The Best Types Of Wine To Pair With Dry-Aged Steaks
Despite the time investment and relatively high risk of failure, more and more people are dry aging steak at home. Flavorful, complex, and ready to impress, dry-aged steak is great all on its own, but a glass of wine is the perfect companion for this kind of meal. Curious what types of wine go well with dry-aged steak, we reached out to K.C. Gulbro, owner of both FoxFire and Copper Fox and chef ambassador for Certified Angus Beef.
"For wine with dry-aged steaks, I like California Cabs or Washington cab Francs," Gulbro told Tasting Table. By California cabs, Gulbro is referring to cabernet sauvignon; one of the most iconic big-bodied red wines. Cabernet Franc is a touch lighter in body compared to cabernet sauvignon but has a generous layer of tannins that give it a delightfully herbal flavor profile. "I prefer my wines to have a slight peppery finish," said Gulbro.
Cabernet is a classic, but natural wine is adventurous
While both options are perfectly up to the task, you aren't limited to these wines alone. As Gulbro points out, "Since the steak is dry aged, you may not need strong tannins to cut through the fats." Both cab sauv and cab Franc have relatively high levels of tannins, which is why they're often paired with steak. But, as Gulbro points out, dry-aged steak differs from more traditionally prepared steak in that the fat content is less pronounced. This means we can expand beyond the typical steak and wine pairings in search of something more unique.
Since dry-aged steak is so packed with unusual flavors, it might help to understand the difference between complementary and congruent wine pairings. In this scenario, the congruent wine pairing would be the Cabernet Franc since it matches the steak's pungent aromas and funky flavors with its own complexity. Of course, you could go even further and opt for a funky natural red wine with notes of earth, barnyard, or moss. Any local wine store worth its salt will stay up to date on what the best natural wines currently are, so feel free to ask them what's in stock.