Pairing Wine With Roast Beef

Roast beef is usually the main part of the meal. When pairing it with wine however, we will need to look into what it is being served with. Since roast beef does not have any particular characteristics that need to be taken into consideration when it comes to wine pairing, things like the type of sauce should be considered. Though we are able to classify in general that a red wine which is dry, with bold flavors and some good structure would be ideal.

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Roast Beef

Characteristic	Detail
Sweetness	Dry
Acidity	Medium
Tannins	Medium
Body	Medium
Notes	Fruity, Herbal, Earthy

Starting off with levels of sweetness, dry i.e, not sweet at all. Sweet wines are preferred when pairing with desserts. With a dish like roast beef, a dry style of wine will do.

Acidity provides structure to wine. Wines with good structure pair better with food than wines without structure. With roast beef, we would suggest anywhere for medium to high levels of acid.

Wines with good tannins are best paired with protein and meats like beef. The tannins are also great for clearing up the palate when it comes to greasier versions of the dish. Medium levels of tannin would work well.

Body of the wine generally refers to the mouthfeel and strength of the wine. Its best to match this with the intensity of the dish. Similarly when referring to the flavors of the dish, matching the intensity and complexity of the wine with the food is the way to go. You do not want one to overpower the other.

Best Red Wine To Drink With Roast Beef

Red wines are usually bigger and bolder when it comes to flavor and intensity. We suggest nothing too powerful but the dish however should be able to match up with a hefty wine should you prefer it.

Merlot From USA or France

Merlot is one of the grapes that offers a great balance of structure and flavors. The wines tend to not be too powerful nor are they too light. The wines in the USA are typically a little more concentrated in terms of fruit characterics and might be a little more fragrant when compared to wines from France which can be quite light and earthy.

Sangiovese From Italy

Italian wines tend to be well structured as many are produced knowing it will be drunk with food. The sangiovese grape produces wines with medium to high levels of acid and tannin with great floral and herbal notes which makes it a great choice for roast beef.

Zinfandel

This grape is usually found in the USA around California and is known for producing juicy and ripe wines. With relatively high levels of structure and concentration all round, it is another great wine to pair with roast beef.

Best White Wine To Drink With Roast Beef

White wines are not highly recommended to pair with roast beef as they often lack the robust flavors and structure to stand up to the meatiness and flavors of the dish. However, a few may work.

Spanish Macabeo and Grenache Blanc

Both of these white grapes are able to grow in the warm and sunny regions of Spain allowing for more ripeness and concentration of aromas. The structure of the wine is well maintained, making it a possible choice to pair with roast beef.

Chenin Blanc From South Africa

Chenin Blanc is a popular grape grown in South Africa. Once again, the heat and sun provide the wine with a greater concentration of flavors that makes it possible to match up with the heavier bolder taste of this dish.

Wine With Different Roast Beef Preparations

As mentioned earlier, roast beef is more or less a standard preparation but can differ with its accompaniments, i.e, what is it being served with. The side dishes can influence the overall taste and therefore our choice of wine to go with it.

Wine With Roast Beef & Horseradish sauce

A spicy root vegetable grated to make a hot tangy sauce. A sauce like this requires a wine that won’t get lost and overpowered by the spice and flavor. We suggest something bigger and bolder like Cabernet Sauvignon from either France or the USA. A bordeaux would be the perfect offering with a bit of earthiness to match that of the root vegetable.

Wine With Roast Beef au Jus

A jus is just a concentrated, flavourful sauce made from the same meat. Since its packed full of flavor, the wine should also be able to match that intensity. Sticking with red wines for sure, that can offer a bit of meatiness, the best option would be a Syrah from France, from the Rhone Valley. Syrah grows in the warmer climate allowing for great flavor development and is none to be quite peppery and meaty. Perfect for a jus!

Wine With Roast Beef & Gravy

Gravy can cover a large number of tastes but can be thought of as quite earthy, especially if you add in the common mushrooms, onions, etc. In this case we would opt for a wine to complement those flavors. A great example would be a Nebbiolo or Sangiovese from Italy, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux or California and even a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley. The key here is age. Any one of these wines with an age between 5 and 15 years will start to take on these beautiful tertiary aromas i.e, earthy aromas which will compliment the gravy and roast beef beautifully.

Best Wine To Drink With Roast Beef

The best wines to drink with roast beef would be red wines which are not too bold nor austere and at the same time not too light. The best choices would fall in that range, like the examples given below.