Should You Pair A Brisket With Red Or White Wine?

Brisket is considered to be one of the best barbeque meats. It is a large cut of meat from the lower chest area of a cow and is quite tough. It is the primary cut for barbeque, corned beef, and Jewish pot roast.

The meat needs to be cooked over low, slow heat to bring out its scintillating flavor. Brisket can be braised, roasted slowly, or even smoked to render it soft and incredibly flavorsome. It has a wonderfully dense and savory taste when cooked properly.  

Should You Pair A Brisket With Red Or White Wine?

Wine enhances the flavor of the meat. But before choosing the wine, there are a few points to consider, they are:

• Is the brisket smoked or braised
• The sauce or spice rub used 
• The accompanying side dishes

 

Usually, brisket is paired with red wines as they have soft tannin levels and are high in acidity. Red wines are richer and full-bodied and cut through the fat while cleansing the palette and balancing out the flavors of the dish.

Depending on how the brisket is cooked, you can choose the style of red wine to complement it. Red wines such as Montepulciano, Syrah (Shiraz) and Rosso Conero are best matches. 

 

Is It Better To Pair Brisket With Lighter Or Heavier Wines?

Brisket is well paired with heavier wines, usually reds. This prevents the meat from overpowering the taste of the wine. Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz are highly recommended, being heavy and full-bodied.

 

What Is A Traditional Wine Pairing For Brisket?

The most popular wine served with brisket is Zinfandel. It has a smoky taste with notes of plums, berries, licorice, and black pepper, which helps balance out the flavor of brisket.

Pinot Noir is another well-loved wine that is often paired with brisket. It goes especially well with smoked or slow-cooked brisket. Pinot Noir brings zestiness to the meat with its plum and raspberry notes and cleanses the palate.

Merlot is another classic red wine pairing. A medium to full-bodied Merlot, with raspberry, vanilla, and mocha notes, brings out the juicy flavor of brisket. 

 

Should You Pick Wines With Higher Or Lower Tannin Levels?

Brisket should be paired with red wines that have low tannin levels. This is because of the high-fat content in the meat, which needs to be balanced out. If the tannin levels are high, the wine will overpower the flavors of the meaty dish. 

Wines such as Ribera del Duero, Rosso Conero, and Syrah (Shiraz) have low levels of tannin and give a smooth and velvety finish.

These wines have flavors of black cherries, raspberries, and blueberries with notes of brown sugar, dark chocolate, and vanilla, along with hints of spice and pepper. This complements the luscious fattiness of the brisket.     

 

Is Rosé A Good Pairing With Brisket?

Rosé is an exquisite wine that goes well with brisket. Its light body and good acidity compliment the meaty flavors. Rosés have a wide range of styles, from bold and dark to light and crisp. 

Dry Rosés, with aromas of strawberry and watermelon, provide a refreshing fruity taste on the palette. 

A few Rosé wines that do well with brisket are :

 

• Bordeaux Rosé
• Cotes du Rhone
• Seven Hills Dry Rosé

Brisket And Wine – A Heavenly Match

There are plenty of choices regarding what wine should be paired with brisket, but in the end, it all depends on one’s personal choice. Whichever method is used for cooking brisket, it is an excellent meat dish that is enjoyed by many. 

Pair brisket with red wine, and you have a splendid match!