What to drink with a rib of beef? - Food & Wine Pairings

Rib eye or strip steak—it’s hard to choose! But perhaps you’re one of those people, like most French people, who prefer rib eye!

Here are a few tips to help you choose the perfect wine! Château, vineyard, region, appellation, price… We’ll guide you to ensure your beef-and-wine pairing is a complete success!

What wine should you pair with a rib roast?

In short, the best advice we can give you is that this cut of meat deserves some good red wines! Wines from the south of France are perfect for this! You can choose from the following bottles:

• A red Bordeaux wine made from Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. You might want to consider wines from the Saint-Émilion or Graves regions.
• The wines of Languedoc-Roussillon, made from Marselan or Syrah grapes, are perfect.

However, you can use white wine to make a sauce to serve with your meat. And if you really prefer white wine to red, you can choose a Riesling or a white Chablis to pair with your meal.

What wine goes well with a ribeye steak?

Let’s cut to the chase… Go with a red wine! No big surprises here—the color pairing is a no-brainer: red wine with red meat!

A rib roast is a meat with a rich, meaty flavor, and to really bring out its full flavor, there’s nothing better than a nice bottle of wine.

Keep in mind, though, that not all red wines necessarily pair well with this cut of meat.

A wine that’s too light and lacks body won’t hold its own against the meat’s strong flavor and smoky notes if it’s grilled. It’s better to choose a more robust, full-bodied wine to pair with this meat.

Also, keep in mind that you need to adjust the cooking time and method accordingly.

Pairing wine with food

If you're a foodie who loves rare ribeye, full-bodied wines with pronounced tannins are the perfect match. For that, you might want to choose a young vintage.

On the other hand, if you prefer your steak medium or well-done, opt for a bottle that’s been aged for a few years. Its tannins will be softer, silkier, and less pronounced. The aromas often lean toward jammy black fruits. That said, here at Les Grappes, we believe nothing beats a rare rib of beef.

What wine goes well with a roast beef rib?

If you’re planning to roast a cut of meat in the oven, we recommend choosing a fairly dry red wine. Grape varieties such as Marselan, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc are perfect for this. These are found in the southwestern regions of France.

So which appellations should you choose?

If you choose a bottle from the southern vineyards, you can't go wrong!

Bordeaux

For sunny days, we recommend wines from the Bordeaux region, particularly those from the Lalande-de-Pomerol or Saint-Emilion appellations. These wines offer slightly more robust profiles, with a nice tannic structure and a lovely smoothness on the palate. You can’t go wrong with the Château des Annereaux Organic Lalande-de-Pomerol.

For those who prefer smoother, spicier wines, opt instead for a Haut-Médoc or a Saint-Estèphe from Bordeaux’s left bank. You’ll find notes of blackcurrant jam and violets. We highly recommend Château L’Argilus du Roi, a wine with a focus on dark fruit and silky tannins that create a delicious balance.

Languedoc-Roussillon

Have you ever heard that beef pairs perfectly with the garrigue aromas found in wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region? A real treat, from the glass to the plate!

Marselan and Syrah, the iconic grape varieties of the Languedoc region, offer notes of red and black fruits, as well as ripe, jam-like fruits.

If you’d like to try our pairing, you can choose one of our gems from the Hérault region, such as Oscar, a wine from Domaine de la Dourbie, or L’Oeuf Bleu from Domaine Rière Cadène, a Côtes du Roussillon wine.

The Rhône Valley

The Rhône Valley is also full of hidden gems that pair perfectly with beef. For the perfect balance, try an appellation like Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Château Beauchêne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve will be superb with a cut of meat, even more so if it’s grilled on the barbecue or on a griddle! In this estate, the legacy isn’t passed down from father to son, but from father to daughter! And you can really taste that expertise in every sip!

Why not treat yourself to a Côte Rôtie or a Saint-Joseph as well? You’re sure to find the perfect wine pairing!

Which Burgundy wine goes well with a rib of beef?

You can also pair your meat with a prestigious wine from a Burgundy château, such as a Hautes-Côtes de Nuit or a Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru from Château de Prémeaux.

What wine should you drink with a ribeye steak?

For those of you who prefer entrecôte to rib eye, we haven’t forgotten you! It’s true that you can never say no to an entrecôte at a brasserie. This cut comes from the same part of the animal as the rib eye. You can enjoy it all year round. We love it even more in the summer, grilled on the barbecue. It’s the perfect meal to share with friends.

To pair with your ribeye steak, we recommend three wine regions: Saint-Émilion (Bordeaux), Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy), and Vacqueyras (Rhône Valley).

What makes them special? They offer wines that are full-bodied and robust enough to stand up to the rich flavor of beef. Their wines are also rich and indulgent, with notes of fruit and spices, such as vanilla.

Rib eye steak—what a treat!

A rib roast is practically the caviar of meats. It’s not the most delicate, tender, or visually appealing cut, but it’s the only one that really matters. A rib roast is, in a way, the true connoisseur’s cut.

This cut is located just above the beef’s “forequarters,” almost on the back. Whether grilled on the barbecue, pan-seared, cooked on a griddle, or roasted in the oven, the result is rarely disappointing. Whether you’re sharing it with family or friends on a summer evening, there’s always a good reason to treat yourself to a delicious rib of beef. Rib roast, homemade fries—it’s close to a meal designed purely for pleasure. Paired with a good bottle of wine, it’s the perfect match!

Choose wines from small-scale winemakers

At Les Grappes, we’ve put together a selection of our finest wines from small-scale winemakers to pair with your steak! Whether it’s a red wine from Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Languedoc, it’s up to you to choose the region that will delight your taste buds…

Discover our selection of wines to pair with a cut of beef