Pairing Wine With Corned Beef

Corned beef is a beef brisket that has been cured with a salt mixture. Typically the cut of meat is slow cooked and seasoned with bay leaves and peppercorns. The salty beef is a fattier cut of meat that if cooked right, is very tender. Once cooled, you can slice the meat into sandwich thickness slices for a reuben or corned beef sandwich.

Best Wine To Drink With Corned Beef

There are two lines of thought on what pairs well with corned beef. Some experts say a light bodied and low alcohol content wine will go best. Others recommend pairing a full bodied and highly acidic wine will go best. Most everyone agrees that a fruit forward wine is best to complement the strong flavors and high salt content of corned beef.

We recommend pairing corned beef with full bodied wines, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, or Cab Franc. You can also drink a young fruit forward pinot noir with corned beef. If you would like to drink it with a white wine, you can pair it with a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Zinfandel
Cab Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon
Pinot Noir
Sauvignon Blanc

Pinot Grigio

Best Wine To Pair With Corned Beef and Cabbage

Go high in acidity like a Sauvignon Blanc, or high in tannins like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Cab Franc. Those wines will all pair well with fatty food. Some lesser known wines like a chinon or sancerre rouge might also be delicious with a corned beef dish. Pinot Noir and tannat can also work well with corned beef and cabbage.

Best Wine For Corned Beef Sandwiches

Corned beef sandwiches or reubens both have very strong flavor profiles. Typically the sandwiches have stone ground mustard or thousand island dressing. That along with the corned beef itself can overpower lighter wines. So choose a bold full-bodied wine that doesn’t get overpowered by all of the food. We also recommend a wine that is high in acidity to cut through the fat of the meat and sauce on the sandwich. Some of the best wines that go with corned beef sandwiches are zinfandel and cab franc.

Best Wine For St. Patrick’s Day

Of course, the traditional drinks for St. Patrick’s Day is a nice Guinness, Jameson (or any other Irish Whiskey, or an Irish Coffee (Irish whiskey, hot coffee, and sugar topped with cream).

However, if you don’t like those choices and want to be festive, you can do a Sauvignon Blanc with green food coloring in the glass for a festive drink that pairs perfectly with corned beef!