Meat

Examples of meat dishes -steak, chicken, roasted meats, stews and casseroles

MATCH RED MEATS WITH HIGHLY TANNIC RED WINE

MATCH THE BODY OF THE WINE WITH THE BODY OF THE FOOD

MATCH THE WINE TO ANY SAUCE USED

Tannins react well with the protein in the meat, breaking them down and softening their effects. So high tannic wines e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah (Shiraz), Tempranillo etc, all go well with roasts or grilled meats. These rich and heavy foods need a full-bodied, powerful wine. Here you are also matching body.

With stews or casseroles, however, the flavours and textures are more complex and develop so again match this with high tannin but more complex red wines e.g. Bordeaux reds. New World reds can sometimes be too fruity here.

With white meats e.g. chicken or pork; light, fruity red wines are best. This is because the amount of protein in the white meat is less prominent e.g Pinot Noir or Gamay.

Also, you can drink white wines with meat, especially if you are serving a sauce. If using a creamy sauce, use the same rule of thumb as before. So match this with an oaky Chardonnay or if serving mint sauce with lamb, then think of the acidity matches acidity rule. Here you can choose a complex, highly tannic red for the meat or an acidic Italian red or sparkling fruity wine to match with the mint sauce. Its up to you once you have the know how! Another good tip is to serve the same wine that us used in the sauce- this would be a perfect complement (or use the same style and grape variety but a cheaper bottle, if you are cooking at home!).

Fatty/oily meats such as duck or goose, would benefit from a high acid wine as this would cut through the fattiness and balance the palate. Examples of good matches here are Riesling, Italian reds or whites, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends, Zinfandel or even Champagne is a good bet!

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