It’s an old husband’s tale that goes: “White wine with fish and red wine with meat.”
It’s a good rule of thumb. Red wine is — in our book of rules, anyway — obligatory when it comes to a juicy tender cut of roast beef. In the years that we’ve been working on this theory, we’ve found that the better the wine, the better the synergy.
Well-balanced wines with good structure and tannins proved to be better companions to rare to medium rare roast beef. Beef is really meaty in a weighty way, flavorful and fatty. This calls for a wine with good balance and a modicum of tannic acid to bounce off the proteins and fat.
A few weeks ago we did a dry run of a holiday dinner complete with prime rib and horseradish mashed potatoes. The Waterbrook 2008 Columbia Valley Reserve Cabernet was a great match with the dish. The inviting currant aromas with a backdrop of cedar and herbs on the nose and the plum and berry flavors in this Bordeaux-styled blend (88 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 percent Cabernet Franc, 2 percent Malbec) are nicely balanced with well integrated tannins. That’s what made it so compatible with the roast.
Waterbrook wines have been around since 1984 and during that time they have won a huge number of medals. This lovely bottle is easily found in most grocery stores and wine shops. It’s normally $25 but can be found on sale this month for around $22.
Hope everyone had a great holiday and are gearing up for a great New Year’s Eve!
