Overall Winner:
Beaujolais
Beaujolais is a surprisingly excellent wine match but any low tannin red wine will fit the bill.
Cottage Pie:
Beaujolais.
Cottage Pie needs a low tannin Red wine with little or no oak influence.
Chilli Con Carne:
Zinfandel
For chilli-dishes select a ripe, lush wine like a Zinfandel to stand up to the spiciness of the dish.
Beef Bourguignon:
Red Burgundy or Merlot
Red Burgundy is the traditional match for Beef Bourguignon, Merlot dominated blends from both Australia and Bordeaux.
Steak and Kidney Pie:
Cabernet-Sauvignon based wines
Red Bordeaux in particular, can be enjoyed more fully. A weighty Pinot Noir or a robust Ribera del Duero. Tempranillo wine is also fine.
Beefburgers:
Everyday Southern French Reds
A Gigondas /Vacqueyras from the Southern Rhone or a rich, peppery red wine like a Zinfandel. Also goes well with rich reds from the Languedoc, Navara in Spain, or Greece.Meatballs in Tomato Sauce:
Dolcetto and Barbera in particular, or any medium-bodied Italian red wines with soft tannins.
Beef en Croute Roast Beef:
Mature Red Bordeaux
The rule is: avoid wines high in tannin. Any mature Red which has shed the tannins of its youth will suffice.
Steak and rare Roast Beef:
Big Red Bordeaux or Red Rhône
These dishes are some of the few food opportunities for drinking a tannic, powerful wine. The chewy texture of the meat makes tannins more supple, so this is the occasion to have a big Red Bordeaux (esp. Pauillac, St Estephe) or Red Rhône (Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cote-Rotie, Gigondas).
