Challenging to Prepare but Delicious Beyond Comparison
That is a traditional French dish (Bœuf Bourguignon in French) and a worldwide classic. You have to take your time when cooking it and drinking a glass of wine whilst preparing it is almost obligatory! Beef Bourguignon is an intricate dish, and every restaurant has its own secret recipe for it. So, it is unlikely to find two recipes that are exactly the same.
Nevertheless, to prepare the dish, you would need good quality beef, ribboned with fat, Pinot Noir wine, dried Mediterranean herbs, some vegetables and mushrooms, beef stock, and bacon. Keep in mind that beef Bourguignon is not easy to prepare, in fact, it is rather complicated. But, it makes such a perfect pairing with Burgundy wines that the challenge of cooking it is worth every sip!
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(4.8 / 5) What Is the Best Meat for Beef Bourguignon?
As the name implies, beef is the preferred type of meat when cooking this dish. You can try a few different cuts of beef, such as brisket, chuck steak, and stewing beef. However, brisket yields the best result in the test kitchen. The beef was succulent, fell apart beautifully, and tasted better than the other cuts. That said, feel free to choose whichever beef you can find at the grocery store or whatever cut you might prefer.
What Wines Pair Well With Beef Bourguignon?
The best wine to use with beef Bourguignon is the wine you use when cooking it. That said, try to use the best quality wine that you can afford. Pinot Noir is an ideal wine choice to enhance your dish. However, not every wine from Burgundy is perfect for serving with your beef Bourguignon. The course demands a wine with a beautiful presence on the palate and a structure of fine-grained tannins.
Additionally, complex Beaujolais wines are also perfect for beef Bourguignon wine pairing. In every case, though, remember to pair your beef with wines packed with flavors of red fruits, gentle oaky notes, and earthy element. It should also have a refreshing, stimulating acidity. For the best red wine with beef Bourguignon keep reading:
Best Red Wines With Beef Bourguignon
Migration Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
- Winery — Migration
- Country/Region — United States, California, North Coast, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
- Type — Californian Pinot Noir
- Aroma — Raspberry, Cherry, Rose Hips, Leather, Game Meat
- Grapes — Pinot Noir
- Taste — Strawberry, Plum, Redcurrant, Rosemary, Pepper, Peach, Apricot, Charred Wood, Forest Floor
- Alcohol Content — 14.1%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Beef Bourguignon, Venison, Cassoulet, Roast Goose, Glazed Ham, Brie
Just Awesome
Benefitting from the cool climate of the Sonoma Coast, this wine offers wine enthusiasts a round texture and a bold palate of generous fruit. Abundant cherries, rose hips, and raspberries with a savory edge, define the bouquet. The palate is bold with a smooth texture, serving a perfectly sweet-fruit core. There, the flavors of strawberries, plums, and raspberry tart support the succulent, layers of tannin on offer.
Subtle touches of rosemary, pepper, and stone fruits mingle creating a luscious finish that lingers with hints of toasty oak and forest floor. Migration Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is recommended as a cooking wine, too. Use some of it when preparing beef Bourguignon for the best possible food and wine pairing.
Refined and Polished Winemaking
Since their first vintage of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir in 2001, Migration has refined their wine style, offering wines of exceptional balance, finesse, and vibrancy. Migration partners with acclaimed grape growers to produce their portfolio of Pinots and Chardonnays, including their flagship Sonoma Coast wines. These delicate and sophisticated, Burgundy-style wines are filled with crisp acidity, generous oak influence, and plush fruit flavors.
Les Alliés Bourgogne Pinot Noir
- Winery — Les Alliés
- Country/Region — France, Bourgogne
- Type — French Pinot Noir
- Aroma — Cherry, Redcurrant, Ground Spice, Sage, Flint, Game Meat
- Grapes — Pinot Noir
- Taste — Strawberry, Raspberry, Watermelon, Thyme, Smoke, Leather, Clove, Mushroom
- Alcohol Content — 13.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Beef Bourguignon, Roast Chicken, Pigeon, Lamb Rack, Carpaccio, And Mushroom Risotto
Tasting Notes
Burgundy has become synonymous with producing the world’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. Les Alliés Bourgogne Pinot Noir stays true to the rule. Opening with scents of cherries, redcurrants, and ground spice, it displays herb, mineral, and game meat tones, and it concludes with a balanced aftertaste.
Medium-bodied and fruity, this Pinot begins with enjoyable fragrances of red fruits, ground spice, and clove on the nose. On the palate, strawberries and watermelons combine with notes of dried herbs, flint, smoke, and leather for a multi-dimensional result. The smooth tannins are framed by medium-plus acidity and flow into a balanced and earthy finish.
Exclusively Hand-crafted Wines
Les Alliés is the wine label of Forge Cellars, a winery dedicated to producing wine in a traditional, handcrafted manner. In fact, they harvest by hand, sort by hand, and load the grapes into the press by hand. Authentic craftsmanship from fermentation to the bottle. As for Les Alliés, after steady fermentations are complete, the winery decided to put their exceptional Pinot Noirs and Rieslings in special barrels for maturation. Consequently, wines produced under the Les Alliés label, such as Les Alliés Bourgogne Pinot Noir, have outstanding quality.
