Red wine with steak: suggestions for pairing wine and beef

How to pair red wine with steak – a juicy story!

Nothing beats a beautifully cooked, juicy steak…that wonderful dark sear on the outside from the grill, the knife cutting through like butter. And then when your fork takes a piece to your mouth and it just falls apart in your mouth. But one thing does beat this…the pairing of the right wine, with that mouth-watering steak!

So what’s the best wine with steak?

I could end up upsetting some with this article…but a majority of folks, when pairing wine with steak, or carne asada, will always say”…must be a Malbec”. And they aren’t wrong, but for me it depends on the steak ad what is being served with it. I am going to suggest some wines that go fantastically well with a variety of beef dishes and, of course, steak.

Wine with steak: the cut is key

First off – Fillet! By far, my favourite cut – expensive, but when treated right is always worth it…and the same must be said of pairing with wine. The taste is one I want to be delicate and not overwhelm, and this calls for an equally delicate wine like a Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir. Other wines to try would be youthful Pinot Noirs from Sonoma County (California) or Burgundy – or an English Pinot!

Recommended buy: Stanlake Park’s new Pinot Noir 2018

Next – the big meaty Ribeye, and Sirloin, that just compliment a great fry-up! Caramelised edges, crispy onion rings and fries, grilled tomatoes, beans…and mushrooms (if that’s your thing!!). All this calls for a wine that’s more robust and going to stand up to all that flavour. A great Bordeaux, an Argentinian Malbec (there it is!) or an earthy Syrah; either from Northern Rhone, or my recommendation (…and one of my favourite wines) – Tar & Roses Shiraz from Heathcote, Australia.

Red wine with steak but not only!

Last, but not least…how to pair wine with a beef burger! That’s right, I’m here to cater to all your tastes with my wine and meat pairings. This is where your choices can vary so much depending on what sort of accompaniments you have with your burger – especially somewhere like Gourmet Burger Kitchen (other burger restaurants are available!). Or even better if you are making your own homemade burgers: more room to experiment flavours and pairings.

Wine choices can vary from Central Otago Pinot Noir, Nero D’Avola from Sicily, Beaujolais, or Cabernet from South Africa. So, here are some suggestions for you:

• Plain burger or cheeseburger – Pinot Noir or Beaujolais
• Blue Cheese Burger – Cabernet from South Africa or Chile
• Burger with Chipotle Mayo or BBQ Sauce – Chilean Carmenere or a Nero D’Avola

I hope this has managed to inspire your imaginations on how to pair red wine with steak, albeit maybe doing all our waistlines a disservice…but in 2021 (after 2020), I think some indulgences are allowed.

There are positives to look forward to for this year; vaccine rollout ramping up, the US inaugurating their 46th President, and most importantly…all of us at Stanlake Park looking forward to welcoming you back to our tours and showing you the amazing things we have in store here. See you soon.