Is it ever okay to drink white wine with beef?

Can I drink white wine with my steak?

Of course you can. You can drink any wine you like with any food that takes your fancy. The adage of red wine with red meat and white wine with fish was only ever a rough guideline and you should feel free to ignore it.

It does make a certain amount of sense to drink a rich red with steak; both have plenty of power and flavour, and those drying tannins on the wine melt away when eaten with rare red meat, while increasing the flavour of the steak at the same time.

However, a richer, more substantial white wine can go very well with steak. The acidity in a white wine cuts through the richness in the same way as tannins in a red wine. If you are serving up a powerful chargrilled dry-aged steak, or a rich red wine or mushroom sauce, it would be a good idea to match it with a more flavourful white wine.

Most people suggest a chardonnay with steak, which is a good idea, but a white Rhône, mature white Rioja or a Chenin Blanc would all work well too. It may seem strange, but you could also try a rich German Riesling, one of those wines that seems to go well with everything. Another great all-purpose wine that works perfectly with virtually every food is Champagne and other sparkling wines.