WHICH MEATS? WHICH REDS?
By Panos Kakaviatos
The wine exuded fragrant black cherry notes. My dinner guests appreciated its vinous yet silky nature. But we lost interest fast when it was poured for a robustly seasoned rack of lamb with mint jelly. The Pinot Noir's delicate flavors, coming from the lovely Burgundy Meo Camuzet Nuits St. Georges, were effaced by the minty meat (not to mention thyme, rosemary, basil and garlic).

If you match meats with red wines, the devil is in the details. You have to know which meats - and which reds.

Pair appropriately: delicate with delicate, robust with robust. A hearty Australian Shiraz or - what we ended up opening - a powerful Sine Qua Non Syrah from California, are wines that better match robust flavors from highly seasoned lamb, especially with mint jelly.

One also has to account for nuance. When my sister invited me to dinner for her daughter's (and my niece's) 15th birthday this past Monday evening, I carefully examined the wine list and chose a Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet for the roasted loin of veal we ordered. Partly because I had not had a quality Napa Valley Cab recently, partly because the veal came with a richly flavorful port reduction sauce and spaetzle - rich German pasta, seasoned with mustard. Robust flavors again requiring a strong, opulent wine. But in this case, the nuance: the extreme finesse of the veal also required a smoother wine than the intense Syrah I enjoyed with the lamb the other day. Indeed, the Cab's suave blackberry and blueberry flavors, at the same time richly jammy in a Napa manner, fit the bill perfectly.

Some say that Cabernet (and Merlot) work best with beef dishes, but I generally opt for Pinot Noir, especially when the beef is simple and refined. Filet mignon? The best possible match would be a great Burgundy - yes, the slot could be filled perfectly with the Nuits St. George that was wiped out by all those spicy flavors from the lamb. With a great cut of beef, the cherry notes and airy elegance of the Pinot accentuate the filet perfectly… Another option would be a properly aged Bordeaux, Spanish Ribera del Duero or Barolo from Italy. The strong tannins in these wines when young mellow with time and nicely accompany a quality cut of aged beef.

As with any dish, preparation matters. If one were to have a steak au poivre, than a peppery wine would go better: a Syrah, again, would do the trick. Or a zesty Malbec from Argentina. For simple lamb cutlets without too many added spices - especially without mint jelly - then young Bordeaux would be perfect. Have you ever tried Pauillac lamb from Bordeaux? The dream match: Pauillac wines (Cabernet dominated blends).

Meantime, strong venison flavors require strong wines - or at least zesty wines. For your next serving of game, confidently serve an Italian Amarone della Valpolicella or quality California Zinfandel - if you like Zins.

The earthy, spicy flavors of sausage seem to go quite well with Sangiovese-based wines, like Chianti, which often evokes musky flavors and aromas. Cotes du Rhone and quality Beaujolais work, too.

White meats like pork and poultry are often best matched with medium to full bodied white wines, but reds work, too. Your best bet would be fruity reds. Lush Oregon Pinot Noir or Loire Valley Cabernet, for example. Again, it depends on how the food is prepared. A pork roast with prunes and mushrooms, for example, would obviously go better with a slightly stronger wine, such as Bordeaux.

Some meats however scream for beer. I may be an obsessive wine lover, but the refreshing feel of an ice-cold beer with barbecued hamburgers on a hot

summer day is hard to beat, I give. I

Panos Kakaviatos is a wine writer for decanter.com and is currently sommelier at the Chanticleer in 'Sconset. Visit his website at www.connectionstowine.com.