Pairings | Rack of lamb
Top wine pairings for lamb
It’s true that lamb is one of the most wine-friendly of meats, as at home with red Bordeaux and Rioja as it is with the fruitier wines of the new world. But if you’re looking for a spot-on wine pairing it’s worth thinking just how - and for how long - you’re going to cook it.
And, though you might not have thought about it before, how old it is.
Here’s my wine pairing guide to wine with different lamb dishes
‘Baby/milk fed’ lamb
A delicacy more popular in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy and south-west France than in the UK and one that deserves to be paired with fine wines - top quality Bordeaux, burgundy and Rioja, all with a few years’ bottle age. (Mature wines go well with this style of lamb)
Spring lamb served pink with fresh herbs and/or spring vegetables
Cuts like rack of lamb, noisettes and leg of lamb - exactly the sort of dishes you might be thinking about for an Easter feast (unless you’re living in the southern hemisphere, of course). Again, the wines mentioned above will work well but I’ve got a bias in favour of Pinot Noir or cru Beaujolais with this type of dish. Dry rosé, especially vintage rosé Champagne, is also good.
Roast lamb served medium-rare to well-done, with garlic or rosemary and/or a winey sauce or gravy
The way many households would prepare a leg of lamb for a multi-generational family get-together. This is more robust treatment than the above which would work better with a younger, more fruit-driven wine such as a younger red Bordeaux, Cabernet or Cabernet/Merlot blend, a Rioja reserva, a Chianti Classico or a northern Rhône red. (The same goes for lamb shanks cooked in red wine.)
Lamb chops
Often served simply on the grill - maybe with some grilled Mediterranean vegetables such as courgettes (zucchini) or peppers on the side. A medium-bodied red wine such as a Chianti or a Mencia from northern Spain would be delicious as would reds from the Southern Rhône or Languedoc.
Slow-roast shoulder of lamb
A fattier, more flavourful dish, especially if made with older lamb such as hoggett or mutton. A slightly gamey Rhône or Spanish red such as a Ribera del Duero is a good choice with this.
Typically British/Irish lamb stews and hotpots, shepherd’s pie
The characteristic of these types of dishes is their very simple flavours - sweet-tasting lamb, stock and a few root vegetables with maybe a sprig of thyme or bay. Big tannic reds will overwhelm them - stick to inexpensive country reds such as a Côtes du Rhône Villages. (Or, frankly, a British pale ale.)
More exotic lamb stews such as tagines or lamb with aubergines
Robust, rustic but not overly tannic reds such as Côtes du Roussillon, Languedoc reds and young (crianza) Riojas.
Lamb curries such as rogan josh
A fruity, slightly porty red such as a Douro red or Zinfandel should work provided the accompanying dishes aren’t too hot. India Pale Ales (IPAs) are also good.
Chargrilled/barbecued lamb
Depends on the rub or marinade. If it’s spicy you’ll need a wine with some sweet fruit like a Chilean Cabernet, Pinotage or an Australian Shiraz. If it’s marinated, Greek-style, with lemon and herbs look for a wine with a bit less fruit and a bit more acidity. (Italian reds such as Chianti and Barbera fit this description. (See this recipe for lamb and porcini kebabs with sage and parmesan.) Crisp Greek whites like Assyrtiko and strong dry rosés are also enjoyable.)
For more inspiration, see my 5 favourite pairings for wine and lamb.
Image © Natasha Breen - Fotolia.com
The best food pairings for cabernet franc
Cabernet franc can be the most food-friendly of wines, as good with fish and veggies as it is with meat but it comes in several styles. If you’re looking for a food match for cabernet franc I’d be mainly thinking of the lighter more fragrant Loire type which stars on its own in such appellations as Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, Bourgeuil, St Nicolas de Bourgeuil and Chinon. Even then it can vary from vintage to vintage and from lighter wines to more serious oak-aged examples.
In this post, you’ll find the best food pairings (and some favourite recipes) for
* Fresh, young Loire cabernet franc
* Mature, oak-aged Loire cabernet franc
* More full-bodied cabernet franc from countries such as Argentina, California and South Africa
Fresh young Loire cabernet franc
Young cabernet franc has a distinctly herbal quality and tends to pair well with dishes flavoured with herbs, especially dill, fennel, rosemary and tarragon. Think chicken with herbs like roast chicken with herby crème fraîche or this lavash, chicken and herb pie with barberries, both from Olia Hercules, a herb-crusted rack of lamb or a navarin of lamb
It also has an affinity with green vegetables especially when they’re grilled or roasted - such as grilled asparagus (as you can see here), purple sprouting broccoli and even grilled artichokes. If you’ve got a vegetarian dish of spring vegetables such as asparagus, peas and broad beans you should reach for a bottle. And while it wouldn’t be my first choice with a spanakopita (Greek-style spinach pie) - I’d rather drink a crisp white - it would definitely work.
Pair it with herby Ottolengi-ish salads with bulgur, freekeh or other grains, especially with a herb dressing.
Evan Goldstein in his book Daring Pairings suggests enchiladas verdes, a combination I haven’t tried but I can definitely see would work. Anything with a tomatillo salsa too.
Like gamay, Loire cabernet franc also works well with charcuterie especially terrines and patés
Lightly chilled it can be a really useful pairing for fish, especially grilled tuna or salmon
It’s also good with goats cheese, young pecorino and other young sheep cheeses
and like Beaujolais you can pour it over or drink it with strawberries
More mature oak aged Loire cabernet franc
I’d be thinking of lamb again though maybe slow roast shoulder or a butterflied leg of lamb rather than rosy little lamb cutlets. Steak frites too.
