Because black pepper has its own tannins, it is sometimes considered a “wine killer.” Many times, when the tannins of the pepper hit the tannins in wine, the entire flavor becomes what we call “short in the mouth,” meaning that the flavors come to a halt and the taste becomes very astringent. The steak au poivre recipe in this segment was a particular challenge because not only is the meat rubbed with lots of black pepper, we also poured a black pepper sauce over the steak. Aldo found a Bordeaux to pair with the recipe which is interesting because this particular Bordeaux is Cabernet based which has lots of tannins. Watch this webisode of Perfect Pairings to understand why this works so well.

Perhaps the most common “wine myth” or “rule” is to always pair red meat with red wine. While that is often a nice thing to do, it is not always the rule. The point of these Perfect Pairing videos is to explore what is possible and the process of finding interesting and successful pairings. In this segment we find that some white wine characteristics, like fresh acidity with some fruit and also some mineral notes provide a lift and contrast to a heavy, red meat recipe.