Hearty Beef Stew and Red Wine Pairing for Warmth on a Cold Winter Night

Winter evenings are fast approaching and that means it is time to add new foods to our winter menus. The best winter foods are the ones that warm from the inside out. One of my personal favorites for a cold night in the heart of winter is a hearty beef stew paired with a red wine that is neither underwhelming or overwhelming. Let's start with the stew...

How to Make a Hearty Winter Beef Stew in a Slow Cooker
Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat (cut into 1 inch cubes or desired thickness for beef stew meat)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped (optional since there is an onion allergy in my house)
1 cup beef broth
1/cup Red Wine (I prefer Concha y Toro Casillero Del Diablo Carmenere)
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped

Directions:
Turn slow cooker on low setting and add beef. In a small bowl mix together flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Once mixed pour mixture over the meat. Stir meat to coat evenly with the flour mixture. Place bay leaf on top of coated meat. Slowly add beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce to mixture. Stir. Add in garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots and celery. Stir until everything is well coated. Cover with lid and let sit for 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.

What Side Dishes and Wine Can Be Paired with Hearty Winter Beef Stew?
Although, this beef stew from the slow cooker is filling without a side dish it should be paired with bread of some sort. I highly recommend a bread that is crusty on the outside and soft and tender on the inside which can be dipped into the beef stew.

Pairing a wine with this beef stew is much simpler than choosing the right bread. I recommend using the same wine that you used in the beef stew. In my case, Concha y Toro's Casillero Del Diablo Carmenere because it has a deep, dark flavor of blackberries with hints of coffee and herbs that compliment the stew yet don't overpower the flavors already in the stew. Plus the wine is inexpensive at about $7-$12 a bottle depending on your location and if a sale is going on.

To view more suggestions for inexpensive red wines click here.