Some food and drink just go together. Burgers and beer. Oysters and Champagne. And steak and wine.
But why is it such a heavenly match? According to oenophiles, molecules known as tannins in the wine soften the fat in the meat to release its flavour, while in turn the fat mellows the harsher qualities of the wine to produce a juicier taste (although some theories suggest it’s the salt seasoning and not the steak that softens the wine, but that’s another story).
Red wine, in particular, is richer in tannins, which is why it’s generally favoured over white varieties when it comes to washing everything down.
Carlos Santos, wine and operations manager at Humble Grape, the London-based group of restaurants and wine bars, told ES Best: “Food and wine pairing is a fascinating subject, particularly when it comes to your steak dinner: the rich, savoury flavours of a ribeye steak can be complemented by the velvety tannins and flavours of a complex Argentinian Malbec.
Leaner cuts such as fillet can be perfectly paired with fresh, red-berried and medium-bodied Pinot Noir. Steaks are rarely served on their own, either, so remember that sauce matters: a peppery Syrah would be a perfect match for peppercorn sauce; on the other hand, a creamy and unctuous béarnaise would find its perfect companion in an oaky style of red wine.”
From date nights to celebratory occasions and work dinners, there’s something indulgent about a slap-up meal of steak and wine, whether enjoyed at a hot city restaurant or from the comfort of home.
If you’re planning the latter, we’ve rounded up the best wine to pair with steak in one boozy, carnivorous list, meaning all you need to do is cook that steak to chef-style perfection (perfectly-pink, if you’re asking).
No pressure, but don’t mess it up.
Shop the best wine to pair with steak below
Bartinney Cabernet Sauvignon
Big in character and oaky in style, this Cab Sauv from Stellenbosch, South Africa, certainly holds its own against sauces such as béarnaise. On the palate, plum and chocolate abound, while rich cassis, pencil lead and tobacco dance on the nose. Absolutely delish.
Buy now £34.15, Humble Grape
DV Catena Tinto Historico Malbec
Malbec and steak are a match made in heaven, and this Argentinian bottle is no exception with rich black and red berry aromas, plummy flavours and a silky finish. It’s made from predominantly Malbec blended with Petit Verdot and Bonardo grapes to deliver a punchy palate that pays off when paired with beef.
Buy now £13.00, Asda
Harvey Nichols Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon
Go all-out Gaucho, the Argentinian steakhouse group, by serving up a slab of premium grass-fed beef with a colourful and zesty chimichurri. To drink, it’s got to be this quality Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon from Harvey Nicks, bursting with aromas of festive spices, dried flowers and black cherries with flavours of wild blackberry, cherry smoke and cedar. Care to Tango?
Buy now £12.95, Harvey Nichols
Greasy Fingers Luscious Red
Now this is fun. Conceived specifically to complement gourmet fast food, Greasy Fingers flips the stuffy image of wine completely on its head with two bottles: Buttery Chardonnay and Luscious Red. It’s the latter you’ll need for your steak. A medium-bodied blend of Shiraz and Grenache, it features cherry and strawberry notes with soft tannins, providing the perfect match for grilled meat. Personally, we can’t wait to try it with a dirty burger.
Buy now £8.50, Sainsbury's
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Petal Robe Brut Champagne
Turn dinner into a date with this special bottle of pink Champers from none other than Laurent-Perrier. Characterised by a distinct aroma of berries and delicious flavours of cherries and raspberries, it’s a wild-card pairing for less hearty steak dinners, and is as celebratory as it is complementary.
Buy now £97.99, Selfridges
Thomson & Scott Noughty Rouge Alcohol Free
Dealcoholised to less than 0.5% ABV without stripping it of flavour – no mean feat – Noughty Rouge is a serious alternative for teetotallers, the sober-curious or simply those driving. Made in South Africa, the Syrah is deep red in colour with ripe red fruit, black pepper, dried rose petals and candied cherries, while oak tannins make it a solid match for saucy meats.
