Beef and red wine

Red wine and red meat truly are a match made in heaven. Let us tell you why.

Ever experienced that fuzzy feeling on your tongue after a mouthful of red wine?

This is due to the tannins it contains, which certainly deserve their given name, as their astringent effect quite literally tans the tongue. This quality is more pronounced in some wines that in others,

but when you pair them with beef, something remarkable happens: even the most leonine vintage suddenly morphs into a mellow tabby cat. This is due to the proteins in the meat: as they bind the tannins, the wine becomes beautifully smooth.

Try it for yourself! We promise you the most enjoyable chemistry experiment you’ve ever had.

The best way to bring out the fruity notes in red wine?

Pair it with something savoury. After all, every red wine has an astringent component, which, while contributing to its complexity, should not necessarily be further accentuated by the food pairing. Salt, on the other hand, does the opposite, mellowing out any harsh notes in the wine and allowing the fruit to unfold beautifully. A robust, tannic red is the perfect accompaniment to a well-seasoned piece of beef, such as a fillet steak with fleur de sel.

Birds of a feather flock together, as is often the case when pairing wine and food.

The roasted flavours of a crispy grilled bistecca alla fiorentina or an entrecôte, for example, call for wines with a woody profile. The barrels in which many red wines are matured are previously «toasted» by the cooper, that is to say, burnt on the inside,

which also imparts toasted aromas to the wine. This is why we always recommend choosing a barrel-aged wine to accompany roasted or grilled meat. You’ll find it’s the perfect pairing!