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In Rule #2, we discussed the fact that the color of the meat determines the color of the wine (even though there are some occasions where a white meat could be paired with a red wine). In the case of red meat, this occasional exception is never the case. Red meat always calls for red wine.

Red meat is traditionally defined as meat which is red when raw and never white when cooked. This has typically come to mean the meat of most adult mammals (cows, sheep, and horses) and some fowl – for example, ducks and goose – and is much more robust and flavorful because of the presence of blood; indeed, the USDA defines red meat based on the amount myoglobin found in the meat.

Since the vast majority of us do not eat horse and since duck and goose have become rare, let us look at the most common red meat available as our guideline for red meat pairing. As we all know, not all beef is the same. There are various cuts, grades, and issues with chemical and hormone injections and even issues with how the cow was fed. Nonetheless, anytime one serves a red meat, one should serve a red wine.

The most common red wine varietals include:

Cabernet Franc: look for aromas and tasting notes of raspberry, tobacco, cassis, and violets, black currant, and graphite; it may also have some vegetable notes including green peppers

Cabernet Sauvignon: expect a heavy, tannic wine, with jammy notes of black currant, cherry, chocolate, and plum; sometimes mint, eucalyptus, or green peppers

Grenache: expect bright berry notes such as raspberries and strawberries; in some rare instances, coffee, black olives, gingerbread, leather, and pepper notes may be present

Malbec: look for herbal notes, dark fruit such as plum, violets, raisins, pepper, and tobacco

Merlot: expect berry, plum, currant, blackberry, leather, and chocolate

Pinot Noir: look for cherry, raspberry, currant, with underlying sweet spice notes like cardamom and cinnamon, and perhaps an earthy, mushroom-like note

Sangiovese: expect strawberry, spice, cherry, plum, and high acid levels

Syrah (or Shiraz): look for blackberry, pepper, violets, chocolate, coffee, leather, or earthy notes

Tempranillo: expect aromas and flavors of berry, leather, plum, tobacco, and vanilla

Zinfandel: look for raspberry, blackberry, anise, and pepper with a higher than usual alcohol content

Obviously, because each red wine is different they are not interchangeable. Some are lighter body, some are very tannic, some are highly acidic; all of this matters when it comes to determining how to pair a wine with food.

When it comes to body, the lighter the meat or more delicate the flavors, the lighter the body of wine one should serve; the heavier the dish, the heavier the body of wine. If one were serving a pot roast or a prime rib of beef, and it were lightly spiced, the body of the meat (especially if served on the rarer side) would be such that a Pinot Noir might be the best. However, if one were to serve such cuts with a crushed black pepper rub, one might want to serve a Syrah or a Zinfandel.

The advantage to red meat is that picking up a bottle of red wine is never an issue: some examples are available in all price ranges and to match with any meal. As with all things wine related though, the more you taste different wines, the more you will know about what you like and the better-informed of a consumer you will be.

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Also, be sure to check out my ongoing series of articles: Fabulous Friday Feasts, a collaboration with Aimee Plesa, The Rules, which discusses the rules of food and wine pairing, and Cincinnati Secrets, which explores various wine destinations in Cincinnati!