Jean-Claude Lapalu Vieilles Vignes Brouilly
- Winery — Jean-Claude Lapalu
- Country/Region — France, Beaujolais, Brouilly
- Type — French Beaujolais
- Aroma — Strawberry, Cherry, Cocoa, Rosemary, Cedar, Clovetertaste
- Grapes — Gamay
- Taste — Raspberry, Bread Crust, Plum, Redcurrant, Forest Floor, Soil, Cinnamon Spice
- Alcohol Content — 12.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Beef Bourguignon, Paté, Beefsteak, Veal Stew, Pizza, Indian
Beaujolais Are impressive and Delicious
This is a deep ruby-red Gamay wine, best served after decanting. To truly enjoy it, you have to let it breathe for about 2 hours or so. On opening, it displays an attractive bouquet of cherries, cocoa, rosemary, cedar, clove, and strawberries. The body is medium and smooth. There are full flavors of raspberries, dried soil, bread crust, and cinnamon. Additionally, velvety tannins and a slightly oaky sensation add complexity and roundness. The finish is long and gratifying.
Sustainably Produced Beaujolais
Produced by Jean-Claude Lapalu, this Beaujolais undergoes sustainable viticulture practices in the Cru of Brouilly. The vines thrive in the Mediterranean climate, attaining a superb balance between jammy flavors and vibrant acidity. Lapalu’s wines are not delicious by accident. They come about as a result of years of experimentation, wine-making skill, and passion.
The Calling Pinot Noir
- Winery — The Calling
- Country/Region — United States, California, North Coast, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
- Type — Californain Pinot Noir
- Aroma — Cherry, Plum, Pepper, Star Anise, Roses, Hibiscus
- Grapes — Pinot Noir
- Taste — Strawberry, Raspberry, Cinnamon Spice, Orange Peel, Salinity, Mint
- Alcohol Content — 14.1%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Beef Bourguignon, Rabbit, Pheasant, Cold Meats, Terrine, Grilled Asparagus, Camembert
Tasting Notes
Bright aromas of red berries, such as raspberries and cranberries, blend with cherries, plums, pepper, and roses to create a dynamic nose. The mouth is juicy, packed with flavors of orange peel, nectarines, and uplifting salinity.
Candied cherries, plums, hibiscus, and pepper fragrances surface on the nose, before mingling with nuances of dried roses and star anise. Thus, a pleasing and irresistible bouquet is formed. Now, the palate is lively with red fruit notes, like cherries, raspberries, and strawberries, while tastes of plums interlace with hints of cinnamon spice, pepper, and orange peel. The tannins are silky and quite smooth and end in a mint-influenced conclusion. Great acidity.
High-End Sonoma Winemaking
The Calling winery is one of the widely respected in Sonoma County due to producing great wines of the highest quality. In fact, the people behind the winery have selected the ideal growing conditions for each varietal, making it possible to cultivate fruit of high concentrate flavor.
In a way, the Calling wines present how great it is following your calling in life. Besides, this is exactly the notion that inspired Jim Nantz, renowned CBS sports commentator, and Peter Deutsch, founder, and CEO of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, to form the winery in the first place. If it wasn’t for them, the Calling wines would never have been so expressive and flavorful.
Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winery — Quilt
- Country/Region — United States, California, North Coast, Napa County, Napa Valley
- Type — Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- Aroma — Blackberry, Blueberry, Cassis, Cocoa, Licorice, Hazelnut, Cassis, Cedar
- Grapes — Cabernet Sauvignon
- Taste — Strawberry, Rhubarb, Boysenberry, Plum, Brown Sugar, Brownie, Yogurt, Vanilla Spice, Molasses
- Alcohol Content — 15%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Beef Bourguignon, Lamb Rack, Filet Mignon, Beef Burgers, Ahi Tuna
Tasting Notes
Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect, seamless blend of crème de cocoa, hazelnut, cedar, cassis, cocoa, blackberries, game meat, and dark licorice. Rich and satisfying, this wine is balanced with high-toned fruit sensations. As soon as wine enthusiasts pour the wine into a glass, a deep, brick-red to plum hue is visible. On the nose, the ripeness is prevalent, with strong notes of blackberries, blueberries, cassis, cocoa, and licorice fragrances joining nuances of hazelnut, cassis, and cedar.
Luscious on the palate, Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon demonstrates suggestions of cooked rhubarbs, strawberries, baking spice, and molasses. On top of this, the mouth presents subtle flavors of brownie, brown sugar, boysenberry, plum, and yogurt, with gentle tannins, offering gratifying grittiness. The wine’s weight is felt on the midpalate, where it is counterpoised alongside the vibrant acidity, and concludes with a persistent finish.
Paying Tribute to the Napa Valley Wine Industry
Quilt is renowned for paying tribute to Napa Valley’s most appreciated and acclaimed wines. Their portfolio is sourced from a patchwork of prestigious Napa Valley vineyards, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay.
Conclusion
Beef Bourguignon is bold and hearty, and as such, it calls for an equally elegant and juicy wine. Pronounced, slightly oaky, and jammy, my wine suggestions make the perfect beef Bourguignon wine match. Another great thing about them is how approachable they are price-wise. So, purchase some bottles to have them ready for the next time you plan to cook a staple French course, like beef Bourguignon.
