 For many of you, a high-end expensive meal out can be summarized in one word--steak. With that in mind, let's look at a few top reds which are the perfect match for steak.
When choosing a wine to pair with your steak, you first need to select one with a good level of tannin. Tannins help break down the fats in red meats and help your body process them, rather than letting your arteries store them! As with all grilled foods, a bit of lemon juice on a steak is often fantastic, so a wine with a good, but not overly-high, level of acidity is also desirable, especially when your steak is served with some rich sauces.
So my top picks--readily available in Taiwan--would be:
1. Good Bordeaux red from France: Wines from the Bordeaux region are mostly dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Franc (a cousin of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape). In my Taiwan experience, when you get over the NT$850/bottle mark, there is a dramatic increase in quality for wines from Bordeaux. The Cabernet Sauvignon gives the wines good acidity and high tannins and, when blended with Merlot, often has more rounded fruit and a bit more weight. Look out for wines from Cotes de Bourg, Premieres Cotes de Blaye and Bordeaux Superior for good value.
2. South America wines: When it comes to value for money, it's hard to beat some of the South American wines on the market. I'd look at something like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Carmenere from Chile's Maipo Valley, or a Malbec from Mendoza in Argentina. These wines will probably be a little heavier, with riper, richer fruit flavours than those from Bordeaux, but at their best can be superbly well balanced and full flavoured.
 See if you can find some of the excellent Weinert wines from Argentina, although many that I see on the shelves here are getting too old. Or look for the fabulous organic Coyam, Emiliana Organico and Adobe wines, all made under the watchful eye of Alvaro Espinoza, who not only was voted the world's best young winemaker a few years back, but is also a really down-to-earth, nice guy, who I met several times while he was working for his former winery, Vina Carmen (also great wines).
So there are a couple of tips. Go shopping, find a restaurant that will let you bring some wine, and go for it!
Cheers,
Kris
kris@wineconnection.co.nz
0916-222-336 |
June 2014
