The best wine and beer pairings for steak pie

As with many other pairings the best match for steak pie depends how you cook it and whether the sauce includes beer, stock or wine

If it’s beer as in a steak and ale pie the obvious answer is beer - a robust bitter or brown ale I suggest although you could use a strong Belgian ale like Orval or Chimay and if you prefer wine I've drunk old Bandol with steak pie with great success.

Porter and stout are also good pairings for a pie with a dark meaty gravy, especially if the same beer has been used in the sauce. As in this match with steak and stilton pie.

If you use red wine to make the pie that generally makes wine the better pairing. Again no reason why you shouldn’t drink a similar wine to the one you’ve used in the pie - a Corbières, Faugères or other Languedoc red would fit the bill perfectly.

If mushrooms are a feature as in a steak and mushroom pie you could consider a robust style of pinot noir such as those from Central Otago.

If you use stock in the pie which will result in a lighter, less intense gravy you could go either way - a lighter bitter or a medium bodied red like a red Bordeaux or a rioja crianza would all hit the spot.

Some traditional steak pies also include ox kidney which again makes for a richer dish. Again I'd have a marginal preference for a strong beer here though a robust red like a Malbec would also work.

Image © MariaKovaleva at shutterstock.com

10 Argentinian wine pairings that don’t involve steak!

Everyone knows that malbec and steak is a classic pairing but the Argentinians do of course eat other foods and drink other wines. Here are 10 that I came across on my recent trip that might possibly surprise you.

Fresh ricotta with lemon and herbs and semillon

This appetiser at the cheese-centred La Toscana in Neuquen was just perfect with Bodega Noemia’s appealingly smooth citrussy A Lisa semillon (only the 2017 vintage is available in the UK, the 2018 is at Saratoga Wines in NY). It was flavoured with lemon rind and herbs - so easy to do at home.

Llama carpaccio with torrontes

I got into big trouble with a vegetarian friend for eating llama (no worse than eating venison, I retorted) but can’t really tell you what it tasted like as it was masked by the citrus marinade. The team at Roux in Buenos Aires switched the pairing at the last minute to grüner veltliner but I think it would have worked better with the original choice of torrontes (as ceviche generally does)

Braised pork with pear and celery purée, pickled apples and cabbage with a young syrah

One of a number of really good pairings from a brilliant dinner at Ver Sacrum’s La Cayetana which operates as a restaurant inside the owners' house. The pork was slightly sweet given the pear accompaniment and went inspiringly well with a fresh young syrah, a limited edition bottling they sell from the winery. I also loved the gazpacho with goat cheese ice-cream with Alpamanta’s Breva cloudy natural-ish sauvignon blanc and cured trout with confit fennel with juniper, quinoa and beetroot cream with Ver Sacrum's dry PX, also a limited release.

Beef empanadas with malbec

True, this is almost steak but malbec is just brilliant with beefy empanadas. (Not all empanadas are meaty. It depends on the area they come from. We were at Humberto Canale in Rio Negro in Patagonia.) It’s normal anyway for Argentinians to kick off a meal with a red.

Tempura vegetables and miso sauce with friulano

This is the last kind of dish I would have expected to come across in Argentina but it was one of an excellent selection of starters at Narda Comedor a really lovely veggie-inspired restaurant in Buenos Aires. We drank a Gran Lurton Friulano with it from Bodega Piedra Negra in the Uco Valley which was surprisingly fresh given its 14.5% alcohol and just perfect with the white miso sauce.

Aubergine (eggplant), rocket and malbec

Another veggie starter of slightly smoky oven-roasted aubergine (cooked a bit like a baba ganoush) with rocket and herbs at Zuccardi’s Uco Valley restaurant Piedra Infinita Cocina that went really well with their Concreto Malbec - a much lighter, fresher style of malbec than is the norm. It also picked up nicely on the cumin and pomegranate seeds in the dressing.

Sweetbreads and chardonnay

You hardly need me to tell you how versatile chardonnay is with food but you might be surprised at the thought that it matches grilled sweetbreads and chorizo, the popular’ appetiser that often kicks off a meal (in this case at Elena at the Four Seasons). it was a fairly rich style of chardonnay (from Desierto), mind.

Patagonian lamb and pinot

While most of Argentina is steak-focused, Patagonia is famous for its flavourful lamb which conveniently goes incredibly well with the local pinot as I discovered at Familia Shroeder (Their 2017 Saurus select pinot was spot on)

Dulce de Leche and sparkling rosé . . .

