Wine is a wonderful complement to steak. In most cases, red wines are the best choice, but the cut, the way you cook it, and the sauces you serve with it can affect the match-up. Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits offers some tips from our experts’ for great wine and steak pairings.
Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits is the leading wholesaler and retailer of premium wines, beers and spirits in the Cayman Islands. Discover award-winning wines from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Portugal and South Africa, as well as the finest French, Italian and American wines.
Visit any of our five convenient locations in George Town, Seven Mile Beach, West Bay, Savannah and East End. Or, place an order in our online store and choose free delivery to anywhere on Grand Cayman from Monday through Saturday.
Wine & Steak
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of red wines and widely accepted as one of the world’s best varieties. It’s a full-bodied red wine that is primarily known for its blackberry, currants, and dark cherry flavors that can stand up to most any steak, including those prepared with smoke, marinades or pepper. The high alcohol levels and tannins cut through the fat, making the steak more flavorful and the wine smoother and less bitter.
Recommendation: Cakebread Cabernet or Bacio Divino “Il Decimo Bacio” (the Tenth Kiss), a savory, sumptuous, full-bodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, both from California’s Napa Valley.
Malbec
Malbec is another delicious red wine and is one of France’s most heavily produced and popular wines. It is also cultivated and produced in large quantities in Argentina, where it’s consider an ideal pairing for beef. Malbec features a rich, full bodied taste with berry-like fruit flavors. It is considered to be a dry wine and pairs well with steak.
Recommendation: Achaval Ferrer Malbec Mendoza; the winemaker is renowned for its world-class Malbec, the red wine grape from the mountainous ranges of the Andes for which Argentina is famous.
Merlot
Merlot is easy to drink, and many people consider it to be the Chardonnay of red wines. It is the second most popular type of red wine behind Cabernet Sauvignon. A dry, full-bodied wine with flavors of watermelon, strawberry, cherry and plum, it also features soft notes of vanilla, mocha, and cloves. It pairs well with any type of food, including red meat.
Recommendation: Try the delicious Whispering Tree Merlot from the Columbia Valley in Washington state, or the 2017 gold medal winner of the TEXSOM International Wine Awards, Ferrari-Carano Merlot from Sonoma County, California.
Zinfandel
Zinfandel may be the world’s most versatile wine grape, making everything from blush wine (White Zinfandel), to rich, heavy reds. Although the grape originated in Croatia centuries ago, the best ripe, sweet black cherry flavored versions come from California. Zinfandel has high acidity and moderate tannins. It’s a great match for steaks that have good amounts of fat, such as rib eyes, T-bones and Porterhouse steaks.
Recommendation: Try the excellent Frog’s Leap Zinfandel from California’s Napa Valley.
Visit Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits for more help with wine and steak pairings, and take advantage of delivery, free of charge, anywhere on Grand Cayman.
