A rare steak is one of the most rewarding and in some ways easiest foods to match with wine. You’re definitely going to want a red for this one, and truthfully you can get away with a lot. Anything fairly big and red will do, but why settle for anything less than a stellar match?
Traditional wisdom is to go with a Cabernet Sauvignon based or Merlot based wine, and traditional wisdom isn’t wrong. It’s just boring. You want some structure, but ultimately you don’t need as big tannins for a rare steak, and you want a wine with plenty of acidity and the right flavour profile to emphasize how juicy (read bloody) your steak is.
Don’t settle for boring…
A lot of Sangiovese-based wines offer the tart cherry/cranberry flavour and zippy acidity to make your mouth water with a rare steak. Look for a spicy Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, or a heavy-hitting Super Tuscan blend. Brunello’s cheaper sibling, Rosso di Montalcino, can often be had at a fraction of the price and it works quite well. If you’re feeling adventurous and brave, tackle the more obscure Sagrantino di Montefalco, but be warned the tannins may prove quite fierce.
The wines of Bordeaux
France has its own answer to the rare steak scenario with the famous wines of Bordeaux. These wines are based on Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, and are probably the first answer most people give when asked about matching wine with a rare steak. These wines also offer good acidity and fine tannins, but at their best can also offer more subtlety and depth that is perhaps less apt to overwhelm the food than the Italian wines suggested above. The problem here is that Bordeaux can get very pricey very quickly, and I think it is much easier to find a pretty decent wine from Tuscany, or Montalcino without breaking the bank than a decent Bordeaux. If price is not an issue, or you think you’ve found a hidden gem, by all means these wines make an excellent match with a rare steak.
Beyond Bordeaux
But France has more to offer to steak-lovers than just Bordeaux. Some people swear by red Burgundy with a rare steak. These wines won’t have quite the weight of the Bordeaux or Super Tuscan wines, but they have plenty of depth, acidity, and tannin when you find the right one: I’d look more at the Cotes de Nuits for steak. The Languedoc and the Rhone both have a lot of spicy complex wines to offer that have what it takes to pair with steak. Look for Grenache based wines like Chateauneuf de Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Syrah based wines like Cote Rotie, Hermitage, and Cornas.
Another honourable mention would be the wonderful wines of Rioja which can be truly fantastic with age: earthy, dark fruit, toasted cardamom and savory spices. If you’re strongly inclined towards the new world wines, then California Cabernet Sauvignon is always a good bet, though you often end up paying a lot to get something decent. In general, I prefer to stick to a more classic styled wines with a rare steak and skew more towards riper more heavily oaked wines the more well-done a steak gets. Any bold and powerful red will do, but something with some tannin and more than just juicy jam flavours would be preferable. At the end of the day, it’s your palate, and you’ve got lots of options with a rare steak. Don’t be afraid to get a little outside of your comfort zone and track down some big reds you’ve never had before.
Summary
Tart cherry/cranberry flavour and zippy acidity: Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, or a heavy-hitting Super Tuscan blend
Great match, high price: Bordeaux
French without the Bordeaux: Chateauneuf de Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Syrah based wines like Cote Rotie, Hermitage, and Cornas
Earthy, dark fruit, toasted cardamom and savory spices: California Cabernet Sauvignon
