Wines to drink with steak

4. Condiments

The fire of mustard makes a tannic wine taste softer, so if (like me) you like to feel structure in a wine, then make sure you start off with plenty of tannin in the first place. Mustard is also helpful for those very tannic wines like sagrantino or young claret that people often call ‘food wines’ because they’re a bit much to drink on their own. Put them with mustard and they will taste more fruity. With cream of horseradish, I like cabernet sauvignon.

5. Accompaniments

Steak might go with any red but the other flavours on the plate will create a mood of their own. Serving steak tagliata over rocket with lemon juice? Bitter leaves work better alongside astringent wines with good acidity, so look to your Italian reds. Sangiovese is an excellent pick. A more fruity take on nebbiolo works too. As does aglianico.

If grilled mushrooms are also on the menu, opt for the dusty reds of the Douro or a gutsy blend from the south of France. With the feral whiff of bone marrow, anything too fruity or sweetly ripe will taste like jam; look to classics with a bit of backbone and dirt – maybe old-school examples from Cahors, Bandol or Barolo.

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