The best Italian wines to pair with a meat menu

Have you come up with your meat menu, but now you don't know which wine to pair with it? It isn't always easy to accompany every dish with the right wine, but fortunately there are many varieties of Italian wines to suit all tastes.

Which wine to pair with meat?

Let's start by dispelling the myth that meat can only be paired with red wine. For the right wine-meat pairing, there are multiple aspects we have to take into account: the type of dish and its succulence, whether or not you're using spices and sauces, and the type of cooking, and more besides. The general rule to remember is definitely that a delicate and simple dish should be paired with a light wine, while a complex and elaborate dish should be paired with a structured wine with good tannicity. Also, meat can be red, white or black and this can also guide us in our choice of wine and meat pairings.

The best wines to pair with steaks

If you can only enjoy steak accompanied by a good glass of wine, it's good to know a few pointers which may come in handy when choosing a wine. Lean cuts of meat go well with a light wine, while fatter cuts require full-bodied wines. For example, the Ribeye cut of steak goes very well with Amarone della Valpolicella or Cabernet Sauvignon, wines which are good for contrasting the fattiness of its meat through the concordance or contrast given by the hints of fruit. Filet mignon, on the other hand, is a type of high-quality, lean and tender cut of steak which goes perfectly with wines like Chianti, Merlot and Pinot Noir because they're characterised by a distinct acidity with fruity and floral overtones. If, on the other hand, you're looking for the ideal wine to go with roast or braised meats, then the multi-award-winning Primitivo di Manduria DOC 2019 "Lirica", one of the most critically acclaimed wines, is definitely worth a try.

Wines to go with turkey and white meat

Increasingly common in many diets due to their low fat content, white meats like chicken, turkey and rabbit are also the ones which go best with light and medium-bodied wines, whether white, rosé or red. Recipes like almond chicken or chicken curry are a perfect combination with wines like "Baiasyra" Terre Siciliane IGT Rosé or "Caparbio" Lazio Bianco IGT 2020. Examples of red wines to pair with white meats include Aglianico, a typical wine of Southern Italy, or the "C'era una volta" Bonarda dell'Oltrepò Pavese DOC sparkling wine.

Which wine to pair with game?

Game dishes are very structured and aromatic dishes, so they need a wine with a good personality to fully enjoy the meat and wine together without their flavours overpowering each other. When choosing the right wine, you'll need to bear in mind whether the game is furry, feathered or aquatic.

 Furry game, like roast hare or rabbit, goes well with a Nebbiolo for example, while wild boar meat needs a wine with an aromatic and rich bouquet like Barolo, one of the most famous Italian wines.

With feathered game, one interesting combination could be with Chardonnay or with a Valtellina Superiore like "Garof" from the Mamete Prevostini winery. Medium-bodied red wines like Barbaresco or Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG are excellent with water game, like goose and duck, especially accompanied by sauces.

Pork and cured meats: which wine to choose?

If you too love Italian pork and cured meats, you'll be amazed to discover how many wines you can pair with these dishes! Pork is a meat with an intense flavour which can hold some surprises when paired with a good Chianti or Nero d'Avola wine. Cured meats and sausages are also produced from pigs: leaner and sweeter cured meats like Parma ham can be enjoyed with fragrant white wines, like Pinot Grigio, while fattier cured meats are best paired with soft red wines. Cooked cured meats like mortadella, on the other hand, prefer to be paired with sparkling reds like Lambrusco.

What about burgers or patties?

What happens when a burger meets wine? Although we're used to accompanying burgers with beer, it's possible to make this dish an unforgettable experience if it's paired with the right wine. Whether your burger is served on its own or with bread, toppings and sauces, we recommend you try pairing it with a rosé wine, like "Rosè" Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC or with a sparkling wine, like "Bellavista" Rosè Franciacorta DOCG 2017. Do you love meatballs? Try this winning combination: polpetto al sugo, a typical Italian dish, with Nero d'Avola or Dolcetto d'Alba!

We bet you're now eager to try the combinations we've recommended with a nice plate of juicy meat! Choose the right wine for you from our Svinando experts' selection!