Pairing wine with both steak and seafood may sound like a difficult task, but if you keep some basics in mind, it is definitely achievable. Most people automatically think red wine with steak and whites for seafood, but consider the specific preparations of steak and seafood you'll be serving. A seafood served in a heavy, rich sauce can handle the flavors of a red wine. Some steak dishes do well with a sauvignon blanc, a fuller bodied white wine.
Consider the steak and seafood being served, as well as how it is cooked. Start off by pairing the right seafood with the right steak. For instance, a steak served with a rich hunter's sauce or something similar will overpower a delicate seafood such as scallops.
Pair oysters with steaks that are braised or in sauce. Both of these foods are rich and can hold up to the intense flavors of deep red wines, such as cabernet sauvignon, Shiraz and zinfandel.
Roasted or grilled steak works well with shrimp and lobster. Pair these foods with a sauvignon blanc, a white wine that is full-bodied and similar to a red but will not overtake the flavor of the seafood.
Serve gewurztraminer or Riesling with spicy Asian or Indian beef dishes that include shrimp or crab. The sugars in these wines offer a balancing counterpoint to the spices used in this style of cooking.
Tip
Champagne goes with everything.
References
Writer Bio
Elizabeth Sobiski has been writing professionally since 2005. She provides businesses such as Burdick and Lee Galleries, Clearwater Fishing Charters and Read Finder with custom content to keep their digital and print media fresh, informative and directed to their target audience. Sobiski holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Roosevelt University in Chicago.