Meat

If done correctly, pairing wine with your meat will enhance the overall taste of your entire meal. However, many people just pick out the same wine to go with every meal, no matter what is being served. Let’s take a closer look at the most popular types of wine and how they pair with common meats you may cook for your family.

 

Red wines typically go better with red meat, but you must also consider how you plan to prepare the meat. When you serve a grilled steak, you need a red wine with the depth of smoky oak and fruit to combat the char and fat of the steak. Wines like American Red Zinfandel, Cabernet, Priorat and Spanish Rioja go best with grilled steak. However, pan-fried steak calls for wines with a fruitier and spicier flavor, such as California, Oregon or Washington Merlot, Australian Shiraz or Cabernet blends.

 

On the other hand, roasts work well with lighter red wines. Try Pinot Noirs from the United States or burgundy or Rhone-style blends from Australia and the United States. If you use wine or stock for braises, it makes a difference in the type of wine that goes best with the meat. Wine-braised dishes call for wines similar to the braising wine, but stock-braised dishes need the reds with a higher acidity to get to the richness.