If you’re looking for an amazing dining experience, nothing beats a perfectly cooked steak, accompanied by the right glass of wine. As our name suggests, meat and wine are our specialities so we take great pride in offering the very best of each, as well as showcasing how they can enhance each other with the ideal pairing.
Food and wine pairing is something of an art form, so how do you actually do it? Firstly, we’ll take you through our beginner’s guide to matching flavours with seven easy rules to follow. Then we’ll get into which particular wines to pair with each of our glorious cuts of steak.
Rule 1: Wine Should Match The Weight Of The Food
Rule 2: Wine Should Match The Intensity Of The Food
Rule 3: Wine Should Balance Out Acidity
Rule 4: Wine Should Be As Sweet The Food
Rule 5: Wine Should Match The Sauce
Rule 6: Wine Should Balance Out Fats
Rule 7: Wine Should Balance Salt And Tannins
Rule 1: Wine Should Match The Weight Of The Food
Light foods, such as fish or vegetables, should be paired with light wines, as this will allow for the optimal balance of flavours. On the other hand, heavy foods, such as a rich steak, should be paired with a heavy wine with high tannins.
Rule 2: Wine Should Match The Intensity Of The Food
To get the most out of your food and wine pairing, it is important to pair dishes with similar flavour profiles and intensity. For example, our chicken skewers with peri-peri and lemon have a light citrus flavour, so a white wine with citrus notes is an ideal match.
Rule 3: Wine Should Balance Out Acidity
Wines with high acidity are perfect for cutting through the richness of creamy sauces or butter-rich foods. But you should avoid pairing them with dishes that contain a lot of vinegar or citrus, as the acidity can be too overwhelming.
Rule 4: Wine Should Be As Sweet As The Food
High-sugar sauces or sweet foods can make dry wines taste bitter, so it’s important to pair food and wine with equal levels of sweetness.
Rule 5: Wine Should Match The Sauce
Many believe that wine should be matched to the meat of the dish. However, you’ll usually find that matching the wine to the sauce is a more effective approach. For example, if you ordered a steak with a side of our creamy mushroom sauce, you would want a wine that is bold and robust in flavour to match the sauce’s intensity. A full-bodied red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Syrah would complement the richness of the creamy mushroom sauce, while still holding its own against the bold flavour of the beef.
Rule 6: Wine Should Balance Out Fats
High-fat dishes like curries can be overwhelming, so it is important to pair them with a wine that has high levels of tannins to cut through the richness and enhance the flavour.
Rule 7: Wine Should Balance Salt And Tannins
Pairing salty foods with crisp wines creates the perfect balance of acidity, whereas sweet wines can enhance the tangy and briny notes of a dish.
Which Wine To Pair With Which Steak
Now that you know the basic rules, let’s get into the best pairings for each of our incredible steaks:
Fillet Steak Wine Pairing
We offer three delicious fillet steak options. The Black Angus, USDA Choice – Grain Fed from the USA is available at 200g or 300g, while our Wagyu MB5 – Grain Fed from Jack’s Creek in Australia is 300g. When pairing wine with fillet steak, the goal is to complement its rich and bold flavour profile. A Pinot Noir, like South Australia’s 2021 On The Grapevine, complements this cut superbly.
Another option to consider is Malbec, which has rich black fruit flavours and silky tannins. One from Argentina’s Mendoza region, like the 2022 Melodias Malbec, Trapiche is an excellent pairing with fillet steak.
Rib-Eye Steak Wine Pairing
It’s hard to go past a rib-eye and we have a couple of outstanding options at The Meat & Wine Co. A 350g Finnish Ayrshire – Grass Fed Prussian Black from Finland, and a 300g Wagyu MB5 – Grain Fed from Jack’s Creek. We recommend pairing with a full-bodied, rich wine, like the 2016 Monte Rosso Gnarly Vine Zinfandel from California. Its subtle fruity notes and cinnamon undertones make it the perfect match for a grilled rib-eye.
For those who prefer Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Saint-Estephe, Chateau Phelan Segur from Bordeaux also offers a full-bodied, rich flavour that complements the richness of these rib-eyes.
Striploin Steak Wine Pairing
A striploin steak is an underrated cut with high-fat content and a beautiful flavour. It is essential to pair it with a wine that can penetrate the fat and add flavour and depth to the overall taste. For our sumptuous 300g Wagyu MB5 – Grain Fed Striploin, the Australian 2020 Brave To Be Murray Shiraz pairs perfectly. The spicy and fruity notes in the Shiraz complement the meaty taste of the steak, while the tannins in the wine help to cut through the richness of the fat.
Tomahawk Steak Wine Pairings
If you want to make your night a truly special one, treat yourself to our mouth-watering range of hand-selected Tomahawk steaks. While you can pair a number of wines with this decadent cut, it’s hard to go wrong with a Cabernet Sauvignon. Top of the list would be the 2016 Opus One from California, and the 2015 Pauillac, Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal from Bordeaux.
If you’d like to try out your new food and wine pairing skills, be sure to make a booking today. Our expert staff is also more than happy to advise you with your selections if you prefer.
