The short answer

Across 309 steak pairings on 309 of our bottle pages, the grapes our editors pour most often are Tempranillo (105), Cabernet Sauvignon (63), Merlot (50) and Sangiovese (45). For example, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial from Rioja with chuleton de buey: Aged-beef chop frames the wine's fine tannin and savoury oak.

By style: red 305, white 1, fortified 1 of the 309 pairings.

The wines that turn up most: DOCa Rioja, DO Ribera del Duero, Toscana, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, DOC Alto Adige.

The best grapes for steak

50 pairings

Merlot

Entrecote with bone marrow butter with Chateau Haut-Brion: Full body and cassis fruit stand up to the richness of marrow; scorched-earth notes bridge the char on the meat.

25 pairings

Syrah

Ribeye steak with bone marrow with Cote-Rotie La Landonne: The wine's iron minerality and dense tannins demand richly marbled beef.

19 pairings

Cabernet Franc

Bistecca alla fiorentina with Sassicaia: Cabernet weight and graphite mineral handle the T-bone.

14 pairings

Mourvedre

Aged Bordier butter on grilled steak with Domaine Tempier Cabassaou: The dense Mourvedre tannins find balance in the cultured-butter fat; salt sharpens the dark fruit.

Bottles to pour with steak

The best-rated pairings, one per producer and no more than two from any one region, so the list travels.

Bistecca alla fiorentina

Valpolicella Giuseppe Quintarelli

The Cabernet spine and graphite tannins are the perfect counterweight to charred Chianina beef fat.

Giuseppe Quintarelli Alzero →

Ribeye steak with bone marrow

Rhone Valley redE. Guigal

The wine's iron minerality and dense tannins demand richly marbled beef.

Cote-Rotie La Landonne →

Entrecote with bone marrow butter

Bordeaux redChateau Haut-Brion

Full body and cassis fruit stand up to the richness of marrow; scorched-earth notes bridge the char on the meat.

Chateau Haut-Brion →

Beef entrecote with bone marrow butter

Bordeaux redChateau Pavie

Full-body and concentrated fruit match the richness of prime beef and marrow; acidity cleanses.

Chateau Pavie →

Beef tagliata with rosemary

Friuli-Venezia Giulia redMiani

Grilled beef and Merlot's plum-and-graphite spine lock together.

Miani Calvari Merlot →

Chuleton de buey a la brasa

Rioja redArtadi

A grand aged-beef chop for Spain's icon single-vineyard red.

Vina El Pison →

Grilled bistecca with bone marrow butter

Sicily redGirolamo Russo

The wine's austere iron-mineral power demands the richest, most indulgent beef preparation.

Girolamo Russo 'A Rina →

Grilled Sicilian beef tagliata

Sicily redPassopisciaro (Vini Franchetti)

The wine's dense tannins and dark-fruit power call for the richest beef cuts.

Passopisciaro Franchetti →

Iberian presa (shoulder steak)

Jerez & Sherry fortifiedEquipo Navazos

Full body and dry structure support the marbled richness of premium Iberian pork cuts.

La Bota de Palo Cortado →

Taste the pairing: food and wine in Rioja

Food and wine tastings you can book in Rioja, one of the regions whose bottles our editors pour with steak.

Food and wine tastings in Rioja (5) · Wine tastings and winery visits in Rioja (14) · Wine tours and day trips in Rioja (13) · All wine and food experiences

pairings by region

Wine with steak, FAQ

What wine goes with steak?

Across 309 steak pairings on 309 of our bottle pages, the grapes our editors pour most often are Tempranillo (105), Cabernet Sauvignon (63), Merlot (50) and Sangiovese (45). For example, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial from Rioja with chuleton de buey: Aged-beef chop frames the wine's fine tannin and savoury oak.

Red or white wine with steak?

Most often red: of the 307 steak pairings, the split by style is red 99%, white 0% and fortified 0%. The bottles below show which of each work and why.

Which wine regions are best with steak?

The regions with the most steak pairings on our bottle pages are Rioja, Tuscany and Bordeaux.

More pairings

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