Pairing Wine With Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon is a dish hailing from one of the most known wine regions in the world – Burgundy. This classic stew is made from beef braised in red wine with mushrooms, carrots and onions added to the mix.

Red wines are a great match for beef stew and we would recommend going in that direction. The beef itself is red meat which calls for a good structure and ample tannins but also it is braised in red wine in its recipe. If you would prefer having a white wine we would recommend getting a full bodied white wine with a good acidity.

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Boeuf Bourguignon

Characteristic	Detail
Sweetness	Dry
Acidity	Medium to high
Tannins	Medium to high
Body	Full bodied white,Medium to full bodied reds
Tasting Notes	White Wine Notes – Citrus fruit, Stone fruit, Butter Red Wine Notes – Red fruit, Black fruit, Cloves

Sweetness – We would suggest sticking to a dry wine for this dish. Any hints of sweetness will not help your pairing.

Acidity – Medium to high acidity is a must, as we need a wine that will cut through the fat of the dish and cleanse our palate.

Tannins – Medium to high tannins are going to be necessary here to help break down the beef and ensure that we have a rich mouthfeel.

Body – Medium to full bodied wines will just do the trick, as the dish itself will feel heavy on your palate and you will need a wine that will be able to balance that.

Tasting Notes – Stone fruit aromas with hints of citrus fruit as primary aromas for our white wines, with butter, smoke and hints of earthiness. For our red wines, go for wines with red fruit and black fruit for primary aromas and aromas coming from oak aging and bottle age as well.

Best Red Wine To Drink With Boeuf Bourguignon

Red wine pairs amazingly with this dish since it has all that you need. Ample tannins, fuller body, medium to high acidity freshen up your palate and the right flavors and aromas. Since beef is marinated or braised in red wine, we would need to match the flavors coming from the wine. Beef itself is full of flavors and texture, with packed protein which needs a good structure to go head to head with.

Pinot Noir from Burgundy

This is a classic. We’ve got a staple dish coming from the region itself and for that we’re going to recommend that you have wine coming from the region itself. Following the old saying “what grows together, goes together” we will suggest having these amazing Pinot Noirs with your main course. Now, any Pinot will do the trick but we recommend having one of those village level Pinot Noirs coming from the Cote de Nuits, since they have a fuller body and more tannins. Try looking for Gevrey-Chambertin or Nuits-Saint-Georges for wines with a bit more acceptable price. In case you don’t mind spending a buck, go for a good Vosne-Romanee, Morey-St-Denis or Vougeot.

Tempranillo from Spain

Now this is a grape variety hailing from the country itself. Known by many different names, Tempranillo is a late ripening grape variety that makes amazing wines with packed red fruit and black fruit aromas, nice spicy flavors and lots of chocolate and tobacco. We would recommend having one from Rioja where it is blended with Garnacha tinta, Graciano, Mazuelo or Maturana tinta. There are different aging requirements and they influence the style of wine but having a Reserva will be a good bet.

Syrah from Italy

A slightly out of the box pairing as Italy is not exactly known for Syrah but there is an amazing DOC called Cortona in Tuscany which is dedicated to producing high quality wines from Syrah.

More oriented towards black fruit, with lots of black pepper, game, tobacco, meat and leather aromas it will pair amazingly with the beef stew.

Malbec from Argentina

A great grape variety that found its place in Argentina, it produces wines with a core of blue fruit with hints of black fruit. It has smooth, velvety tannins, medium to full body, high acidity and nice dark chocolate aromas.

Pinot Noir from Oregon

This is a good alternative for a more pricey Pinot Noir from Burgundy. Made in a similar style, these earthy Pinot Noirs from Willamette valley make a great pairing for beef stew.
Red fruit aromas, earth, leather and forest floor aromas will make a sophisticated pairing with your main course.

Best White Wine To Drink With Boeuf Bourguignon

Now white wines wouldn’t be our first recommendation when it comes to beef stew and there is a reason for that. The texture and the acidity of white wines, alongside their body won’t do much good for your dining experience but in case you prefer having whites over reds, we will mention a couple of good options for you.

Chardonnay from Burgundy

We would recommend staying in the region from where the dish hails. Having a good Chardonnay from Burgundy is not difficult but we would recommend the same as we did for the Pinot Noir from the region. Go for a village wine from Cote de Beaune for a fuller body and a good fresh acidity. Puligny-Montrachet are usually a bit more earthy, with lots of oak influence. For a more buttery expression go for a Meursault.

Chenin blanc from South Africa

A good Chenin Blanc from a warmer climate region of South Africa could be able to stand up to a heavy dish such as this beef stew. They are usually aged in oak, some even fermented in barrels which will give a more rich mouthfeel and a fuller body.

Orange wine

If you don’t want a red wine and would like to venture out a bit from your comfort zone, we would recommend trying an orange wine. These are wines made from white grapes, with red winemaking methods. There is more skin contact and sometimes fermentation on the skins of the grapes which gives a fuller body and much more complex aromas. One of our favorites is Ribolla Gialla from north-east Italy, grown right on the border with Slovenia.

Best Wine To Drink With Boeuf Bourguignon

We will shortlist some of our recommendations here, just to make your choice a bit easier.
These wines will make great pairings due to their tannins, body, structure and flavor profile.