Nothing really says 'Main Course' like a wonderful meat dish. The versatility of meat dishes is truly vast, the weight of meal changes based on the type of protein or the cooking method. Here are some suggestions to consider when pairing your next meat dish!

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CHICKEN

Chicken is very versatile, but typically it is considered a lighter meat. It can be grilled, fried, sautéed, stewed, and everything in between. If the seasoning is light, like shio yakitori, then you can go either white and rosé (light or heavy) or red (light) wine. Deep fried chicken will typically be well seasoned, so you can go white, rosé, or red wines, but stay on the light and bright side. For something that is sautéed, similar to the deep fried, because it is being cooked with oil, you should stay on the light and bright white, rosé, and red wines. Lastly, for stewed dishes, the sauce will determine whether you should go white or red wine. If the sauce is on the lighter side, try a heavier white or lighter red. If the sauce is heavy, like Coq au Vin, try pairing it with a lighter red wine. 

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PORK

Pork, like chicken, can be prepared in all sorts of methods. But in general, it is considered a lighter protein so the same rules apply as chicken dishes. If the pork is grilled, try either white (light or heavy) or red (light) wine. When pork is deep fried, you can go white or red wines, but stay on the light and bright side. And same thing for sautéed pork dishes too. Stewed pork dishes are quite versatile in flavor profiles, so if the sauce is light, you can try an array of white wines (light, heavy, or sweet) or lighter red wines. For BBQ, because the sauces are very heavy, salty, tangy, and sweet, you can try a light or a medium bodied red wine!

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BEEF

Beef is the 'king of red meat.' Not much needs to be done with a high quality cut of beef. Perfectly salted and seared steaks calls for a wine that is medium to heavy bodied to match the weight and fattiness of the meat. Same can be said for stewed beef as well. When steak is prepared raw, like carpaccio or steak tartare, you can experiment with light bodied white wines for fun! 

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LAMB

Lamb is another wonderful grilling meat, but unlike beef, it has a great gaminess to it. Try to match this gaminess with a rustic and peppery medium to full bodied red like a Syrah or Grenache. Similar to beef, because it is a red meat, a lighter wine may not match well since the meat will be on the heavier side.

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