The best wine pairings for vitello tonnato

One of the best hot weather dishes, this piquant dish of cold poached or roast veal (or sometimes pork) with a tuna, anchovy and caper mayonnaise invariably pops up on menus at this time of year. But what to pair with it?

(You may also come across a vegetarian version based on tomatoes which I have to say is equally good. There’s a recipe here.)

As with most dishes it’s more about the sauce than the basic ingredient. Given that’s a tuna and anchovy mayonnaise that’s the key element you’ve got to match.

Here are some ideas that might help.

* as it originally comes from Piedmont a Piedmontese white like Roero Arneis or a Gavi seems a good place to start. Other neutral dry Italian white wines such as a Vermentino or even a quality Pinot Grigio from the Alto Adige would be a good match too.

*It’s not traditional but a mineral Chablis or Aligoté would work as would a mature Muscadet-sur-lie or an Albarino.

*Try a dry rosé - especially Provençal rosé (see also this longer list of good Provencal rosé pairings)

* Personally I think it’s more a white wine dish than a red but a young Langhe Nebbiolo or other light Italian red like a Valtellina or even a light red burgundy would work fine. (Not too lush and fruity a pinot in my opinion as the anchovies and capers will accentuate its sweetness. Italians rarely drink wines without a fair amount of acidity in them.)

Image © zoryanchik - Fotolia.com

The best wine pairings for steak tartare

Should you drink the same sort of full-bodied red wine with steak tartare - raw chopped beef - as you would with a grilled steak?

It is, of course, raw rather than rare which means doesn’t have the grilled surface for big tannic reds to latch on to - and it’s often served as a starter which may also lead you to a lighter wine.

On the other hand it’s generally well seasoned with ingredients such as capers, mustard and Tabasco so you do need a wine that can cope with a bit of spice.

Personally I like a light juicy red wine with my steak tartare but there are other good options...

4 good wine matches for steak tartare

Steak tartare by Nadin Sh at shutterstock.com

 

Beaujolais
I’m a big fan of Beaujolais with steak tartare as you can see from this earlier post. It has exactly the right casual bistro vibe. Go for a ‘cru’ Beaujolais like a Morgon. 

Other juicy light red wines
Such as a young syrah or a mencia from Bierzo or Ribeira Sacra in Northern Spain. I’ve even enjoyed a young Coteaux du Languedoc with a steak tartare: ‘natural’ reds tend to work really well.

A good dry rosé
I originally suggested Bandol but actually other good quality Provence rosés work really well too as you can see from this ‘Match of the Week’ post.

Steak tartare and Provence rosé

Champagne
Especially rosé champagne. Crémant (other French sparkling wine) or cava if the budget’s a bit tight.

And a good non-wine option . . .

A vodka shot (or two). Not frozen though.

For other steak pairings check out

The best wine pairings for steak

Top photo by Mironov Vladimir at shutterstock.com

A quick guide to wine pairings with a Sunday roast

For many of us Sunday roasts aren’t a weekly occurrence any more but that makes them even more of a treat - worthy of a good bottle of wine. But which should it be?

I’m assuming it’s served with the traditional British accompaniments, by the way - the sort of Sunday lunch you get in a pub.

The good news is that roasts are very forgiving so almost any red you enjoy tends to rub along. A couple of things to bear in mind if you want to raise the game is what kind of sauce or gravy you’re serving with the meat and the type of vegetables.

The more full-flavoured the accompaniments the riper and more full-bodied the wine needs to be (so think reds from the southern hemisphere and California rather than more traditional northerly parts of Europe).

Yorkshire pudding and roasties? They don’t make a huge difference winewise but what would a Sunday roast be without them?

Wine with roast beef

These days beef is generally served rare which calls for a red wine with some structure and tannin. My own choice would be a good red Bordeaux or similar Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. Or cabernet or merlot on their own. Malbec and shiraz are always good with beef too

For more suggestions see Which Wine (or beer) to serve with roast beef

Wine with roast lamb

Depends a bit on the cut and what time of year you’re eating it (spring lamb is particularly delicious with pinot noir) but in general I’d go for a Rioja or Ribera del Duero or, again, a red Bordeaux or cabernet sauvignon. I like a good Chianti with roast lamb too.

For other ideas check out my top wine pairings for lamb

Wine with roast pork

I actually like cider with roast pork but wine-wise you can go white or red. Whites that work particularly well include chenin blanc and viognier while Rhône reds like Côtes du Rhône and similar grenache, syrah, mourvedre blends from the Languedoc and elsewhere in the world are a good red wine choice. Also, if you like Beaujolais, that’s great with pork!

