | Apr 1, 2019

Steak-and-wine-matching

Every week we do a meal plan at home and shop accordingly. Boring I know, but these are the realities of juggling busy lives and a young family. Invariably, steak or something similar is on the menu, and so the question of what wine to serve with steak comes up. Simple you may think – a big, gutsy red? But that all depends on what you’re having with the steak and how you like it cooked. We’ve delved a little deeper to come up with some more options and get closer to that perfect match!

What wine should I pair with a rare steak?

A rare steak needs a wine with an elevated tannin profile. In other words, reds that are firm or a touch bitter go best with a nice, pink steak. Leaner cuts of beef are best cooked rare – fillet or sirloin, which negates the need for ‘big’ wines. The wine should still have obvious tannin, which will be softened by the protein.

What wine should I serve with a Wagyu steak, Scotch Fillet or anything well marbled?

Obviously, these steaks can be cooked rare through to well done. However, the flavour of scotch fillet, rump and T-Bone is stronger, and they have more fat. As a consequence, the wine you put with these steaks should have lots of flavour, full body and plenty of tannin.

What wine matches best with steak cooked over charcoal?

The fattier cuts of steak work best over charcoal. It is hard to regulate the heat of a spit or charcoal BBQ, but fattier cuts are more forgiving if you overcook them. Also, the smoke imparts its own strong flavour. The combination of fattier, richly flavoured steak, intensified by smoke, requires wines with big flavour. The exception I would make is Chianti, which is usually paired with Bistecca Florentine. The Chianti needs a fair bit of heft and plenty of acidity to cut through the meat’s fat and flavour.

Some of the choices here will seem odd. For example, I have included LBV and Vintage Port, Banyuls and Amarone della Valpolicella. They are a perfect hedonistic match.The wines are full bodied, with enormous fruit, extract, texture, firm tannins and sweetness.  I would rather not have these wines at the end of a long meal. By this time I have loosened my belt, am glowing red and want to go to sleep!

What wine should I have with Steak and Peppercorn Sauce?

The sauce, being spicy, needs a wine that is rich with lots of abundant sweet fruit. As with the choices above, there are wines here with residual sweetness as well as some more traditional options.

What wine should I serve with Sirloin or Fillet and sauce Bearnaise?

Bearnaise sauce is usually paired with a steak with only moderate flavour, like fillet mignon or sirloin. The Bernaise sauce is tangy and creamy. The soft flavour of the steak and the tangy white sauce requires a red  wine with lots of juicy acidity, firm tannin for cut through but not too much body. However, you could also consider a rich full bodied Chardonnay. The sheer size of the wine will match the meal’s flavour and the tangy, edgy sauce will blend well with the roundness of the wine.

What’s the best wine to have with Steak Tartare?

I have found many friends will order this dish and pair it with a wine to be had with a cooked steak. The soft texture and delicacy of flavour requires a lighter wine. Juicy, tangy acidity and vibrant fruit works best here. A bistro wine for a classic bistro dish.

 

Steak with Mushroom Sauce, a perfect match with Champagne?

Everyone’s got their own version of mushroom sauce, but I like mine to be big, rich and packed with mushroom flavour. This dish calls for hedonism (ideally, they all do!) so spend up on the wine. Some varietals pair particularly well with the earthy and gamey flavours of this sauce. The wines I’ve chosen are big in flavour and personality. Aged Champagne might raise a few eyebrows, but they develop a flavour of mushrooms as they mature. Although their flavours change, they don’t lessen, so the Champagne shouldn’t be swamped by the rich dish.

What wine pairs best with Steak and Blue Cheese Sauce?

This is the richest and, to my mind, most decadent dish here. Huge flavours and plenty of salty, tangy protein needs a huge wine. I think a wine with real sweetness works beautifully here, cutting through the protein and fat, and countering the dish’s inherent saltiness. This dish with one of these wines is luxury indeed. Rolls Royce at the dinner table.

 

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