When it comes to a good steak dinner, there is no doubt about it: a glass of wine can make or break your meal. But how do you decide what is the best wine to go with your steak?
Is it the full-bodied reds that bring out the juices and flavors of a great steak? Or do white wines add a crisp and refreshing indulgence? There are a plethora of options available for you to choose, so let’s explore what wine goes with steak to make your next meal a knockout.
How is the Steak Cooked?
The main detail to note in deciding what wine goes with steak is how the steak is actually cooked. Although many regard red wine as being the only pairing for steak and red meat in general, there are certain white wines that truly bring an entirely different element to the same meat you’ve been eating all your life.
Depending on what seasonings are used and how long the steak is cooked, you will be able to decide which wines, red or white, will bring out the best flavours in your steak.
Reds
As for your red choices, what is the best wine for the highest quality steak? With steaks such as these, classic Bordeaux grape wines tend to pull significant flavour and delicious charm out of their meaty counterparts. These wines are normally found as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Make sure your red options are evenly suited to your steak. By this, I mean if you have very little seasonings, you will want a very full-bodied wine, preferably an older wine with less tannin and a smoother, richer taste.
If your steak is grilled with plenty of seasonings, you will overwhelm your taste buds with a full-bodied wine, dousing your mouth with more wine than steak flavour. Therefore, you can try a lighter red wine to balance the strength of your steak flavour with the gentle bite of the wine.
Whites
Don’t think that you have to be bogged down by the rich red wines of the world when sitting down to enjoy your delicious steak dinner. Try substituting a California Chardonnay to bring out the smoky aromas and juices of your steak.
Be sure to stay away from light-bodied wines. They are weak, biting, and will draw no extravagance from your steak. Although they provide a great compliment to certain white meats, don’t expect them to do the same for your steak, as they will be left in the dust.
When deciding what wine goes with steak, it is best to try to balance out your meal between your wine and steak. Think about the seasonings you are using and how much flavour will be born from the steak itself. Think balance. After all, there is a prospectively tasty meal at “steak.” J
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