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Which wine (or beer) to pair with roast beef

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on February 6 2022 at 07:19

Roast beef has the virtue of being one of the easiest dishes to match with wine. You can really drink any medium- to full-bodied red you enjoy. There are a couple of points to bear in mind, however, which might affect the style of wine you choose.

First of all, how will the beef be cooked? Will it be very rare or medium to well done? That will partly depend on the cut - you’re probably likely to serve a very lean piece of meat or one that’s cooked at a low temperature more underdone that a joint with a fair amount of fat like a sirloin.

The rarer the meat is - and the more of a deeply savoury crust it has - the better it will deal with tannins and high levels of alcohol. In other words rare beef suits young, full-bodied reds while older, more delicate reds are sometimes better with beef that’s cooked a little longer

Secondly, how is it sauced? With a typically English gravy or a concentrated wine-based ‘jus’? If the sauce is intensely winey it again tends to suit full-bodied youthful reds like Syrah/Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. If it’s served with gravy you’re better off with a more classic wine like a red Bordeaux or a Rioja - or of course, a traditional ale or porter (an under-estimated match with roast beef).

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