Spicy Steak

Red · Full · Dry

Argentina's signature grape: deep purple, plummy, and remarkably smooth for its weight. Soft tannins and a touch of cocoa make it the dinner-party Cabernet alternative — and far easier on the wallet.

Works with Spicy Steak · Spicy Steak Salad · Spicy Steak Salad With Blue Cheese Dressing +1 more Spicy Steak · Spicy Steak Salad · Spicy Steak Salad With Blue Cheese Dressing · Spicy Swordfish Steaks With Cucumber Cumin Sauce

Red · Full · Dry

The benchmark for full-bodied red — structured, age-worthy, unapologetic. Black currant, graphite, and tobacco lead into firm tannins that demand protein on the plate. Decant young bottles; cellar the serious ones.

Works with Spicy Steak · Spicy Steak Salad · Spicy Swordfish Steaks With Cucumber Cumin Sauce

Red · Full · Dry

Shiraz's more reserved European cousin — Northern Rhône style, all violets, black olive, and white pepper. Less brawn, more poise; pairs as well with lamb as with peppered duck breast.

Works with Spicy Steak · Spicy Steak Salad · Spicy Swordfish Steaks With Cucumber Cumin Sauce

Red · Medium · Dry

California's signature red — jammy, brambly, often 15% alcohol, with notes of blackberry, black pepper, and dried herb. Built for ribs and brisket.

Works with Grilled, Korean-style Steaks With Spicy Cilantro Sauce · Spicy Barbecued Rib-eye Steaks With Smoked Vegetable Salsa

Red · Medium · Dry

Australia's signature red — dense, spice-driven, peppery, often pushing 15% alcohol. Barossa makes it brawniest; McLaren Vale, smokier; Hunter, leaner. Built for the grill.

Works with Grilled, Korean-style Steaks With Spicy Cilantro Sauce · Spicy Barbecued Rib-eye Steaks With Smoked Vegetable Salsa

Red · Light · Dry

Gamay-based reds from southern Burgundy — light, fruity, food-friendly. The serious Cru bottlings (Morgon, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent) drink like Pinot Noir at half the price.

Works with Spicy Grilled Salmon Steaks With Black Butter · Grilled, Korean-style Steaks With Spicy Cilantro Sauce

White · Medium · Off-dry

Lychee, rose petal, and a touch of ginger; medium-bodied, low-acid, and unmistakable. The wine for any cuisine where the spice cabinet did the heavy lifting.

Works with Spicy Steak · Spicy Thai Flank Steak W/ Peanut Sauce

White · Light · Dry

Italy's everyday white — light, lemony, neutral by design. Pleasant with anything; profound with very little. The best Friuli bottles are quietly excellent.

Works with Spicy Steak Salad · Spicy Thai Flank Steak W/ Peanut Sauce

White · Light · Off-dry

Aromatic, racy, and shapeshifting — bone-dry in Alsace, off-dry on the Mosel, syrupy and ageless when late-harvested. The single most versatile wine for spicy food on earth.

Works with Spicy Steak · Spicy Thai Flank Steak W/ Peanut Sauce

White · Light · Dry

Citrus, cut grass, and a wire of acid. Marlborough makes it loudest; Sancerre makes it most refined. Either way, it cuts cleanly through goat cheese, herbs, and anything with shellfish.

Works with Spicy Steak Salad · Spicy Swordfish Steaks With Cucumber Cumin Sauce

White · Full · Dry

California's flagship white — rounder, riper, and oakier than the Old World original, with tropical fruit, butter, and vanilla. Sonoma Coast and Sta. Rita Hills bottlings are leaner; Napa stays plush.

Red · Medium · Dry

California Merlot, when made well — plummy, supple, with a touch of cocoa and earlier drinkability than its Bordeaux cousins. The unfairly maligned dinner-party red.