Wine and meat are a classic combination. A well-chosen drink will enhance the taste of the main dish, emphasizing, but not overshadowing its unique profile. If you serve the same wine with all types of meat, then both products will seem tasteless, and the traditional rule: white wine with white meat, red with red, is not enough to make harmonious gastronomic pairs.
General tips:
- usually wine is matched to the planned dish, and not meat to wine;
- if food and wine do not match at all, you can pour the sauce over the meat, adapting it to the available drink;
Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot, Riesling and Zinfandel go with a variety of meats and are almost universal options for any menu;
- it is fundamentally important that the aroma of the drink is not more intense than the taste of the dish itself, however, the wine should be sweeter or sourer than the food;
- the fatter the meat, the more tannic the wine can be, and vice versa: the leaner the piece, the lighter the drink;
- medium-bodied wines go well with complex dishes consisting of many ingredients, spices and herbs.
Beef
Red meat is traditionally served with red wine, but the method of preparation plays a key role here. For a grilled steak, an oak-aged wine with a light fruity bouquet, such as American Zinfandel, Cabernet, Priorat, or Spanish Rioja, is best.
If the same steak is fried in a regular pan, it will already require more fruity and spicy brands, for example, American Merlot, Australian Shiraz, various Cabernet blends.
It is better to serve something light-bodied with roast beef: Pinot Noir, Rhone wines, light Burgundy.
Beef tenderloin requires a more pronounced bouquet, such as Sangiovese.
Fatty meat pairs well with sharp wines such as Barolo.
Veal
Veal is one of the few types of meat that goes well with white and rosé wine. For example, the famous Wiener Schnitzel is usually served with Austrian wine Grüner Veltliner.
If we talk about red varieties, then Pinot Noir or pink Sangiovese will do.
Lamb
Young lamb is a fragrant and tender meat, the taste of which is largely determined by the gravy. It is served with medium-bodied tannin wines: Malbec, Mira, Petit Syrah, Petit Verdot.
Venison and game
Sharp and “smelly” meat requires the same wine, with a “rustic” bouquet, notes of barnyard and old leather. With this combination, the wine seems more fruity, and the characteristic taste of a wild animal is not felt in the meat. For example: the wines of the Rhone, Chianti, Valpolicella.
Bird
Poultry goes well with both red and white wine. The main rule is that the bouquet of wine should be no more intense than the taste of the dish itself.
White chicken meat with spices makes a successful gastronomic pair with Sauvignon Blanc, and it is better to serve Chenin Blanc with boiled breast.
Turkey has a sharper taste that can be set off by fragrant Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Stuffed quails go well with the same wines, and if the filling of the bird is spicy, then red Merlot will play perfectly.
Dark poultry meat can be paired with light or medium bodied red wines: Trollinger, Zinfandel.
Pinot Noir and Malbec are traditionally served with duck, and Brachetto is served with cold poultry appetizers.
Pork
Spicy pork dishes are served with Riesling, as its fruity-citrus aroma well sets off the spices. The same wine is suitable for pork kebabs/barbecues, as well as the slightly “jam” Shiraz. If pork was cooked with fruit or served with fruit sauce, it can be washed down with Zinfandel.
Pork fried in boiling oil is combined with Riesling, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zweigelt or Pinot Noir can also be served with it. Meat in sweet and sour sauce is best revealed in contrast with Pinot Grigio or white Zinfandel.
A meat dish with a lot of herbs, such as pork stew, should be served with Chardonnay, as its light and slightly creamy taste does not overpower the aroma of spices.