Why do meat and wine pair so well together?

Have you ever noticed that meat tastes even better with a good glass of wine? It is not surprising when you realise that wine and meat enhance one another. But why do wine and meat pair so well?

Research published in Current Biology has shown that wine and meat are opposites when it comes to mouthfeel, the way food feels in the mouth. Astringent wines often feel rough and dry, while the fats in meat feel smooth. When you combine wine with meat, you create the perfect balance and therefore the perfect mouthfeel. And that is exactly what you want.

Of course, you cannot simply grab a bottle of wine from the shelf and expect to get the perfect balance. Sommeliers have studied which wine belongs with which cut of meat. We would still like to help you on your way, so below you will find a general overview of wine and food pairings.

Depending on the type of beef, the kind of wine you should choose can vary. Are you serving a thick entrecote or another steak? Then choose a robust red wine with tannins, the tannic acids that come from the seeds, stems and skins of the grapes, such as cabernet sauvignon, malbec or syrah. For a steak with a more delicate structure, you should choose a wine that is less robust, such as merlot or sangiovese. Are you preparing a stew with blade, chuck or other braising cuts? Then choose a more mature and softer wine. A reserva, shiraz, rioja and amarone are excellent wines to accompany a stew.

Everyone knows the basic rule: red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat. Pork sits right in between, which may actually be good news. Your choice is not limited to red or white wine, because you can choose either. When matching wine with pork, the preparation of the meat or the sauce served with it is usually the main factor, more on that later. Planning to roast or braise pork? Then merlot and shiraz are good recommendations if you want to choose red. Prefer white? Go for a Chenin Blanc or an oak aged Chardonnay. Are you planning to fry, stir fry or grill? Then you can choose red, white or rose. For red wine, you can think of a spätburgunder or a beaujolais. Prefer white wine to accompany your dinner? Then a Riesling is a perfect choice. Rose lovers can opt for a full bodied rose.

Chicken can be prepared in many ways: boiling, smoking, frying, roasting, grilling and deep frying. Almost anything you can think of is possible with chicken. Because the preparation methods vary so widely, it is practically impossible to give one single wine recommendation. Oven roasted chicken, for example, pairs beautifully with a chardonnay. An Asian stir fry with chicken is better combined with a viognier or riesling, a chicken stew with merlot or pinot noir and chicken from the BBQ with a lovely rose.

Lamb is refined and delicate meat. Combine fried or braised lamb with a malbec, medium bodied bordeaux, merlot or syrah. Are you serving Provençal lamb cutlets? Then choose a lovely wine from Provence, for example from the Rhône wine region.

Game is of course a very broad category, so there is no single type of wine that is the perfect recommendation for all kinds of game. When choosing a wine for a game dish, you can follow the basic rule: red wine with red game, such as hare, roe, deer, pigeon and duck, and white wine with white game, such as rabbit and pheasant. With partridge or wild boar you have more options, because red, white and rose can all be paired with these.

Veal is generally more tender, softer and less fatty than beef. Because of this, veal calls for lighter wines than those you would serve with beef. As with other meats, the wine you choose depends on the preparation method. Serving a pan fried veal steak? Then choose a chardonnay or a viognier. A viognier, just like a dry and powerful rose, also pairs beautifully with the classic saltimbocca, veal schnitzel with sage and prosciutto. For a veal stew, you can serve both red and white. Prefer white? Then choose a full bodied white wine, such as an oak aged chardonnay or an oak aged chenin blanc. Good red wines for a veal stew are malbec and burgundy.

Planning to serve your steak with a lovely sauce? Then it is possible that the wine options will change. Sommeliers often look at the type of sauce served with the meat in order to give good wine advice.

Finally, the doneness of the steak can also be considered to find the perfect wine. Are you briefly searing the steak for a rare or medium rare result? Then choose a lighter style from a younger vintage. Are you grilling it to medium or well done? Then choose a fuller and more powerful wine with a bit more maturity.

Although you may sometimes prefer to visit a specialised wine shop, we understand that it is also convenient to take a bottle with you when you are already with us. That is why we have a selection of beautiful wines from Eleveld Wijnen available in our stores.

Although this article can give you a good sense of which wine to serve with a certain dish, we know that the overview is not completely comprehensive. It is meant to guide you rather than serve as a personalised wine recommendation. Are you looking for wine advice for a specific cut of meat? Then feel free to send us an email and we will gladly help you further.