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What to drink with steak

Wine and beer for steak, lamb and burgers: a red with grip to match the meat, or something bright to cut through it.

The short answer

Wine: to match it, a red with structure, such as Tempranillo, Shiraz or Malbec. To cut through it, a lighter, high-acid red such as Barbera, Pinot Noir or Gamay.

Beer: a stout's roasted malt echoes the char on the meat. A hoppy pale ale cuts the fat.

🤝 Harmonise

Match it: structured reds and roasty stouts

Harmonising means choosing a drink with the same weight and character as the food. A steak is rich and charred, so it wants a red with grip, or a beer with roast.

Wine

Structured tannin locks onto the meat's fat and protein: the fat tames the grip while the body matches the richness.

Tempranillo
Shiraz
Malbec
Mourvèdre
Red blend

Beer

Roasted malt echoes the char and the crust on the meat, a classic flavour bridge.

Coopers Stout · stout
Guinness Draught · stout
White Rabbit Dark Ale · brown ale

⚡ Contrast

Cut through it: bright reds and hoppy pale ales

Contrasting means choosing a drink that balances the food rather than mirroring it: acidity in wine, and hops and bubbles in beer, to cut through the fat.

Wine

Bright acidity slices through the fat instead of wrestling it: a lighter frame and an electric finish.

Barbera
Pinot Noir
Gamay
Cabernet Franc
Sangiovese

Beer

Assertive hop bitterness and lively carbonation scrub rich fat from the palate between bites.

Pirate Life Pale Ale
James Squire 150 Lashes Pale Ale
Young Henrys IPA

What to avoid

Light whites, to match it. Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are marked down as too light for the meat, and so is Moscato.
Light lagers, to match it. Lager, pilsner and golden ale are marked down when matching a steak: too light to stand next to the char.

Questions

What wine goes best with steak?

A red with structure. Tempranillo, Shiraz and Malbec are Cellar Sage's top picks for matching a steak: their tannin locks onto the fat and protein, and their body matches the richness. For something lighter, a high-acid red such as Barbera or Pinot Noir cuts through the fat instead.

What beer goes with steak?

A stout or dark ale, whose roasted malt echoes the char on the meat. Or, to cut through it, a hoppy pale ale or IPA, whose bitterness and carbonation scrub the fat from your palate between bites.

Can you drink white wine with steak?

Cellar Sage leans red for steak: light whites such as Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are marked down as too light for the meat. Even its picks for cutting through the fat are lighter reds.

Does this work for lamb and burgers?

Yes. In the app, steak, lamb and burgers are one option, so these suggestions apply to all three.

Get picks for your own palate

Tell Cellar Sage how you like your wine or beer, and it finds bottles and cans you can buy from Australian shops, with prices.

More pairing guides

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These picks come from the Cellar Sage pairing engine, run on 11 October 2026 with every taste dial in the middle. Your own picks change with how you like your wine or beer, your budget, and what Australian shops have in stock.