Legend has it that the dish was created in honor of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, and his triumph at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. Ever since, the recipe has become popular all over the world.
In this article we’ll focus on wine pairing with Beef Wellington. Which are the ingredients that are used in the making of the dish and how do they affect the choice of wine? Which is the best wine to serve with Beef Wellington? Without any further ado, let’s get into answering these questions.
Beef Wellington Wine Pairing: The Basics
To make the steak dish known as Beef Wellington, a steak filet is coated with pâté (typically foie gras pâté) and duxelles (a blend of finely chopped mushrooms) and wrapped in puff pastry, before baking it. To keep the moisture in and keep the pastry from becoming soggy, some recipes call for wrapping the coated meat in a crêpe or a piece of parma ham.
Beef Wellington is a delicious dish that deserves to be paired with an equally tasty wine. It is, however, less robustly flavored than a steak or rib roast of beef, and the other key ingredients such as mushrooms and pastry help balance out the flavor of the meat. A dry and medium-bodied red wine, such as a Bordeaux, Pinot Noir, Chianti, Malbec, or Syrah, is required to stand up to the beef flavors and enhance the flavors of the puff pastry, onion, and mushrooms in this delicious dish.
Get updates on the latest posts and more from Wine Bugle straight to your inbox.
Best wine to pair with Beef Wellington
Filet steak, the most commonly used meat cut for a Wellington, pairs especially well with pinot noir, which is enhanced by the duxelles (finely chopped mushrooms) in the filling.
A Pinot Noir that I believe perfectly complements Beef Wellington is the 2020 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. It smells like plum, dried currants, black tea, dark cherries and raspberries, dried rose petals, and leather. This wine's flavor profile is medium-bodied with finely tuned tannins and a lovely, lengthy fruit-forward finish mixed with crisp acidity. It’s a budget friendly option that will definitely leave you satisfied.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a delicious, light red wine with high acidity that can easily cut through the buttery pastry crust. The acidity also brings out all the distinct flavors in your beef Wellington, allowing each flavor to stand out while it blends with the others. Despite Pinot Noir being light and delicate, it has some earthy funk to it, which will go well with the herbal notes of mushroom and onion.
You shouldn't serve your Beef Wellington with a cheap Pinot Noir since they can taste candied and bland and lack the substance to support the large weight of Beef Wellington. Instead, choose a Burgundy, Oregon or New Zealand Pinot Noir of the mid-tier or higher to pair with your Beef Wellington. Keep in mind that Pinot Noir is an expensive wine to create properly because the grape variety is notoriously difficult to cultivate.
We recommend the 2019 Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Pinot Noir. This wine has a glossy coating of oak with scents of ripe red and black fruit, mushrooms, baking spice, and dried flowers. It has a medium body and the crunchy tannins give the fruit's ripeness more strength. An excellent pair for Beef Wellington.
Bordeaux Blend
The traditional wine accompaniment for beef Wellington is Bordeaux since it is a food-friendly red wine blend made up of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Bordeaux blends are balanced and have just the right amount of tannin to stand up to the meaty flavors of your Beef Wellington. Medium acidity will also be present to assist cut through the puff pastry and keep your mouth feeling clean.
While Bordeaux blends can sell for over $1000 per bottle, there are many less expensive options, ranging from $30 to $50 that would pair perfectly with Beef Wellington.
For a budget friendly option look for a youthful, medium-bodied Bordeaux, like the 2019 Château Boutisse. The aroma is fruity with notes of ripe cassis, blackberry, crushed black fruit, lily, violet, fine undertones of wild strawberry, rose petal and sichuan pepper. A well-balanced wine with subtle acidity and concentrated tannins. A classic choice for Beef Wellington.
