Pairings | Sausages

The best food pairings for syrah

Posted by Fiona Beckett on February 22 2023 at 07:38

Syrah and shiraz, as you may know, are the same grape variety but quite different in character. Syrah, especially from the Northern Rhône, tends to be savoury, shiraz from Australia, far more sweet-fruited.

In this guide, I’m concentrating on food pairings for syrah. Learn, for example...

*Which meats and cooking styles bring out the best in syrah’s savoury notes?

*Are there surprising vegetarian or cheese pairings that work beautifully with syrah?

*How do you pair high-end syrahs like Côte Rôtie or Hermitage with food?

*What unexpected dishes, like fish or Moroccan tagines, pair well with syrah?

What sort of food goes with syrah?

In a nutshell, meat, especially steak and other beef dishes. Particularly if it’s grilled or cooked on an open fire. With an inexpensive syrah think steak frites: a rib of beef with a finer, more expensive wine.

Pork is also good, especially if it’s grilled.

Garlicky Toulouse sausages are divine. In fact garlic generally makes syrah sing as do fragrant herbs such as thyme, oregano and rosemary (think Provençal and southern French food generally). Be wary about black pepper though. Just because there are peppery notes in syrah doesn’t mean you should pair it with peppery food. Something like a steak in pepper sauce can cancel out the pepper notes in the wine.

Oh and black olives. Great with syrah if you want to add them to a dish.

Why not lamb? Personally I think there are better matches for lamb. For me lamb is best with cabernet, tempranillo (especially rioja) and Italian reds but I’m not going to get precious about it. Go for it!

In terms of pairing syrah with vegetarian dishes I’d go for hearty dishes based on beans or lentils and intensely flavoured vegetables like aubergines and mushrooms. And syrah is one of the best red wines with cheese.

I’d also suggest different food pairings for different styles of syrah.

Young quaffable syrah

These are often natural, brimming with fresh, bright berry fruit - real vins de soif (thirstquenching wines) as the French call them. Perfect with charcuterie and cheese - so the wine for your fancy meat and cheese platter. Especially with olives!

Young syrahs are also good with lighter meats like grilled and sautéed chicken and rabbit like this braised rabbit dish.

Medium bodied syrah around 2-5 years old

e.g. Crozes-Hermitage, or Saint-Joseph (sometimes referred to as cool climate syrah)

We’re talking slightly more substantial, more full-bodied syrah here, with a bit of bottle age. Typically from the northern Rhône.

So grilled meat again, obviously but also think braises and daubes which are excellent with this style, especially beef short ribs (especially with Cornas). Oxtail and ox cheek too. And I do like black pudding with a syrah. (Haggis too, come to that)

Although I prefer a ripe new world style with barbecue (see below) they’re also tops with a fatty lamb belly kebab according to my colleague Zeren Wilson. And, to my surprise, with this pairing with coffee and maple syrup-brined pork though I’d probably still go for the fruitier type of syrah below.

Think cheese too with this style of syrah. Aged Comté can be bliss.

Ripe fruity syrah from e.g. California and Chile.

Typically fruitier than Northern Rhône syrah but less ripe and full-bodied than an Australian shiraz.

Great with American-style barbecue and spicy marinades, especially with pork (think pulled pork. Look at this pairing of spicy grilled quail and a Boekenhoutskloof Syrah too. They work with hoisin duck too.

You could even try it with seared or grilled meaty fish like tuna as in this pairing with Elephant Hill syrah.

If your wine is labelled shiraz, particularly if it comes from Australia, click here.

Posh syrah

Syrah produces some of the most seductive wines in the world - think Côte Rôtie, Hermitage and Grange (which in my view counts more as a syrah than a shiraz from a pairing perspective) If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle what should you pair with it?

Basically the answer is the same sort of food you’d eat with a cheaper syrah, only up the quality. Think rib of beef, Chateaubriand, Wagyu beef and aged Galician beef. Venison and wild boar will also show off a top syrah as will feathered game such as grouse, pheasant and pigeon/squab (see also below). Same goes for goose - top Rhône syrah is a great wine to put on the Christmas table. It also has the intensity to handle rich wine-based sauces or ‘jus’.

You might also think of veal kidneys if you like them.

Syrah (along with syrah blends) also handles cheese better than more fragile burgundies or Bordeaux so they’re a good wine to drink with a cheeseboard as long as you avoid pungent washed-rind cheeses and strong blues.

Older syrah vintages

Syrah ages well, often developing a gamey note which itself goes well with game, especially pheasant, pigeon and woodcock as you can see from this report about a spectacular Cambridge college dinner. That’s true of ‘new world’ syrah too as this pairing of a 17 year old Californian syrah and venison proves.

Think too of well matured beef like Pete Hannan’s Himalayan salt-aged beef which will bring the fruit in an older vintage to the fore.

And you might be surprised but the gentle spicing of Moroccan food, especially tagines, seems to work well with mature syrah. Worth thinking about them with middle-eastern and Persian food too.