I’d be more inclined to go for duck than chicken and feathered game such as pigeon (squab) pheasant and partridge
It would also work with light offal dishes such as kidneys or sweetbreads. Classic French bistro food.
Riper, more full-bodied cabernet franc from countries such as Argentina, California and South Africa
These behave quite like malbec in terms of wine pairing so red meat, especially steak, is an obvious go to. You could easily drink it with a barbecue including spicy sausages such as chorizo and merguez or with kebabs.
Read more about my take on cabernet franc in my recent Guardian column.
Note: Cabernet franc also plays a major part in Bordeaux blends including some of the most famous Bordeaux reds such as Cheval Blanc and in South America where it is generally riper and more full-bodied.
If you’re looking for a match for Bordeaux blends check out this post: What food to pair with red Bordeaux
Image by VICUSCHKA at shutterstock.com
The best food pairings for Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is one of the most versatile red wines to match with food and a great option in a restaurant when one of you is eating meat and the other fish.
There are ingredients that will pair with practically any pinot noir, for example, it's a classic wine match for duck. Pinot can also pair well with salmon or tuna, depending on the way you’ve cooked them and the style of pinot you’re drinking.
Here are some food pairings for different styles of pinot noir, most of which (barring the mature pinots) should be served cool or chilled:
Light, fresh pinots
Such as: inexpensive red burgundy, Alsace pinot noir and other less expensive pinots, especially from poor vintages
Good pairings: Charcuterie, ham and other cold meats. Patés and terrines. classic French dishes with light creamy sauces such as rabbit or kidneys with a mustard sauce. Goat cheese. Grilled asparagus. Spring vegetables such as peas
The best pairings with red burgundy
Sweetly fruited pinots
Such as: those from Chile, New Zealand and California with bright berry fruit
Good pairings: Dishes with a touch of spice such as crispy duck pancakes (and hoisin duck bao buns as I've recently discovered!), grilled quail, pulled or char siu pork, seared salmon and tuna. Barbecues. Roast or other cooked beetroot dishes. Dishes that include cherries or figs like this duck and fig combination at Kooyong in the Mornington Peninsula
Silky, elegant pinots
Such as: top red burgundy and other Burgundian-style pinots
Good pairings: Roast chicken or guineafowl (even with lots of garlic as this post illustrates. Pigeon. Rack of lamb, served pink. Rare fillet steak and carpaccio. Beef Wellington. Roast pork with herbs and fennel. Chicken or turkey sausages. Calves liver, sweetbreads. Dishes with morels and other wild mushrooms. Mushroom risotto. Roast or grillled lobster
Rich, full-bodied pinots
Such as: those from Central Otago or pinots from a hot vintage
Good pairings: Butterflied lamb, chargrilled steak, venison. Dishes like cassoulet or duck with olives if they’re more rustic. Roast goose. Hare Royale as you can see from this post. Coq au vin where the sauce is made with pinot noir. Glazed ham. Roast turkey. Brie and similar cheeses. Milder blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola dolce.
Mature, truffley pinots
Such as: older vintages of Burgundy
Good pairings: feathered game such as grouse, partridge and pheasant. Cold game pie. Dishes with truffles.
See also
Top pairings with pinot noir - Natasha Hughes' report from the 2009 International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC)
Pinot Noir and Asian food - some observations from Ch'ng Poh Tiong
Pinot Noir and lamb - my report on a workshop at the 2011 IPNC
9 Fine Wine Matches for Duck - Including Pinot Noir and other suggestions
Photo by freeskyline at shutterstock.com
Wine and lamb: my 5 favourite pairings
It’s tough to say what the best wine matches for lamb are - it’s served so many different ways and there are so many wines (mainly red) that work but here are my five favourites.
Bear in mind lamb is a slightly fattier, gamier meat than beef and carries spicing well - you’ll find lamb dishes all over north Africa, the eastern Mediterranean and India. But it can also be quite delicate and sweet - when served rare for example.
Here are the five I most commonly reach for:
PINOT NOIR
The wine to go with more delicate lamb dishes such as rack of lamb served with spring vegetables, lamb noisettes or a spring lamb stew (See this report from the International Pinot Noir Convention a couple of years ago to see how ‘new world’ pinots performed against classic red burgundy)
RIOJA
Go to the Rioja region of Spain and you’ll invariably be offered a mountain of lamb cutlets cooked over smouldering vine cuttings - one of the most delicious examples of vineyard cuisine you’ll find anywhere. And a red Rioja reserva is the ideal partner.
CHIANTI
If you’re serving your lamb Italian-style with garlic and rosemary reach for a bottle of Chianti Classico. Its fresh acidity offsets lamb’s slight fattiness perfectly - one of those matches which makes both the wine and food sing.
RED BORDEAUX AND SIMILAR BORDEAUX BLENDS
Another part of the world where lamb is a favourite, particularly in the Médoc. Again likely to be served simply with garlic. A red Bordeaux or similar blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot will offset it beautifully. (Also good with classic British dishes such as Lancashire hotpot and shepherd’s pie!)
SOUTHERN FRENCH REDS AND OTHER GRENACHE/SYRAH/MOURVEDRE BLENDS
Wines from the Rhône and Languedoc-Roussillon are good for more robust lamb dishes such as braised lamb shanks, Moroccan tagines or other spicy stews and casseroles - even milder lamb curries.
For a longer list of options read Top Wine Pairings for Lamb
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