Chianti
Chianti is an italian red wine with a high tannin content and a balanced acidity. Your Beef Wellington's meaty flavors soften the tannin, while the wine's tannin breaks down the beef filet's substantial levels of protein. As a result, the wine develops a velvety and silky mouthfeel and the beef acquires a more savory and tender flavor. Additionally, its high acidity enables it to cut through the buttery puff pastry and fats, enhancing the flavors of the beef, onion, shallot, and mushroom.
Try this ruby colored 2018 Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli 'Badiola' Gran Selezione with fine strawberry, raspberry, and rose petal aromas along with some tart cherry scents. Fine-grained tannin, finely highlighted fruit, and with a crisp finish. This classic Italian wine makes a perfect pair to a beloved French dish.
Another great option would be the 2014 Ruffino Riserva Ducale. This complex wine is characterized by sweet cherry and red berry fruit notes combined with delicately spiced hints of tobacco, leather, cedar, white pepper, and flint. The Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico Riserva has velvety tannins, firm acidity, and a lingering finish of rosemary and figs on the palate.
Barolo
Barolo is one of those wines that needs to be paired with a special dish on a special occasion since it’s very complicated and notoriously difficult to produce, making it one of the most expensive wines on the market. The succulence of the meat, the umami flavor of the mushrooms, and the fattiness of the puff pastry that wraps everything are balanced by the notes of underbrush in the Barolo, its structure and acidity forming a match made in heaven.
We recommend pairing the 2014 Massolino Margheria with Beef Wellington. This fragrant red opens with enticing aromas of wild berry, crushed rose, iris, menthol, and aromatic herb, a classic, vibrant expression of Nebbiolo. The linear, savory palate is elegant and structured, with juicy Marasca cherry, wild raspberry, licorice, and mint alongside bright acidity and firm tannins.
Zinfandel
A fruity, medium-bodied Zinfandel goes well with rich, robust foods like Beef Wellington. Choose a lower-alcohol, less-oaked Zinfandel from California, which is best consumed young to appreciate its fruity quality. Many great California winemakers produce excellent Zinfandels in this low-cost style.
More expensive Zinfandel is oaked, contains more tannin, and has an alcohol content of up to 17%. Because of their explosive fruit flavors, they are known as "Fruit-Bombs." With high alcohol and oak-aging, this style of Zinfandel is often expensive and difficult to pair with foods due to the high level of alcohol and overwhelming flavors.
Don’t miss out on this 2019 Martha Stoumen Zinfandel 'Long Elevage' with its juicy nose of wild blackberry, baking spice, and ancho chili. It has a generous body and is balanced by moderate acidity and dusty tannins.
Syrah
Syrah produces delicate wines with earthy notes that pair well with mushrooms, onions, herbs, and shallots in your Beef Wellington. Meanwhile, there are plenty of refreshing fruit flavors to balance out the meat element of the dish. Australian Shiraz will still go well with Beef Wellington, but it will lack the savory notes that a French Syrah provides.
Pair Beef Wellington with this 2016 E. Guigal Saint-Joseph Syrah for a great match. Dark red with a powerful nose dominated by red berries and delicate oak aromas. The round and subtle tannins will perfectly balance out the flavors of the meat. Staying in the same year, we also recommend the 2016 Paul Mas 'Clos des Mures' that has aromas of fresh cherries, scrubby Mediterranean herbs, and cracked peppercorns, all leading to an energetic, well balanced mouthfeel and a lingering finish.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has helped answer all your questions around wine pairing with Beef Wellington. This popular dish makes a perfect meal for the dinner table, and with the holidays right around the corner, looking for a dish that will leave your guests in awe when served, makes perfect sense.
Any of the wines mentioned in this article will make a good wine pairing for beef wellington, but you’re always welcome to explore different wines based on your personal tastes and budget. You might even discover a unique combination that hasn’t been thought of yet. We do suggest, however, that you don’t pair this dish with light white or rose wines. The flavors won’t add up and it’s a pity to not enjoy a perfectly good meal just because it’s not paired with the correct wine.
Cheers!
Photo by Victor Solanoy