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The 5 Best Roast Beef Wine Pairings

Ryan Marshall
Last Updated: February 17th, 2023

Roast beef is a rich and filling entree that can be made using a variety of different cuts of beef. It is rubbed in a variety of spices and roasted in the oven until it develops a crispy outside and the middle is perfectly tender.

A juicy and rich beef dish like this requires a bold wine that is full of large flavors that will not disappear on the palate next to the protein.

In this article, we will look at the top choices for roast beef wine pairings to ensure your next dinner wows guests or that special someone.

Top Choices for Roast Beef Wine Pairings

cabernet sauvignon red wine

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most famous wine grapes in the entire world, and it delivers on both large flavor and an intense structured body. The aggressive and grippy tannins in Cabernet Sauvignon work to break down the juicy fats in the roast beef.

This French wine grape is most often produced in the United States today, where some of the most highly respected and pricy bottles are produced in the state of California. Wine-producing areas like Napa Valley and Sonoma County have become famous for Cab Sauv production.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the first types of wine that many sommeliers and wine enthusiasts reach for when it comes to red meat pairings, and with good reason. While too strong for more delicate cuts of meat, Cabernet Sauvignon is perfectly suited for the full fatty flavors of roasts.

Beaulieu Vineyard BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a high-end and refined bottle of California Cabernet that costs far less than more popular “Cult Cali Cabs” like Screaming Eagle and Caymus. It is full of strong tannins that are a perfect match for roasts.

Stags’ Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon is a very famous and highly regarded bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that offers all the full and bold flavors one would expect from a California Cab at under $60 per bottle, making it a great option for casual Sunday roast parinings.

Merlot

merlot wine glass

Merlot is a red-skinned French red wine grape that is well known to produce high-quality bottles of wine that are full in body and bursting with jammy fruit flavors. This is another famous French grape that has gained traction across the world and is most often produced in Italy and the US.

The tasting notes of Merlot are most often compared to dark fruits like plum, apricot, and black cherry. While it is often used to add juicy flavors and body to red wine blends, Merlot is also a fantastic candidate for producing high-quality bottles of single-varietal wines.

What makes Merlot such a great candidate for pairing with roast beef is the high concentration of strong fruit flavors that shine through on the palate and soften the natural flavors of the meat. It is a perfect candidate for roast beef preparations that are served with a dark sauce like gravy.

Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot is an affordable mass-produced bottle of Merlot that is available for sale at many restaurants and retailers all across the United States. It offers solid quality and remarkable consistency year after year, making it a predictable wine pairing for roast beef.

Fans of Italian wine will appreciate the unique tasting notes provided by Marchesi Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Cont’ Ugo Bolgheri, which makes for a fantastic roast beef pairing due to its bold fruit flavors and full body which accentuates the beef’s natural flavors.

Tempranillo

tempranillo wine

Tempranillo is the most important red wine grape in the country of Spain, and it is used to make high-quality bottles of dry wine that are most often oak aged. The aggressive tannins that are naturally present in the wine soften over time when interacting with the oak tannins.

This thick-skinned red wine grape is fairly low in acid and high in tannin, with aggressive and earthy tasting notes. It is often used to provide structure to Spanish red wine blends, though single varietal bottles of Tempranillo are also very popular and sought after.

Tempranillo wines are best suited for pairing with full-flavored and fatty cuts of steak, as they can be too aggressive and tannic for more delicate cuts of meat with more subtle flavors. This pairing has been highlighted by Fiona Beckett in her roast beef and wine pairing guide.

Tinto Pesquera Crianza is an affordable bottle of Tempranillo from the world-famous Ribera del Duero region of Spain that can be purchased for under $40 per bottle. It carries all the strong tasting notes expected from the region, which play well with the strong flavors of roast beef.

Bodegas Aalto is another bottle of Tempranillo from the Ribera del Duero region that offers bold structure and strong flavors. It is served at some of the best steak restaurants across Spain and makes for a fantastic pairing with many different types of red meat.

Grenache

grenache red wine

Grenache is a full-bodied French red wine grape that has gained traction in warm-weather wine-growing regions all over the world. It is full of luscious fruit flavors that many wine enthusiasts compare to berries, sweet jams, and baking spices.

Some of the most famous and highly regarded bottles of Grenache are produced in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region of France. These wines are bursting with bright red fruit flavors such as cranberry and raspberry which work to break up the rich salty tastes of the steak.

While Grenache wines are usually fairly low in tannin, they make for great red meat pairings due to the fact that they can be fairly high in alcohol. Some of the strongest bottles of Grenache can surpass 16 percent alcohol by volume, which matches the intensity of even the richest roast beef.

Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha is one of the best bottles of Grenache when it comes to roast beef pairing due to the fact that it is full of bright fruit flavors along with deep and complex tasting notes. The strong flavor profiles lead to great balance when served with roast beef.

Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva is an Italian bottle of Grenache that offers incredible value at under $30 per bottle. It is full of jammy fruit flavors that work to enhance the natural flavors of the roast beef with every bite.

Nebbiolo

nebbiolo wine grapes

The Nebbiolo grape is most often associated with the Piedmont region of Italy, most notably the world-famous wine regions of Barolo and Barbaresco. Both of these regions produce high-quality bottles of Nebbiolo that make for great wine pairings with any cut of red meat.

Barolo has been highlighted by the website Drink and Pair as one of the best options when it comes to pairing with a variety of different roasts. Nebbiolo wines from Barbaresco also make for great red meat pairings, though they are generally slightly lower in aggressive tannins.

Nebbiolo wines from both Barolo and Barbaresco develop a slightly orange hue after a few years of bottle aging, and aged bottles of Nebbiolo can make for fantastic roast beef pairings. These tannic red wines are also fairly high in acid which plays well with different sauces.

Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja is a high-quality bottle of Barbaresco that offers all of the best tasting notes associated with the Nebbiolo grape for under $80 per bottle. It is slightly less tannic than Barolo wines, making it a great option for serving less experienced drinkers.

Renato Ratti Marcenasco is an affordable bottle of Barolo that makes for a fantastic pairing when it comes to roast beef dishes due to its full body, aggressive tannins, and strong tasting notes which impart flavor into the steak without overpowering the palate.

Conclusion

Roast Beef is a staple meal for many families all over the world, and it is often served to a large group at parties or as a Sunday roast. There are a variety of different red wine options when it comes to pairing with roast beef, and each plays with the steak differently to showcase different tasting notes.

About The Author

Ryan Marshall

Ryan is a full time freelance writer who can most often be found on the disc golf course or local coffee shop when not behind a keyboard. He is an avid traveler and lover of all things sports and outdoors. Ryan is also a certified level one sommelier, and is endlessly curious about the world of high end beverages. Writing about wine, coffee, and other specialty beverages has given him a chance to take a deeper dive into his research, and he loves helping people find the perfect drink for their palates and preferences!

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