Delicious Steaks and the Wines That Pair Well With Them

Time and tradition have proven that wine and red meat such as beef really go well together. In fact, aside from drinking the wine, some chefs even incorporate it in the steak sauce for a mouthwatering experience.

Chefs and foodies alike recommend that the leaner the steak is, the lighter the wine paired with it should be. But not everyone knows which parts of the cow are leaner than others. Hey, not everyone went through cow anatomy and butchery class!

This article is created for such people. Here, we present the most common beef steak cuts and the best wines to pair them with. If you’re not sure how to pick a good wine, visit a wine specialty store near you and ask the experts!

Ribeye

The ribeye steak is arguably the tastiest and juiciest type out there. In most cases, it’s the priciest, too. It contains a lot of fat, which is basically where its flavor comes from.

Because of its high fat content, it is advisable to use bold red wines with ribeye steaks. A good pick to pair with this cut is a Cabernet Sauvignon. This type of wine contains high amounts of tannins that act as a palate cleanser, which you will badly need once the fattiness of the ribeye envelops your tastebuds, affecting your enjoyment of the other dishes served to you.

Another good pick is Zinfandel, which has a distinct fruity taste. This fruitiness makes this type of wine a good counterbalance to the pronounced meaty taste of the ribeye steak.

New York Strip

The tasty New York Strip is said to be in the middle as far as taste and texture are concerned. Because of this, you can opt for wines with medium boldness such as a Syrah. It has refined tannins and its taste has an unmistakable hint of blackberries or even sweet tobacco, depending on where the wine is sourced. The dry taste of this wine also makes it a great partner for more delicate tasting meats such as lamb. The distinct umami taste of the lamb meat brings out the fruitiness of the wine.

The New York Strip also goes well with the bolder Cabernet Sauvignon. The fat in the steak makes the wine taste smoother. So, in a way, the wine and the meat make each other better.

Top Sirloin

Top seared sirloin or sirloin in general, is among the leanest steak cuts out there. As we mentioned in the introduction, lighter wines go well with steaks of this quality. A good pairing here would be a Sangiovese. It is made from dark grapes that are grown widely in Tuscany in Italy. Because of the grape’s prevalence in the area, most red wines are made from it, so Sangiovese has become synonymous with ‘red wine’ there. It is known for its firm tannins that release flavors that cut through the tender meatiness of the steak.

Now, red wines are not the only beverages that go well with steaks. Sparkling wine or Champagne is now also recognized as a good partner for lightly cooked steaks. Chefs say that the distinct flavor complements the divine taste of beef and other meats.

Now that you know the best wines that go with your favorite steaks, your next dinners will surely be spared from odd pairings of meat and wine. Who would have thought that a little research is what is needed to improve your steak dining experience?