Five classic red wine styles that can pair well with lamb
- Pinot Noir
- Tempranillo
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Syrah / Shiraz
- Sangiovese
What kind of wine goes well with lamb?
Many reds from the classic grape varieties, such as Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, are wonderful if you’re looking to pair wine with lamb.
We’ve focused mainly on reds below, but some fuller-bodied white and rosé wines can also work with red meat.
When matching wine with lamb it’s important to pay close attention to the cut of meat, plus how you are going to cook and serve it.
‘Lamb has quite a delicate texture, but is also quite rich and fatty,’ said master sommelier Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS, head of wine for Europe at members’ club 67 Pall Mall.
‘As such, pairing with a wine which has nice acid structure is important. Depending on the cut of lamb, and thus how full in flavour it is, I would go for a wine which is light to medium in body.’
Pinot Noir with young lamb – served pink
A Pinot Noir with bright fruit and earthy notes, such as from Burgundy or Oregon’s Willamette Valley, could be delicious with young lamb served pink, or leaner dishes like lamb cutlets.
Alternatively, how about upping the tempo with a vintage rosé Champagne?
A youthful, bold red wine that hasn’t yet mellowed with bottle age might swamp the lighter, tender lamb meat.
Remember, though, that food and wine pairing is highly subjective. Personal preference is a big part of the equation.
Wine with slow-cooked lamb shoulder
At 67 Pall Mall, Larsen-Robert said some Pinot Noirs pair well with the richness of slow-cooked lamb shoulder.
‘With a slow-cooked roast lamb shoulder, I would go for something with lots of acidity to cut through the rich sauce, but also with lots of fruit sweetness. This could be a Pinot Noir from New Zealand, for example.’
Decanter experts have also previously pointed to Grenache-based blends, like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with a slow-roast shoulder of older lamb.
Look for wines with a few years of bottle age to pair the meat’s gamey character.
France’s southern Rhône and Languedoc-Roussillon are home to excellent ‘Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre’ (GSM) blends, as are parts of South Australia, such as McLaren Vale.
Wine with a rack of lamb or lamb chops
‘A rack of lamb is a more muscley, firmer cut, but it also has a fuller flavour because it is close to the bone,’ said 67 Pall Mall’s Larsen-Robert.
‘Thus, I would pair with something fuller in structure and flavour, such as a Pauillac [from Bordeaux].’
Individual lamb chops can offer a rich, fatty cut that is also full in flavour by virtue of being close to the bone, Larsen-Robert said.
‘I would go for a juicy wine with strong tannic structure, but that also possesses good fruit purity and freshness, such as Barolo or Barbaresco.
‘You could also choose a more traditional style of Brunello [di Montalcino] without too much oak or extraction.’
Rioja with lamb: perfect harmony
Rioja is often lauded as a great match for lamb. This Spanish wine region is known for grilled lamb cooked over an open fire made from vine cuttings.
‘It’s extraordinarily good – the meat is young and tender and harmonises perfectly with the local Tempranillo-based wines,’ wrote food and wine expert Fiona Beckett in this Decanter article on pairing Rioja with food.
Cabernet Sauvignon with roast lamb served medium to well done
Roast lamb served medium to well done will be richer in flavour and not quite as tender, so a roast like this can handle a fuller-bodied red wine.
Cabernet Sauvignon’s classic cassis fruit, tannic structure and backbone of acidity can make a delightful dining partner to a hearty roast lamb.
Frédéric Braud, chef at Château d’Issan in Bordeaux’s Margaux appellation, previously recommended the estate’s 2010-vintage grand vin with a slow-cooked roast leg of lamb.
Here’s our guide to five Bordeaux vintages that are ready to drink now.
Good Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends can be found across the globe, too. Regions to look for include:
- Hawke’s Bay – New Zealand
- California – USA
- Coonawarra & Margaret River – Australia
- Stellenbosch – South Africa
- Argentina and Chile – South America
A Northern Rhône Syrah will also enhance your roast lamb. Some wines will offer a touch of pepper spice in the glass that can also work beautifully with the texture of the meat.
Rosé wines with lamb
Some fuller-bodied rosé wines can work well with lamb dishes, depending on the ingredients accompanying the meat.
Food and wine expert Fiona Beckett explored this concept with chef Michel Roux Jr’s recipe for spiced lamb shoulder, recently featured in Decanter’s perfect pairing series.
Beyond the usual suspects
Discovering great bottles from lesser-known grape varieties, regions and producers is one of the joys of wine.
This Greek red wine UK retailer Majestic combines mainly Agiorgitiko with a little Shiraz.
‘The suggested pairing of roast lamb would work a treat,’ said Decanter’s Amy Wislocki. She praised its fresh and fruit-driven mélange of bitter cherry, blackberry compote and plum.
Decanter’s Julie Sheppard recently enjoyed this Marks & Spencer wine made from Xinomavro grapes:
‘Aromas of strawberry jam and oregano lead to a palate of spicy red fruit, with plenty of tannic grip on the finish for food pairing. Try it with moussaka [which can be made with lamb or beef mince].’
Decanter’s James Button said the notes of red fruits, rose petal and dates in this Moldovan red wine would really sing with a roast lamb or exotically spiced tagine.
Decanter’s Wislocki also recently noted that Bonny Doon’s Le Cigare Orange – an orange wine from California’s central coast – would be a good match for simply grilled lamb chops.
‘There’s a hint of pleasant bitterness and a little of the tannic grip that makes orange wine such a good gastronomic wine,’ she wrote.
Best wine with lamb: inspiration from our experts
The following wines cover a range of price-points and have been tasted by Decanter’s experts.
