Beef Bourguignon pairs best with earthy and fruity red wines such as Burgundy, Barolo, Gigondas, Zinfandel and Côtes du Rhône.
Beef Bourguignon is a classic French dish that features beef stewed in red wine, bacon, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. It’s a hearty and flavorful dish that pairs perfectly with a bold and robust red wine.
Best Wine with Beef Burgundy
Burgundy & Beef Bourguignon Pairing
A red Burgundy is a holy grail of Beef Bourguignon wine pairings. After all, Beef Bourguignon means ‘Beef Burgundy,’ and the red wine used to prepare Beef Bourguignon is often Burgundy.
Burgundy is made in France from Pinot Noir grapes and is a light-bodied red wine that’s perfect for pairing with Beef Bourguignon. It’s known for its earthy and fruity flavours, which complement and contrast the rich and savoury flavours of the stew. Look for a Pinot Noir from the Burgundy region of France, where Beef Bourguignon originated.
While Burgundy and Beef Bourguignon is a holy grail of food and wine pairings, you’re unfortunately going to struggle to reach that pinnacle! There are a lot of variances with Burgundy that depend on the year it was grown, the terroir, how old the bottle is, the phase of the moon in which the grapes were picked, and your budget, which all factor into these five out of five-star experience.
Burgundy is expensive as it is a difficult wine to make. Burgundy is also mysterious, elegant, flirtatious and memorable. Up front, you’ll get these amazing notes of flowers, cherry and wild strawberry from your glass of wine. When you sip on it, notes of truffle, forest floor, and earth come to life and mingle with the silky notes of mushroom, onion, beef and bacon in your stew. It’s an orgasm of flavour that only lasts for several seconds at most, but you’ll never forget it and may never experience it again.
Burgundy also tends to be soft in flavour, meaning a meaty dish like Beef Bourguignon can destroy all the subtle nuances of the wine. So while I give it 5 out of 5 stars, there are a lot of caveats!
For the best experience, you’ll have to visit Burgundy, France, where they’ve got centuries of experience pairing up this classic dish with Burgundy. Otherwise, you may have to gamble a bit and try pairing this at home until you find the perfect Burgundy for you.
Bordeaux & Beef Bourguignon Pairing
Bordeaux is a blended red wine from France that is meant to be enjoyed with food. The blended quality of Bordeaux balances out the wine, meaning you get the best of each grape. Bordeaux comes in a wide range of prices, and while lower-cost Bordeaux is delicious, higher-priced Bordeaux will be more flavourful and complex.
With Bordeaux, you’re going to find silky and rich flavours of cassis, dark chocolate, mushrooms, smoke, vanilla, licorice, herbs, mushrooms and herbs all jive with the meaty and earthy stew flavours of Beef Bourguignon.
Bordeaux tends to be high in tannin, which is something you want with Beef Bourguignon as the savoury Beef flavours can obliterate the delicate flavours of softer wines, such as Burgundy, Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. The high tannin profile of Bordeaux softens with age, making the wine more accessible; however, with the high protein and fat content of Beef Bourguignon, this is not a huge concern as protein and fat will tame any tannin in the wine. Tannin also breaks down protein molecules, making your Beef Bourguignon taste even more savoury.
Zinfandel & Beef Burgundy Pairing
While Beef Burgundy is a classic French dish, you don’t have to pair it with a French wine. While I can’t promise you that a man wearing a tall white chef’s hat won’t run out of the kitchen and spit on the floor beside you while cursing in French, the chances of that happening are incredibly rare. So take a chance, and try Beef Bourguignon with something new.
With Beef Burgundy, now is the time to whip out an expensive Zinfandel that has been oaked. Oaked bottles of Zinfandel are expensive but are incredibly delicious with Beef Bourguignon. Expect chewy, dense and juicy flavours of blackberry, cherry, jam, plum, raspberry, spice, black pepper, smoke and vanilla with an oaked Zinfandel, making it a substantial red wine suitable for a rich beef stew.
Barolo & Beef Bourguignon Pairing
Barolo is a lightly coloured red wine that smells of violets, roses and cherries that convinces you that you are about to drink something light and fruity. However, this red wine will knock you on your backside when you take your first sip due to its powerful tannin.
As Barolo is rich with tannin, it requires meat, and lots of it, to soften those tannins up. Fortunately, Beef Bourguignon is up to the task and softens those harsh tannins, allowing Barolo’s flavours of cherry, chocolate, plum, raspberry, tar, white truffle and tobacco to flood your senses.
Rioja Gran Riserva & Beef Bourguignon Pairing
Most of my Rioja pairings are for simple fare, such as tapas, hamburgers, or pizza, as a young Rioja Reserve is bright, fruity, and inexpensive. Rioja Gran Riserva, on the other hand, is often hard for me to recommend as it is expensive, elegant, and best suited to special occasions. I am happy to announce today that Beef Bourguignon a worthy companion to Rioja Gran Riserva!
With Rioja Gran Riserva, expect deep flavours of blackberry, black cherry, leather, earth, plum, spice, vanilla, tobacco and herbs. The smoky flavours of your Beef Bourguignon will work well with the oak flavours of this rich red wine.