Matching Wine to Beef and Lamb

 

Wine selection, above all, should be based on personal preference - choose a wine you like, don't drink a wine you don't enjoy simply because you have read or been told it is 'right' for the dish you are serving.

 

However, if you are unsure where to start, or simply wish to try some new wines with your Atholl Glens meat, the following suggestions will point you in the right direction:

Beef - Red Wines
Dish                                                 Wine Style                                         Wine Suggestions

Steak - pan fried                            Rich & full bodied,                            Cabernet Sauvignon, Cahors,

                                                          woody but not too much                  Côtes du Rhone - Cornas

Rib Steak - grilled                          Rich, not too woody,                        Cabernet Sauvignon, Madiran,

                                                          red tannins, little complex               Bordeaux - Medoc, Côtes du Rhone - St Joseph

Roast Beef - oven roasted          Nicely rounded, fleshy red to          Gamay, Pinot Noir, Côtes du Rhone - Gigondas,

                                                          cut through the meat                        Beaujolais

Rump Steak - grilled                     Rounded, strong wines,                 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux - St Estephe,

                                                          fleshy but not too subtle                  Côtes du Rhone - Côte Rotie, Fitou

Braising Steak - oven braised    Match strength to braising              Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux - Côtes de

                                                                                               liquid, avoid overly tannin-rich        Blaye, St Emillion, Red Loire wines (Chinon)

                                     Boeuf Bourguignon - oven          Warm and generous reds to           Pinot Noir, powerful southern Burgundies -

                                                                                               stand up to the rich sauce              Pommard, Gevrey - Chambertain

                                    

Lamb - Red and White Wines

Dish                                                           Wine Style                                                                     Wine Suggestions

Roast Lamb - oven roasted                  Reds offering freshness and not too                       Pinot Noir, Merlot, Loire - Chinon,

                                                                    much tannin                                                                  South West - Buzet, Rioja

Rack of Lamb - oven roasted               Tannin reds to tackle the roast flavours,                  Pinot Noir, Merlot, South West - Madiran,

                                                                    robust wines work well                                               Burgundy - Mercurey, Rioja

Confit - oven                                             Silky reds with slight tannin, well built                      Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Burgundy -

                                                                    but not too acidic                                                          Côtes de Beaune, Bordeaux - Pomerol

Lamb with White Sauce - stove            Quite rounded whites, but without being                 Chardonnay, Chablis

                                                                    overpowering

Navarin - stove                                         Favours less tannin-rich, acidic reds or                  Côtes du Rhone blanc, Chateauneuf-du-Pape,

                                                                    big, round whites                                                         Beaujolais

 

 

 

Wine guide courtesy of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) - www.qmscotland.co.uk