Wines for Steak Frites

What to Look For

Young Cabernets and Merlots with tannins make them especially good choices for checking the overall fattiness of grilled meat and deep-fried potatoes. Moreover, the savoriness of seared beef and the regulation salt on the fries bring out these wines’ ripe fruitiness. Just about any serious Cab or Merlot is a candidate for steak frites, but save your older, more delicate vintages for subtler fare.

Our Picks

• Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia
• Cabernet-based Super-Tuscan from Italy
• California Merlot
• Red Bordeaux
• Chilean red

Published October 1998