You might think you would need a sweeter wine to pair with dulche de leche, the wickedly sweet caramel sauce that manages to find its way into practically every dessert. I did too and was surprised to find just how well a sparkling rosé went both at Elena at the Four Seasons (with Escorihuela Gascon’s Pequeñas Producciones Rosé Extra Brut) and Salentein where they served a warm oozy dulche de leche filled fondant pudding. Both were really refreshing rather than adding to the sweetness of the dish.

. . . and grappa

Another unexpected pairing this time at Catena Zapata where the dulche de leche was sandwiched between crispy layers (a traditional Argentinian dessert called rogel and served with red fruits. It was actually the latter that went particularly well with the malbec-based grapa (with just one p) that they produce at Bodegas Esmeralda.

What to eat with your favourite wines this Christmas

Although we wine writers like to think we might be able to encourage you to be more adventurous in your wine choices this Christmas the truth is you’re probably going to stick to the wines you're familiar with.

But how to get the most out of them?

Of course there’s nothing stopping you drinking Saint-Emilion with the smoked salmon or Sauvignon Blanc with the turkey if you fancy it but your friends and family might be more impressed if you went for a less random pairing.

Here’s what I’d match with some traditional and current Christmas favourites:

Chablis
Often touted as a favourite Christmas buy but unless it’s an older vintage or a grand cru it’s going to be better with seafood than turkey. Perfect with shellfish like oysters and prawns, poached salmon or a good fish pie. For other suggestions see here

Meursault
Meursault on the other hand has the weight to handle the turkey and trimmings provided you don’t make your gravy too dark and sticky. Would be lovely with seared scallops or lobster too.

Sauvignon Blanc
Good party drinking - mostly everyone likes it - and a surprisingly good pairing with smoked salmon. Also a great match with goats cheese if you’re thinking dips or canapés. See here for other ideas .

Pinot Grigio
Another good party option. Lighter than the whites above so might struggle with the turkey. Good when it gets to the 27th and you feel like lighter, fresher food like a tomato, mozzarella and avocado salad or a seafood pasta. Or simply a glass of something cold and refreshing. (Popular Picpoul de Pinet will do a similar job) Check out my other favourite pairings here

Rioja
Better with roast beef or lamb than turkey IMHO but don’t let that stop you. It certainly has the weight to carry the stuffing and sides. Also good to have inexpensive rioja around to go with hearty stews (especially spicy ones with chorizo) or a big family-sized shepherd’s pie. And it’s a great all-rounder with a cheeseboard. Find other rioja pairings here.

Malbec
Everyone’s current favourite it seems and yes, you could drink it with The Bird. Why not, although steak or steak and mushroom pie would be better. You’ll find other Malbec pairings here.

Nuits Saint Georges
My initial reaction is don’t - it’s rarely worth the money and even if you have a good one it’ll struggle with the turkey. But red burgundy IS good with other birds like duck, pheasant and partridge so if you’re having Christmas à deux it could be the perfect bottle. Or a cold game pie. Don’t subject it to the Stilton, though.

Saint Emilion
Modern Saint Emilion is so full-bodied it can easily stand up to the turkey. Ideal for a rib of beef too. (And have you tried it with macaroni cheese/mac and cheese? You should!)

Châteauneuf-du-Pape
With its handsome packaging, surely the quintessential Christmas wine - perfect with the turkey, roast pork - or even wild boar should you come across one. (But a good Côtes du Rhône like a Vacqueyras will do the same job at a cheaper price.)

Prosecco
Probably everyone’s party favourite but because it’s generally sweeter than other sparkling wines. also very good with light cakes and biscuits. Try it with panettone

Champagne
Most likely on your shopping list for a festive toast but you can drink it with more than canapés. If it’s a vintage or full-bodied style it would even work with the turkey and would be lovely if you’re having lobster. Less good, it might surprise you, with smoked salmon, oysters and (mock) caviar unless it’s a no- or low-dosage (very dry) style. Brilliant with anything fried - including fish & chips!

Sauternes
The sweet wine that everyone’s familiar with but it’s not ideal with Christmas pudding or a chocolate bûche de Noël (Christmas log). Better with light fruit puddings or a rhubarb trifle. The French would drink it with foie gras and Roquefort over Christmas.

Sweet sherry
Underrated and just brilliant with traditional Christmas food such as mince pies, Christmas cake and even stollen. And surprisingly good with the Stilton. See here for more sweet sherry pairings.

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