Buy now £9.95, Waitrose
Château Ksara Rouge
A heady blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, this Lebanese red – yes, really – features evocative aromas of raspberries, blackcurrant and vanilla with hints of tobacco. In the mouth, it’s rich and complex with flavours of leather and spice. Powerful enough for even dry-aged cuts.
Buy now £18.99, Simply Wines
Harvey Nichols Premium Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault grapes combine to spectacular effect in this exquisite limited-edition bottle exclusive to Harvey Nichols. Juicy and fruity, it’s all smoky brambles, black cherries and toasted oak, while it’s as stellar with a Sunday roast as it is a mid-week steak.
Buy now £32.50, Harvey Nichols
Gordon Ramsay Intenso Rosso
Gordon Ramsay’s first foray into the wine-making business is proving fruitful. His red, Intenso, is a vibrant number of fresh redcurrant and blackberry flavours with a soft and velvety finish. Ruby-hued in the glass, it’s a delight with steak tagliata or ragù Bolognese. Yes, chef.
Buy now £10.51, Tesco
Cali Red by Snoop
Another celebrity getting in on the wine action is none other than Snoop Dogg, the American rapper and actor, who has brought his Cali Red to the table. Full and dense with strong black and blue fruit, it’s bold in character and brilliant with meat.
Buy now £12.00, Tesco
Little Giant Barossa Shiraz
Full-bodied with ripe stone fruit and a touch of spice, this might well be our new favourite Shiraz, while we love the distinctive squat bottle. Flavours of chocolate and mocha go well with chargrilled steak and peppercorn sauce. A classic combination.
Buy now £12.99, Waitrose Cellar
Harvey Nichols HN Napa Cabernet
Sometimes, it’s good to splurge, and when such an urge beckons, you could do worse than splash out on this sublime bottle featuring dark cherries and chocolate, pomegranate and savoury spices. California dreaming, indeed.
Buy now £34.99, Harvey Nichols
Ridgeview Sparkling Red Reserve
Red fizz with rare steak? Hear us out. This limited-release Sparkling Red Reserve from English winemaker Ridgeview – based in Sussex – is a surprise hit with all red meat.
Inspired by a love of sparkling Australian Shiraz, this effervescent number is made from Pinot Noir grapes fermented on their skins, resulting in delicate aromas of cherry and vanilla with flavours of pomegranate and forest fruits. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.
Buy now £55.00, Ridgeview
Bolney Lychgate Red
Waving the flag for English wines – specifically, reds – Lychgate from Bolney Estate in Sussex is a rich and complex wine. Expect flavours of ripe stone fruits, dark chocolate and black olive tapenade. As great with pizza in front of the box as it is a premium steak on the barbie.
Buy now £20.01, Bolney
Hattingley Valley Still Chardonnay
While Hampshire-based winery Hattingley Valley Wines might be better known for its sparkling varieties, the Still Chardonnay 2022 is worth a punt.
It’s unoaked, meaning it’s about as far removed from the heavily-oaked Chardonnays of the 90s as you can imagine, instead offering a wonderfully soft and aromatic wine that’s pale in colour and vibrant on the palate with flavours of citrus and green apple.
Team with a lean steak and a fresh green salad.
Buy now £25.00, Hattingley Valley
Masi Costasera Amarone Classico
Rich, intense and bursting with notes of ripe cherries and sweet spices, this Amarone – a wine famous for its intensely-concentrated flavours – balances strength with elegance. As good after dinner as it is with it.
Buy now £37.99, Waitrose Cellar
Adnams Barolo Docg, Del Commune di Serralunga D’Alba
A mouthful by name and a mouthful by nature, this Barolo – known as ‘the king of wines’ for richness and intensity – is a grown-up bottle for special occasions. Bring out the best of its tannic profile, cherry aromas and plum flavours with beef.
Buy now £22.99, Adnams
Demarie Barbaresco DOCG
Swirl and sniff your way around vibrant aromas of cranberry and chocolate before getting stuck into the sweet pastry and blueberry conserve flavours of this banging Barbaresco. One sip is all it takes to understand why its won so many awards.
