Choosing The Perfect Red Wine For Your Next Dinner Party

Red wine is the perfect accompaniment to a range of foods and, for me, no dinner party would be complete without picking out a nice red.

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Depending on what you are serving, different types of reds pair perfectly with your food to really accentuate the taste. Whether you are serving a rich tomato pasta or an indulgent sirloin, there’s a red wine to go with just about anything.

You might think you already know how to pair wines and food but interestingly, bold wines don’t always match well with heavily flavored foods. So, read on for tips on picking the perfect red wine for your next dinner party.

Steak And Malbec

Malbec pairs well with a range of meats including sirloin and rump as well as roasted pork. It even compliments a simple beef burger so would also be a great choice for a BBQ despite being a more sophisticated wine.

A good Malbec is lower in tannins giving it a smoother finish. This works really well with red meat as it doesn’t overpower a perfectly cooked steak but instead takes the backseat and just heightens peppery flavors.

It also works well with creamier cheese such as blue cheese. A blue cheese beef burger would be a fun and flavor-packed dinner party pairing for this wine.

Originating in Southwest France, Malbec quickly made a name for itself in Argentina as it combines perfectly with an Argentinian steak. The notes of ripe plum and dark fruits give it a refreshing taste that cleanses your palate. There are also hints of chocolate which gives it a smooth sweetness. Balancing richness with pleasant acidity, Malbec is a dinner party winner.

Spare Ribs And Cabernet Sauvignon

Another all-rounder on the dinner party table is Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine also pairs well with steak but usually fattier meat such as ribeye. Because it is so good at cutting through the taste of fatty meats, Cabernet Sauvignon pairs perfectly with spare ribs.

As a more affordable option, Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect summer BBQ wine as you don’t need an expensive cut of meat to really appreciate the taste of this wine.

The high tannins can give it a drier taste which is why it works so well with fattier meat. Similarly, Cabernet Sauvignon pairs well with fattier cheese like an aged cheddar or gouda. The taste of Cabernet can also vary a lot from fruity to smoky so you can choose one to suit your own tastes whether you prefer a sweeter or more savory taste. It also has aromas of blackcurrant, dark spices, and cedarwood which pair perfectly with a flavorful stir-fry.

Roast Turkey And Merlot

Whereas Malbec and Cabernet are the perfect accompaniments for red meat, Merlot is a roast dinner staple and pairs well with a range of meats. A pub favorite, Merlot pairs especially well with a turkey roast dinner and would make an excellent choice for a Christmas dinner party. Similarly, it works well with a range of white meats such as your classic roast chicken, or a roast duck in red wine sauce.

Aged in oak, Merlot offers vanilla and rich woody flavors as well as tastes of blueberry and plum. Because it is so easy to drink, Merlot can be enjoyed with a range of foods as well as by itself. Depending on whether it was grown in hot or cold climates, you can also expect a range of tastes from bitter chocolate to fruity raspberry.

The good thing is, no matter the region, a Merlot is always an easy to drink option and a safe bet for most dinner parties even if you’re just ordering in a pizza.

Spaghetti Bolognese And Sangiovese

Rich tomato sauces always go well with red wine, but pairing a spaghetti Bolognese with the perfect red wine match heightens the flavors. A Sangiovese goes so well with this dish, and any tomato-based sauce, because of the cherry fruit and herbal notes which combine perfectly with sweet tomatoes and oregano or other Italian spices.

Another reason why this food and wine pairing works so well is that Sangiovese is one of Italy’s best-known wine grapes making it perfect for Italian food.

The savory taste makes it a delightful dinner party accompaniment and the high tannins mean that it brings out subtler flavors in the sauce. Your dinner party guests will think your spaghetti Bolognese is the best they’ve ever tasted with this wine pairing.

Port And Stilton

Red wine and cheese are a match made in heaven but if you are serving your guests a cheese board for dessert, you’ll want a special wine pairing to really impress them.

A sweet Port pairs perfectly with a strong cheese like stilton. What’s more, bringing out a second wine for dessert really shows your guests you know what you are doing when it comes to red wine.

Port gets its name from its country of origin, Portugal, and is a common dessert wine because of its rich and sweet taste. It has fruity notes like most red wines as well as hints of caramel, cinnamon, and chocolate which give it that ultra-sweet taste.

If a cheeseboard isn’t your dessert of choice, Port also works well with a range of chocolate, caramel, or nutty desserts. Really any kind of dessert can only be improved with a glass of Port to go with it.

Conclusion

No dinner party is complete without red wine and finding the right pairing for your meal can make all the difference. It’s a good idea to test different red wines with your meal first as each variety can have different notes depending on the region it comes from and how long it has been aged. But whether you’re ordering a pizza or sautéing a steak, as long as you have a high-quality red wine, your dinner party is sure to be a success.