Food & wine wisdom

Decanter’s contributing editor Fiona Beckett shares her food and wine pairing expertise

THREE WAYS WITH steak

Steak is such a classic pairing for red wine that it’s tempting to say just serve almost any red wine you usually enjoy, but if you want to elevate the experience here are three things to think about. Firstly, how it’s cooked, in particular how rare it is, and whether it’s charred. If your steak has been cooked over coals, ripe New World reds generally work better. Secondly, consider the sauce you’re serving with it. For instance, a classic red wine marchand de vin would lead me to a Bordeaux, but a chimichurri salsa to a Malbec. Thirdly, the cut. If it has a high proportion of fat, you might want a wine, as in the case of the Chianti mentioned below, with a higher level of acidity to cut through this.

It’s also worth taking into account how old the meat is. The slightly gamey flavour of the aged beef that has become popular over the last few years benefits from a correspondingly mature wine such as an old Ribera del Duero, Bandol or a mature Shiraz or Syrah.

STEAK BEARNAISE

You prefer white wine to red, even with steak? Serve it with a béarnaise and splash out on a Meursault or other sumptuous Chardonnay, which will echo the rich, buttery sauce. If the wine has to be red, choose Pomerol or similarly fleshy Merlot.

CHATEAUBRIAND

I generally find Pinot Noir too ethereal and delicate for fattier cuts, but the smooth, lean texture of fillet steak can be a really good foil for a top red Burgundy or German Spätburgunder, especially if it’s served with mushrooms on the side.

BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA

I’d definitely go for a Chianti Classico with this, not just because it’s traditional but because of the way the meat is cooked: rare, with a drizzle of olive oil and often a squeeze of lemon, which offsets the wine’s acidity, making it taste superbly smooth.

For more food and wine pairings, check out Fiona’s website matchingfoodandwine.com