Best Wine With Steak: Which Red Wine Pairs Best With Different Steak Cut
One of the most iconic combinations or pairings which are irreplaceable is – wine and steak. This combo is the best and when it comes to choosing the best type of wine for your steak, then it has to be the red wine. The red wine goes great with the steaks as both of them can elevate each other’s flavor. One of the main reasons why red wines go perfectly well with the steaks is because of the tannins present in the red wine. For any occasions or for even for a casual dinner at home with your family or with guests, this combination can never go wrong! But to be more accurate, you need to know which type of red wine pairs perfectly with the different steak cuts. To know more about why red wines are so perfect for steaks and how can you pair the best wine with steak (specific steak cuts), read on.
Why red wines go best with steaks?
Before we jump into the list of the red wines that perfectly go well with different cuts of steaks, you have to know about why red wine and steak is a perfect combination. You need to know that dry red wines pair perfectly with your steaks. The acidic tang in the dry red wines with a slight tinge of delightful sweetness can help in enhancing the flavor of the beef steak effortlessly. The red meat and the red wine can make one of the most harmonious and balanced combinations. Tannins of the red wine and the protein of the red meat go well with each other.
The protein in the beef steak along with fat can even smooth out the driest red wines perfectly. The steaks don’t cover up the bitter or dry notes of the red wines. In fact, it can balance them out perfectly with the steak protein enhancing the overall aroma and flavor. But when it comes to choosing the right wine for the steak, there are some factors that you have to consider. These are:
- Steak cut
- Fattiness
- Seasoning used
Here, we will guide you to choose the best wine with steak cuts. Read the next section to know more.
Best wines for specific steak cuts
As mentioned above, specific red wines can go best with specific steak cuts. Red wines can be made up of different types of grapes and each of them has a different note, taste and aroma. Based on their flavors and tastes or aroma, they can go well with certain steak cuts. Here are the details about which wine can go best with different steaks:
1. Cabernet Wine
Cabernet is one of the most popular red wines which is also called �people pleaser’ as you can never go wrong with this wine. The flavor of cabernet is very well-balanced and it is perfect for the beginners. The cabernet wines have a high acidic taste that can go perfectly well with the umami and fatty steaks effortlessly and brilliantly providing a hint of tanginess.
The flavors of the cabernet wine can depend on where or how the grapes are grown. But cabernet wines, in general, have a rich flavor consisting of spice, pepper and vanilla along with notes of tobacco and wood. Cabernet wines taste highly acidic and dry.
Hence, Cabernet red wines can go best with Rib-eye steak cut or the butcher cut, especially when they are cooked in rosemary sauce. The rich and smoky flavor of the steak can complement the tanginess of the Cabernet wine perfectly because of the excess amount of tannins present. It can cut through the juicy texture of the rib-eye steak smoothly.
2. Syrah or Shiraz Wine
Another popular type of red wine is the Syrah or Shiraz red wine. If you want a red wine that can go well with the steak cut with more fat, then it has to be Syrah. The Syrah is a dark-red colored grape which is used for making of this wine. It has a smoky and peppery taste with a fruity flavor. It has notes of licorice, black pepper and tobacco which can make this wine tastes savory and dry.
This red wine is a popular variety which can be served alongside a steak in the dinner. As Syrah red wine is dry and savory with some strong tannin, it has a notable acidic taste. It can go well with one of the most common steak cuts, Sirloin. It is fairly lean in nature with a bit of fat. A grilled Sirloin steak can never go wrong with a glass of Syrah red wine.
In fact, Syrah red wine can go well with rib-eye steak cut too with lots of fats. No matter what sauce or seasoning you use, Syrah is a flexible wine that can go smoothly with everything.
3. Merlot Wine
When we are talking about best wine with steak, how can we forget one of the most popular types? This is none other than the Merlot. It is one of the most popular and flavorful red wines in the world. It is also considered as the 2nd most favorite red wine in America after Cabernet. The Merlot is quite known for its sensual texture, approachable and soft style. This wine is made from the grapes with red skins. It is considered as a food-friendly wine which can go pretty well with all types of foods. But when we are talking about the steaks, let us focus on that.
Merlot, in general, has a rich dark fruity flavor of plum, black cherry, raspberry and blackberry. It also has a light herbal note as well as undertones of mocha and vanilla. Though Merlot is a dry wine, it is one of the easy-drinking wines with a light and fruity taste. Merlot comes with a soft finish and easy tannins. Because of this taste and flavor profile, Merlot goes perfectly well with filet mignon steak cut.
Fillet mignon steak cut is incredibly lean and tender with lot of flavors in it. This is often grilled with the sauces of your choice along with some simple seasonings such as pepper and salt. As fillet mignon steaks are not overly flavorful or spicy, wines like Merlot can only go perfectly with this steak.
4. Zinfandel Wine
Want to enjoy a dry red wine with a sweeter taste? Well, then you need to choose the Zinfandel wine. Though it is technically a dry wine, Zinfandel sits more on the sweeter end of the flavor spectrum. It is a fruity and bold wine with a deep red color with a purplish tinge to it. It has interesting aroma and notes that make this red wine quite pleasant on your tongue. The base of most of the Zinfandel wines has flavors of raspberry and strawberry along with the notes of vanilla, cinnamon, licorice and tobacco.
When you are looking for the perfect steak to pair with Zinfandel, avoid any cuts that need sweet seasoning. This wine can go best with the steak with zesty and spicy flavor. Hence, the best steak cut that can go perfectly with Zinfandel is – Porterhouse steak or T-Bone steak. Both of these cuts are quite firm in nature. Porterhouse steak is a quite popular cut made from the junction of the top loin and tenderloin. It has a very flavorful and rich taste. This cut can be grilled with some spicy seasoning to bring that zesty flavor.
5. Malbec Wine
If you want a red wine with a bolder taste, then Malbec is the ideal one for you. With the inky and dark color, Malbec wine can offer a rich and bold flavor full of tannins. But the most notable thing is that the Malbec doesn’t have the oaky and woody aroma in it. It is more of a fruity wine with citrus note. France makes some exceptionally amazing Malbec wines. You can also find it in some parts of California.
The taste and flavor profile of Malbec is quite unique. It is a full-bodied dry red wine with a dark and rich aroma. It has fruity flavors of red plum and blackberry making it quite juicy. It has notes of tobacco, vanilla and dark chocolate. It is medium acidic and fruity in nature with medium tannins.
Because of the fruity flavor along with the bold aroma, Malbec can be the best choice for you if you are having lean cut of the steak. Hence, the best steak cut that can go perfectly well with Malbec is flank steak or the top sirloin steak. While there is no issue if you choose Malbec for a steak cut with more fats, but the richness of the wine can overpower the flavors of the steak. In fact, Malbec too can taste good with fillet mignon steak.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have got the complete idea about the best wine with steak for your dinner. To make it easier for you, the actual rule of choosing the right wine to pair with your steak is to choose lighter wines for leaner steak cuts and to choose wines with high tannins for the fattier and richer steak cuts. The wines with rich tannins can smoothly cut through the fat present in your steak which lighter wines cannot. So, when you pair a lighter wine with fattier steak cut, the steak can overpower the taste of the wine. Hence, choosing the right wine for your steak is very important!