What are your favourite pairings with syrah?

Read this post if you’re looking for matches for shiraz though there is obviously some overlap.

Top photo ©chiyacat at shutterstock.com
Charcuterie photo ©rawpixel at shutterstock.com
Wagyu beef photo ©hlphoto at shutterstock.com

The best food pairings for Chianti Classico and other Tuscan sangiovese (updated)

Posted by Fiona Beckett on September 29 2021 at 07:26

There’s a lot of talk about how the wines of a region tend to match its food but that seems truer of Tuscany than almost anywhere else.

The traditional reds of the region - almost all based on sangiovese - work so effortlessly well that the locals barely bother with anything else, drinking them right through the meal (well up to the point they switch to vin santo …)

Because of its marked acidity, particularly when young, Chianti pairs brilliantly with tomato sauces, pizza and pasta bakes such as lasagne but it’s also a great wine with a simple grill or roast or even (gasp!) a burger. Here are my favourite pairings:

Inexpensive or youthful Chianti Classico

Paccheri con ragù chiantigiano e funghi porcini

Crostini, especially topped with mushrooms or chicken livers

Pasta with a meat or tomato sauce e.g. ragu bolognese, spaghetti and meatballs and even meatloaf

Baked pasta dishes such as lasagne

Pizza

Grilled cheese sandwiches

Bean or chickpea soup

Dishes with rosemary and fried sage

Dishes with salsa verde - even fish like this roast cod dish

Salumi especially salami with fennel

Pecorino cheese

Tuscan olive oils

Aged or ‘riserva’ Chianti Classico

Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic

Roast or braised veal, especially with mushrooms

Peposo - beef cooked with Chianti and pepper

Tuscan-style sausages and beans

Game, especially rabbit, pheasant and wild boar

Burgers (surprisingly, maybe but think of the tomatoes and cheese … )

Top level Gran Selezione Chianti Classico

Similar dishes to the above though the Italians would tend to go for steak such as a Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

Top photo © Emiliano Migliorucci at fotolia.com

The best food pairings for Grenache

Posted by Fiona Beckett on September 17 2021 at 08:27

Although grenache is a grape variety that is not often celebrated, it’s one that deserves a closer look. As usual it’s hard to pin down a definitive style but it’s fair to say grenache is usually full-bodied, soft and low in acidity. Some grenaches are pretty powerful - usually due to natural bedfellows like syrah and mourvèdre being blended in - others, like Côtes du Rhône, are easy-drinking.

Its natural homeland is the Southern Mediterranean, especially France and Spain where it is called garnacha but there are some fine examples from Australia, California and Washington State. It’s a great wine for autumn and winter drinking.

But what truly makes Grenache shine is its ability to pair beautifully with a wide variety of foods. Whether it’s robust braises and stews or classic British pub dishes, Grenache has no difficulty standing up to big flavours. In this post, we’ll explore the best food pairings for Grenache, with tips and insights that will help you make the most of this versatile wine.

Top Food Pairings for Grenache

Braises and stews

My favourite type of food for grenache is braises and stews: long slow cooked roasts of pork or lamb that may even be a little bit fatty (shoulder of lamb and lamb shanks, for example). It suits daubes and stews with dark, winey sauces too

I like grenache too with classic French bistro dishes such as rabbit and hearty Spanish or Portuguese country cooking. It can take a bit of spice - I think there’s a particular affinity with paprika and pimenton. I enjoy a grenache with a goulash - and it would certainly go with milder curries like a rogan josh though I wouldn’t serve it with lighter Indian dishes. Grenache-based wines tend to go well with the slight sweetness of Moroccan tagines too.

British pub classics

A simple grenache or grenache blend like a Côtes du Rhône is a versatile match for many British pub classics like sausage and mash, shepherds pie and steak and kidney pie. Its absence of tough tannins also it a more accommodating match for cheese than many more structured reds, especially British regional cheeses such as Cheddar and Red Leicester. Grenache also pairs well with cooked dishes like macaroni cheese and with veggie bakes and lentil or bean-based dishes. Lighter, fruitier styles such as cheap Garnachas from Spain make good barbecue drinking - Grenache seems to like a bit of smoke.

Even the Christmas turkey!

A serious Grenache dominated red such as Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe is good with richer and gamier birds - I think it makes a great match for the Christmas turkey but you could also pair it successfully with guineafowl, pheasant or pigeon, especially if accompanied by caramelised roast root vegetables like carrots, beets and parsnips.

Priorat can take even more robust dishes such as venison and oxtail as you can see from this post though other grapes may have a more dominant influence.

There are of course also Grenache - or Garnacha - whites (characteristically earthy/Rhôneish) and strong, dry rosés - good partners for charcuterie and Spanish classics like paella and pork and beans and porty southern vin doux naturels like Maury, Banyuls and Rasteau which, like port, pair particularly well with chocolate, grilled figs and blue cheese (not all together, obviously!)

What not to pair with red grenache?

