The Best Wines To Serve With Steak According To An Expert

Pairing wines with food is a skill that may seem daunting, but for the most part comes down to discovering combinations that complement or pleasingly contrast. A crisp, dry white wine tends to be more acidic than a full-bodied red, allowing it to cut through a rich, soft cheese or creamy pasta dish. These natural affiliations are why it's difficult to pair wine and salads. Of course, the best pairing is the one you personally like, so it's always good to have alternatives. When it comes to pairing wines with steak, though, Chowhound turned to chef Bryan Ogden of Manhattan's Bourbon Steak.

Ogden helms Michael Mina's latest Bourbon Steak location, a 300-seat steakhouse on Central Park South. This Christmas, the restaurant is taking reservations for an elegant holiday dinner on December 24 and 25. The $185 fixed-price meal features elevated classics like shrimp cocktail, hearts of palm salad, black truffle risotto, the restaurant's signature washugyu ribeye steak, basque brûléed cheesecake, and much more. As wine pairings are generally an important part of such elaborate meals, Ogden's suggestions are worth taking.

The traditional pairing for a big, juicy steak, is a full-bodied, tannic red like a cabernet sauvignon, tempranillo, or a bold malbec. But if red wines aren't your thing, Ogden has a solution: Barrel-fermented or aged sparkling and white wines, which tend to be rounder and more full-bodied than crisp, fruity whites fermented and stored in stainless steel. White wine with steak you say? Read on.

There is science backing the pairing of red wine and steak: The tannins in red wine actually help remove fat molecules that have attached themselves to your tongue and mouth. Meanwhile, beef fat and salt cuts through red wine's brash, tannic astringency, and gives it a rounder mouthfeel. Some aficionados further break down pairings depending on which of the many classic steak cuts you're enjoying.

"I am more traditional," admits chef Bryan Ogden about pairing red wine with steak. "So if I wasn't going red I am going for a Champagne rosé or wood-aged Champagne. Wood-aged chardonnay can work depending on sauces and the garnish." Barrel aging a white wine adds weight, body, and tannins to the wine, giving it a higher acid content to help cut through fats. While most chardonnay these days is rested in stainless steel, barrel-aged versions feature an oakiness and roundness that weighs more heavily on the palate, and works much like red wines in cleansing it between bites. Chardonnay works especially well if your steak is topped with a creamy sauce.

In the end, which wine you drink with a perfectly seared porterhouse is up to you. "But the weight of the wine is the key," says Ogden. "It must be a full bodied wine to really pair well with steak!"