See also six of the best pairings with roast pork

Wine with roast chicken

Again you can go white or red with roast chicken but bear in mind it’s a lighter meat so needs a less full-bodied, high alcohol wine. For me red burgundy or other pinot noir would be the ideal red wine choice while I’d go for a subtly oaked chardonnay if I was drinking white. Viognier is good with chicken too.

Try some of these other great matches for roast chicken

And not your average Sunday roast but if you’re looking for wines to serve with roast turkey you’ll find some suggestions here https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news/pairings/top-wines-to-drink-with-turkey/

Wine with a vegetarian Sunday roast

Often served with similar types of veggies and gravy to a meaty roast so many of the above suggestions will work equally well. Good all-rounders in my book are fruity pinot noirs (especially with mushrooms), Côtes du Rhône and Rioja. Both Merlot and malbec are pretty versatile too.

Here are my suggestions for the best wine pairings with a nut roast

Top picture by Magdanatka, roast chicken and vegetables by MShev, both at shutterstock.com

The best wine pairing for steak (updated)

Steak is a natural partner for red wine, but is there a definitive “best” red for steak?

While it’s easy to say that any good red will do, you can fine tune the match. The cut of the steak, the way it’s cooked, and the sauce you choose all play a role in determining which wine will work best with your dish. And if you’re not a red wine drinker you can even pair steak with white wine too.

Here are the key factors to bear in mind when you’re choosing a wine for steak:

How rare or well done it is
The rarer a steak is the more it will lessen the sensation of tannin in any accompanying wine. So if you have a young or comparatively young full-bodied red - a cabernet sauvignon or malbec, for instance - a rare steak will make it taste smoother and more mellow

How charred the outside of the steak is
The more charred a steak is the more ripeness/sweetness you want in your wine. A Coonawarra or Napa Valley cabernet for example or a Stellenbosch cabernet sauvignon.

How much fat there is on the cut
The fattier a steak is the more robust a wine it needs. Rhône reds or other syrah or GSM (grenache/syrah/mourvèdre) blends are perfectly suited to ribeye steaks while a leaner fillet steak pairs better with a pinot noir.

What sauce you’re serving with it
Sauces make a difference. A rich red wine sauce like my Essential Steak Sauce will need a wine that can stand up to it like a malbec or a good quality red Bordeaux. (If you’re making the sauce yourself drink a wine of slightly better quality than you used to make the sauce).

With a peppercorn sauce you don’t want a wine that’s too oaky and/or high in alcohol or it may make each mouthful too spicy. A ripe Rhône or Languedoc red such as a Minervois should work well.

With a béarnaise sauce a pinot noir is a good match or you could even drink a rich white like a Meursault or other full-bodied chardonnay.

With a punchy Argentine chimichurri sauce malbec is the obvious go to.

How old the wine is
If you’re serving an older red ease back on the saucing and serve the wine with its natural juices. If it’s a very old vintage you might even want to serve the steak medium-rare rather than rare - and hold the salad.

My 5 best wines for steak

All that said these are the wines I regularly go back to with steak and which won’t let you down. (Basically we’re talking full-bodied reds)

1. Malbec (especially Argentinian malbec)

Malbec has earned its place as a go-to steak wine, particularly those from Argentina. Why? They’re satisfyingly rich, smooth and plummy - real crowd pleasers. Look out particularly from wines from the Uco Valley.

Check out this idea for a Steak and Malbec supper 

2. Cabernet and cabernet/merlot blends e.g. red Bordeaux

Elegant structured cabernet sauvignon such as the ones you get from the Napa Valley are fantastic with most steaks - equally so when the wine has a proportion of merlot. Steak is probably the ideal way to show off a special bottle, especially with a classic red wine sauce

See also Six of the best pairings for Cabernet Sauvignon

3. Merlot

Merlot is generally softer, smoother and more velvety than cabernet on its own so well suited to leaner cuts like fillet and rump. It goes well with mushrooms too

See also Which foods pair best with merlot

4. Shiraz/syrah

Both shiraz and syrah work with steak in slightly different ways. Australian shiraz in the same way as cabernet sauvignon and malbec - it’s a similarly full bodied red to serve with a nicely charred steak cooked over the coals. Syrah is more savoury - a better choice with a classic steak frites.

See also six of the best food pairings for Australian shiraz

5. ‘Supertuscans’ and other modern Tuscan reds

Although Chianti Classico is a great pairing for the classic bistecca alla Fiorentina more modern Tuscan reds which contain a higher proportion of cabernet and merlot are probably a more versatile match if you’re serving a steak with a creamy sauce or lots of sides.

See also

The best wine pairings for steak tartare

The best wine and beer pairings for a steak pie

You can also serve steak with sake as you can see from this free post

Top image by Natalia Lisovskaya at shutterstock.com