Well, it’s usually pretty high in alcohol so it wouldn’t be my ideal choice for steamed or raw dishes such as seabass or salads - even ones including meat - or subtle cuisines such as Cantonese or Japanese. It’s not great with citrus either which, for me, rules out Thai. And I think there are better matches for Italian food (most Italian ones) although Grenache is oddly good with dishes that contain cooked tomato and aubergine. But it’s a great seasonal wine - a warming, welcoming bottle to serve for the coming days of autumn and winter. Grenache should have its place in every cellar.

Photo ©Rostichep @fotolia.com

Tags: Spanish rosé vin doux naturel Maury Rasteau Banyuls drink:sweet & fortified wine Languedoc Tavel Grenache rosé Garnacha Rosado white Côtes du Rhône drink:rosé Côtes du Rhône Blanc Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe Blanc Collioure Blanc white Rioja white Grenache Rhône drink:white wine Mourvèdre Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe Syrah Côtes du Rhône Garnacha Grenache drink:red wine chocolate figs food:fruit blue cheese paella charcuterie root vegetables oxtail venison game Christmas dinner Christmas turkey vegetarian Christmas turkey barbecue bean bake beans pulses macaroni cheese cheddar Red Leicester pie meat pie steak and kidney pie shepherds pie mash sausages sausage and mash rogan josh tagine curry goulash pimenton paprika lamb lamb shanks should of lamb casserole braise stew daube pork rabbit Moroccan cuisine Indian cuisine cheese grenache drink:red wine
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The best food pairings for Pinotage

Posted by Fiona Beckett on October 11 2019 at 06:21

Like any other red South Africa's Pinotage comes in different styles - some lighter and fruitier than others. When you're matching it with food you take a cue from the sort of ingredients and dishes that go with its two ancestors - Pinot Noir and Cinsault.

Pinotage never has the elegance of a fine burgundy of course but it will go with the same sort of dishes as a more robust, rustic Pinot Noir: dishes like smoked duck and pulled pork for example. The Cinsault heritage gives it a compatibility with Mediterranean ingredients like peppers and aubergines, rustic French bistro dishes and baked pasta dishes like lasagne. It’s also not a bad wine to serve with a pizza, particularly one with a meaty topping.

It can also take a fair amount of spice. I’ve successfully paired it with a hot curry (Indian rather than Thai) and it more than holds its own with spicy barbecue sauces and with chilli con carne. (In general I think it benefits from being served a couple of degrees cooler than the ambient temperature - that is to say, cool rather than chilled).

You could happily drink the lighter styles which are becoming increasingly popular with charcuterie, especially coarse country patés and more robust styles with wintry stews like the one-pot South African potjies (especially with game). Its slight portiness also makes it a good match for hard cheeses like cheddar and even a blue, especially if served with fresh figs.

Its forte however is with a classic South African braai where it will take almost anything in its stride from marinated lamb to Cape Malay or Cajun-spiced ‘blackened’ fish. (Like Zinfandel it loves chilli and smoke) It’s also really good with venison burgers and sausages or - come the winter - a hearty game pie.

Veg-wise think in terms of aubergines, grilled portabello mushrooms and dark leafy greens.

Photo © johnnyslav at Adobe Stock

Food pairings for wheat beer II - hefeweizen, dunkelweizen and other German-style wheat beers

Posted by Fiona Beckett on July 31 2015 at 07:57

German wheat beers are sufficiently different from Belgian wheat beers to merit a separate post - so what are the best food matches for hefeweizen with their striking banana and clove flavours?

Of course some of the same pairings will work but in my view hefeweizen are better with richer, sweeter seafood dishes and pork than witbier. They’re also less spicy so less good with the citrus and herb flavours that work so well with witbiers.

Hefeweizen such as Schneider Weisse and Franziskaner

Weisswurst and pretzels - THE classic south German breakfast pairing

Any kind of cured pork: sausages with potato salad, smokey hams - and the accompanying pickles

Roast chicken or pork

Fried chicken or veal (wiener schnitzel)

Chicken caesar salad

Richer seafood such as scallops and lobster (I’m betting lobster rolls are particularly good)

Hot smoked salmon and sautéed salmon

Chicken-based Tex Mex dishes like burritos

Apple tarts and turnovers

Mark Dredge suggests banana cake and roast banana in his book Craft Beer World. And Saveur comes up with this recipe for banana pudding which I must say I like the look of.

Dunkelweizen

Some of the above pairings will work with the richer, malty flavours of dunkelweizen but I would put more emphasis on:

Smoked ham and bacon

American-style BBQ

Mole (the Mexican dish not a small furry creature)

Fried chicken, veal or pork with a tomato and pepper sauce

Matured cheeses such as Gouda and Parmesan

If you found this article useful take a look at my post on matching witbiers. And there’s a useful article by beer writer Ben McFarland here on matching wheat beers. Quoting yours truly, as it happens . . .

Image by Wolf-Henry Dreblow from Pixabay