Buy now £15.48, Independent Wine
Le Faîte Rouge
Fun fact: the wooden label that hangs around the neck of this iconic bottle from Saint Mont, France, pays tribute to the winegrowers of the past who aged their wines beneath the clay soil using wooden tags peeking above the earth to identify them. But it’s not all gimmicks, thankfully. Juicy plum and black cherry flavours make this an absolute joy with beef.
Buy now £22.99, House of Townend
Teliani Valley Glekhuri Kisiskhevi Saperavi Qvevri
Described as the Georgian version of Malbec – incidentally, one of the earliest wine-producing countries in the world – this Saperavi goes as well with steak as its Argentinian counterpart. Enjoy complexity and structure with nutty aromas and fruity flavours.
Buy now £18.00, Drink Monger
Quinta da Pedra Alta, Rio Tinto
An intensely savoury wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal with black and blue fruits, meaty, spicy notes and smoky, oaky complexity. Toe-curling stuff when teamed with a slab of quality beef.
Buy now £45.49, Bancroft Wines
Fitou Domaine Jones
This full-bodied, big-hearted wine slips down an absolute treat with a steak or simply by itself. Full of ripe, spicy fruit, it’s made from the grapes of over 15 vineyards in the Languedoc, most of which are over 100 years old for freshness, depth and texture.
Buy now £14.50, The Wine Society
Domaine Lafage Authentique, Côtes du Roussillon
Whether accompanying lamb chops or seared steak, this ravishing red captures the larger-than-life character that wines from the south of France are known for, intense and fruity on the nose with chocolate and liquorice on the palate.
Buy now £17.90, Noble Green Wines
Sainsbury’s Taste the Different Pinot Noir
This is for those who didn't think Pinot Noir went with steak. It does, you just have to choose a leaner cut such as fillet cooked medium to rare, then pair with something like this bright and fruity number.
Buy now £11.50, Sainsbury’s
S.C Pannell Garnacha Basso Organic Red Wine
Youthful and flavoursome, this organic Australian wine spotlights fruity red aromas supported by flavours of red pepper, cassia bark and floral notes. A beautiful label means it’s as much of a conversation-starter as it is a companion for steak.
Buy now £20.98, Selfridges
Remastered Sangiovese
Morello cherry on the nose and winter spice on the palate with a finish of dark berries, fig and yet more sour cherries. We loved it with a retro steak Diane. Our new winter-warmer.
Buy now £9.50, Tesco
Crozes-Hermitage Perles Noires
Flexible enough to work with most seasonings, this Syrah is seriously moreish with flavours of liquorice, berries and woody oak, and is largely considered the crème-de-la-crème of the Rhône Valley. Brilliant with a steak doused in butter.
Buy now £24.99, Naked Wines
Aldi Specially Selected Toscana Rosso
Recently outscoring some of its biggest rivals in a red wine blind taste-test, Toscana Rosso is an absolute steal of a bottle, serving up a £10 dupe of the £150 Tignanello by Antinori (Meghan Markle’s favourite tipple). Banging with beef.
Buy now £9.68, Aldi
Zuccardi Serie A Malbec
Full-bodied with black cherry and chocolate notes, this wine works exceptionally well with steak, hot pots and lamb, dark purple in the glass and velvety on the tongue. Ridiculously drinkable.
Buy now £14.40, Tesco
Pink & Co English Pink Rosé
Provence snobs look away now, because this bottle by female-founded Pink & Co will make you rethink what you know about British rosé , not least because it’s almost as pale in colour as your favourite French brands. Originating from the vineyards of the south-west of England, the high acidity in the rosé cuts through the fat of steak to refresh your mouth, while the subtle flavours complement rather than overwhelm the meat. Founder Clem Yates – the only female Master of Wine based in the UK who specialises in rosé – suggests sirloin.
Buy now £22.95, Pink & Co
