Pairing Wine With Rack of Lamb

A rack of lamb is one of those iconic dishes that will probably never go out of fashion. It is usually served with a generous coating of herbs and garlic and provides the opportunity for a truly mouth-watering culinary experience – particularly when accompanied by a glass (or several) of wine. Red wine from France is the obvious traditional pairing, but there are some gorgeous white wines that qualify too. 

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Rack of Lamb

While it can be tender, lamb has some bold flavors, so you need a relatively full-bodied wine, with plenty of tannins and acidity that can face that – even if you’re opting for a bottle of white wine. Additionally, the herbs blend their way into the meat, so wines with a herbaceous edge are ideal for complementing the meat. 

Best Red Wine To Drink With Rack of Lamb

Red wine with deep, complex flavors is absolutely the place to start looking for that perfect pairing. We’re largely focusing on French grapes, but there are some fantastic producers all across the world that make extremely lamb-friendly wines.

Merlot

It’s hard to say which side of the Gironde estuary in Bordeaux is better for pairing with a rack of lamb, but our first recommendation is to explore the Right Bank, which is dominated by softer, Merlot-based blends. Of course, a single-varietal Merlot wine would also be a wonderful pairing. It usually contains smooth notes of chocolate, red berries and bay leaf, which will complement the savory, herbaceous notes in a rack of lamb. Notes of leather are also desirable, and Merlot packs enough of a punch to challenge any fat in your cut. If you’re looking for a softer, more enveloping experience, Merlot is a great wine to start with.

Cabernet Sauvignon

On the other hand, you can also go for the more angular mouthfeel of a Cabernet-dominated Bordeaux blend from the Left Bank. Cabernet Sauvignon from California definitely qualifies too. It is typically packed with high acidity and high tannins, providing more than enough body to match a bold piece of meat. Cabernet will provide a sharper, palate-cleansing experience with a rack of lamb, but it also possesses beautiful notes of black pepper, leather and mint that will intertwine with the dish’s rich flavors.

Malbec

Malbec is another brilliant option with a rack of lamb – depending on your personal taste, you can go for the oaky, detailed and intensely fruity style from Argentina, or a slightly greener, tangy Malbec from France. In any case, Malbec possesses a distinctive bite and high tannicity that can challenge even the fattiest cuts of lamb. It also comes with a collection of herby and earthy notes, such as dill, leather and black pepper, that will integrate the wine into your meal seamlessly.

Saperavi

Saperavi is a great option if you’re looking for something slightly different. It fulfills many of the same functions as Cabernet Sauvignon. This Georgian wine has an acidic edge that can cut through the lamb and any accompaniments, along with some intense red fruit flavors. It’s fantastic with Georgian lamb shashliks, and with its subtle notes of savory spices, leather and tobacco, it will contrast beautifully with this herb-heavy lamb dish. 

Best White Wine To Drink With Rack of Lamb

Although red wine is arguably the more timeless pairing with a rack of lamb, there are some fuller-bodied white wines that fit the bill too. Both of these wines have precedent for lamb pairings, and they have a thick and slightly waxy mouthfeel that can provide a refreshing contrast to this succulent dish.

Assyrtiko

Assyrtiko is a great pairing for a rack of lamb, by virtue of both the wine and meat being widespread in Greek food. Keep an eye out for a full-bodied version, with some oak-aging. It’s an intense, savory wine, alive with notes of citrus, beeswax and salinity. Its slightly astringent character is perfect for providing relief from the rich, mouth-filling flavors of this dish. The fat content of lamb also needs some acidic wine to cut through, and Assyrtiko provides that in spades.

Sémillon

This is another classic French wine to break out with a rack of lamb. Even before taking a mouthful, the aromatic nose of Sémillon combined with the smell of a rack of lamb straight our of the oven is guaranteed to get your mouth watering. Its full-bodied texture and medium-high acidity provide a good balance to the rich and savory flavors of the dish. It often comes with notes of honey, oak and vanilla, which can complement the subtly sweet side of lamb meat, and a smooth, honeyed finish that can cleanse the palate between bites. If you’re seeking a white wine that can stand up to the heartiness of meat dishes (which are usually reserved for red wine pairings), Sémillon might be the answer.

Pairing Wine With Rack of Lamb Prepared Different Ways

Wherever you get them, racks of lamb are usually presented in similar ways, with plenty of garlic and herbs. However, they can be cooked to various stages of completion, and if you like your lamb rare, you should keep that in mind when picking a wine. 

Wine With Rare Rack Of Lamb

With a juicy piece of rare lamb, light reds and bold whites are both excellent choices. You could opt for Pinot Noir or a Gamay from Beaujolais, or go for a full-bodied Sémillon from France or Australia. 

Wine With Medium Rack Of Lamb

If you like it medium, you can bump it up a notch with the wine. You could go for a slightly fuller Pinot Noir, something like Cabernet Franc, a Chianti, or an oaked Chardonnay – if you’re more inclined towards white wine. 

Wine With Well Done Rack Of Lamb

By the time you get to “well done”, the flavor of the meat will be influenced by the cooking itself and will be far less juicy. To match this bold piece of meat, we recommend a full-bodied wine with deep flavors, such as a Bordeaux blend, an aged Saperavi, or a Brunello di Montalcino.

Best Wine To Drink With Rack of Lamb

To sum up, keep an eye out for full-bodied wines with considerable acidity and tannins. An aromatic nose is a plus – after all, our sense of smell accounts for about 80% of what we taste. If you stick to these 5 recommendations, you can’t go wrong:

• Merlot
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Malbec
• Sémillon
• Saperavi