What wine drink with lamb

Before you think about the cut or the cooking method, look at the age of the animal. Lamb taken very young gives pale, tender meat; as the animal grows, its meat gains color and flavor. The wine follows the same curve: supple and fruity for the youngest, firmer and more structured as the meat grows bolder.

Pale, Rosy or Dark Meat: Ever-Firmer Tannins

Milk-fed lamb is taken very young, while it still feeds on its mother’s milk. Its pale, delicate meat has a mild flavor, so a light, low-tannin red is a good match. A Gamay, or a Fronton from north of Toulouse, where Négrette is the main grape, keeps the fruit without masking the meat.

Lamb a few months old has rosy meat with a clearer flavor. This is the territory of reds from the Languedoc and the Rhône Valley, led by Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre; for special occasions, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the southern Rhône.

A garlic-studded leg of lamb, above all, takes well to these southern reds, whose spice echoes its own. Served pinker, with herbs rather than garlic, it also welcomes a Bordeaux red, fresher and more linear.

Mutton comes from an adult animal: the meat is darker, the flavor stronger, and it is often slow-cooked. It calls for a structured red with firm tannins, such as a Bandol, where Mourvèdre makes up at least half of the red blend, or a sturdy Languedoc red.

Prés-salés du Mont-Saint-Michel: Lamb from the Salt Marshes

Some lamb carries its origin on the label. The Prés-salés du Mont-Saint-Michel PDO reserves its name for lambs under 12 months old, raised on the coast of the Manche and Ille-et-Vilaine departments, in Normandy and Brittany. Fed mainly on their mothers’ milk at first, they then graze for at least 70 days on salt marshes, known locally as herbus.

These meadows, regularly covered by the sea, grow salt-tolerant plants such as common saltmarsh grass and sea purslane. The result is rosy, marbled, juicy meat with intense, lasting aromas.

The word itself is old: “pré-salé” has appeared in French dictionaries since 1732 for a sheep fattened on these pastures the sea floods from time to time, and then for its meat. As early as 1691, a Rouen scholar visiting Pontorson compared the shoreline grass to wild thyme.

With meat like this, a fine, lightly oaked, medium-bodied red lets the flavor come through: a Merlot-led Bordeaux rather than a very ripe southern red. Save the most powerful reds for mutton.

Lamb and Mutton: More Dishes, More Wines

What wine goes with méchoui?

With méchoui, a whole lamb or mutton spit-roasted North African style, pour a generous, lightly oaked southern French red based on Grenache or Syrah. Its ripe fruit and spice suit the roasted meat and a big crowd alike: choose easy-to-share bottles over a wine built for aging.

What wine goes with lamb shepherd’s pie?

With lamb shepherd’s pie, a supple, fruity red from the Languedoc or the Rhône Valley goes with the shredded meat and mashed potatoes without overpowering them. If the lamb was slow-cooked with spices, step up to a more structured red.

What wine goes with mutton stew?

With mutton stew, a sturdy red from Southwest France, such as a Madiran or a Cahors, stands up to the long-simmered sauce. Its firm tannins suit the strong flavor of the meat, cooked with vegetables or white beans.

Where can you buy wine for lamb direct from the winemaker?

You can buy wine for lamb direct from the winemaker on Avenue des Vins. The wine comes to you directly from the producer who made it.

See also: What wine to drink with tagine? - Which wine for an Easter meal? - Wines and red meat