How to Choose a Wine for Beef or Poultry Dishes

When choosing wine to go with beef, take into consideration the sauces, seasonings and cooking methods used to prepare the dish.
Instructions

STEP 1: Consider the strength of the flavors and aromas in the dish. Pair powerful flavors and aromas with a powerful wine. If the flavors are more delicate, choose a wine with more finesse.

STEP 2: Pair full-flavored dishes such as steak au poivre with a wine that has lots of black pepper aromas and flavors. The best are made with grenache, especially those from the Gigondas region of France's Rhone Valley, Chateauneuf du Pape and Spain's Rioja.

STEP 3: For a delicate beef carpaccio or steak tartare, choose wines with subtle red-meat aromas, such as cabernet sauvignons and merlots. Wines from the Napa Valley floor and Bordeaux exemplify this style.

STEP 4: For "beefy" dishes such as grilled steak, choose intense, smoky wines, such as Barolo or Barbaresco. Big, tarry cabernet sauvignons from the Napa Valley and mountains can also stand up to a juicy steak.

STEP 5: Choose a less complex wine to go with s complex sauce. You don't want your wine to compete with your sauce, and vice versa.

STEP 6: For hearty beef stews with heavy spices and herbs, pick spicy syrah-based wines from the Rhone regions of Hermitage and Cote Rotie or California's central coast.

As you learn the flavor and aromatic profiles of red wines various regions, pairing them will become almost second-nature.

How to Choose a Good Wine for Poultry

It's sometimes said that only white wines fare well with poultry. However, take into consideration sauces, seasonings and cooking methods and you will find that soft red wines pair nicely with certain fowl.

Instructions

STEP 1: Keep in mind how the poultry will be cooked, as well as its natural flavor and texture. Try to complement or contrast the flavor and texture of the poultry with your wine.

STEP 2: Try a spicy wine, such as an off-dry pinot blanc from the Alsace region of France, for chicken or turkey prepared with heavy spices. You could also pair either with a red Burgundy from France or pinot noir from the United States.

STEP 3: Pair delicately flavored chicken in subtle, mild sauces with lighter, more delicate wines. Very few young red wines fall into this category, so a white Savennieres from the Loire Valley of France or a pinot gris from Oregon would nicely fit the bill.

STEP 4: Consider a higher-acid wine, such as a sangiovese from Italy, a white Burgundy from France, or a pinotage from South Africa, for a fattier, richer bird such as a hearty duck breast.

STEP 5: Try a full-flavored, smoky riesling from France or a heavily oaked, premium Napa chardonnay for any grilled poultry dishes.

STEP 6: Try pairing quail or any game bird with red or white wines that have a fair amount of earthiness. Whites from cold regions, such as Chablis from France or whites from south Australia, as well as wines made from the nebbiolo grape, will have plenty of earthiness to match the gamy flavors of roasted pheasant or squab. (Nebbiolo is the predominant grape of the Piedmont region of Italy. There are some great nebbiolos coming from California nowadays as well.)

STEP 7: Use these examples as a guide to making an informed wine purchase with maximum quality and value.

The first rule of food and wine pairing is always to drink what you like, no matter what someone else says.

The old adage of white wine with fish and red wine with meat is a good rule to live by, but there are some notable exceptions. If you keep in mind the principles of complementing and contrasting flavors, you'll have a winning combination every time.