What do you pair Bordeaux wine with?

Bordeaux wines have a large palette of styles so you can always find a Bordeaux wine to go with the dish you want to cook.

Actually the best tip I ever had about wine pairing was : “Choose the wine first, and then choose the dish“. Believe it or not, it works! (especially if you are wine lover)

Pairing wine and food is a complex task. But before I give you some examples, remember, you’ve got to be able to enjoy the wine AND the food! So don’t force yourself to eat a dish or drink a wine you don’t like. Meals should be a pleasant moment.

So, what do you pair Bordeaux wine with?

The difficult task of wine pairing

First let’s not forget that each of us has a different sensitivity to flavors and aromatic components. The same level of bitterness, for example, can be perceived much more strongly by one person than by another. This is not just a personal preference, because some like strong reactions and others don’t. These sensitivity thresholds are all different, as are individual preferences.

The “perfect” agreement for one person will therefore be banal, even unpleasant for another. Food and wine pairings must therefore take into account both personal preferences and sensitivities.

Foods include two components that tend to make wines “harder” (more astringent and bitter, more acidic, less sweet and less fruity), namely sweetness and umami. Conversely, two components tend to make wines “more supple” (less astringent and bitter, less acidic, sweeter and more fruity), namely saltiness and acidity.

ANECDOTE : To taste umami, simply compare the taste of a raw button mushroom to that of the same mushroom microwaved for 30 seconds, the umami being significantly enhanced by cooking.

In general, food influences the taste of a wine more than the other way around, and in particular they are more likely to have a negative effect.

Red Left Bank Bordeaux wines pairings

Red Left Bank Bordeaux wines are usually Cabernet Sauvignon – dominated wines. This means these wines are full-bodied with black fruits, spices and earthy flavors. It has high tannins.

These tannins will work with the proteins in the red meat to enhance its flavors. Its texture and earthy flavors will work wonders with heavy, fat spicy steaks or lambs, which is a richer meat, accompanied by mushrooms, truffle… Concerning the vegetables, fennel will enhance the earthy side of the Cabernet.

Its full-body makes it a very robust wine that can easily pair with a burger or a pizza.

Although Malbec is usually associated with dark chocolate, you can also try with Cabernet. The spices in the Cabernet Sauvignon will enhance the bitterness of dark chocolate.

These spices also work with Asian food for example, so try pairing it next time you eat Asian.

Red Right Bank Bordeaux wines pairings

Red Right Bank Bordeaux are usually Merlot-dominant. These wines are still full-bodied but with a little fewer tannins and more red fruits flavors.

It works wonders with more savory meats such as pork or duck. If you like bitter-sweet combinations, you can cook your duck with orange-sauce and associate it with a young Merlot, whose fruity primary flavors will stand out.

If you’re not a meat person but enjoy drinking Merlot wines, fish with veal stock, tomatoes and truffle can also be paired with a red Bordeaux wine.

What about old Bordeaux?

Be careful with old Bordeaux wines (Right or Left Bank). These wines have less body and have often lost their primary aromas. So go easy on the sauce and pair it with less intense meals. You should be on the lookout for light dishes.

For example, I would pair an old red Bordeaux wine with tuna and truffle. The tuna is tasty and fleshy like red meat but finer and tender. Truffle goes perfectly with the spices of both wines.

Dry white Bordeaux wines pairing

Dry white Bordeaux wines have a large palette of styles. Usually a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, it ranges from crispy to creamier wines.

If you are on the crispy side, I would recommend sea food (such as oysters), sushi or veal.

For creamier wines, I would pair it with cheese.

Sweet Bordeaux wines pairing

Sweet Bordeaux wines, such as Sauternes are usually associated with Roquefort cheese. Actually I would say it works with any kind of blue cheese.

If you like bitter-sweet, you can pair it with foie gras or even lobster with sugary sauces.

Conclusion : What do you pair Bordeaux wine with?

All in all, pour wines with the food YOU like. It’s really no use cooking food you don’t like just to make the perfect pairing with a wine you like and vice-versa.

Moreover, there’s just ONE star at the table, so cook simple dishes with complex wines in order to really appreciate the wines and serve simple wines with complex dishes to fully appreciate the food.

For example, I love to pair pizza with Bordeaux! It makes the pizza so much classier and I really appreciate the wine.

So have fun with you pairings. It’s all about YOUR taste so there’s no right and wrong when it comes to eating and drinking well!

Let me know in the comments about your craziest pairings.