How to Pair Wine & Steak at a Redlands Steakhouse

The sizzle of a perfectly cooked steak arriving at your table deserves an equally impressive companion in your glass. Yet many diners feel intimidated by wine lists, unsure whether their selections will enhance or clash with their chosen cut. The truth is, pairing wine with steak doesn’t require sommelier-level expertise—just an understanding of how flavors interact and a willingness to explore beyond the basics.

At Redlands steakhouses where quality beef takes center stage, the right wine pairing transforms a satisfying meal into an unforgettable dining experience. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone or simply treating yourself to a night out, knowing how to match your steak with the perfect pour elevates every bite.

Understanding the Fundamentals of Wine and Steak Pairing

Before diving into specific combinations, it helps to understand why certain wines complement beef while others fall flat. The principles behind successful pairings are straightforward once you grasp the basic concepts.

Why Red Wine and Steak Are Natural Partners

Red wines contain tannins—compounds that create a slightly astringent, drying sensation in your mouth. These tannins bind with the proteins and fats in beef, cleansing your palate and preparing it for the next delicious bite. This interaction is why a sip of bold Cabernet between mouthfuls of ribeye feels so satisfying—the wine literally cuts through the richness.

Fat content in steak plays an equally crucial role. Marbled cuts with higher fat content can handle more robust, tannic wines because the fat softens the wine’s intensity. Leaner cuts pair better with lighter-bodied reds that won’t overpower the meat’s subtle flavors.

The Role of Preparation and Seasoning

How your steak is cooked and seasoned dramatically impacts which wine will shine alongside it. A heavily charred, peppercorn-crusted steak demands a different pairing than a simply grilled filet with herb butter. Consider the complete flavor profile on your plate, not just the meat itself.

Grilled steaks with smoky char marks often pair beautifully with wines that have their own smoky, earthy qualities. Steaks served with rich, creamy sauces need wines with enough acidity to cut through the heaviness. Understanding these interactions helps you make selections that balance rather than compete.

Matching Wine Styles to Steak Cuts

Different cuts of beef have distinct characteristics—from texture and fat content to flavor intensity. Recognizing these differences guides you toward pairings that complement rather than clash.

Ribeye: The Marbled Masterpiece

Ribeye’s generous marbling creates rich, buttery flavor that stands up beautifully to full-bodied red wines. The abundant fat content can tame even the most tannic selections, making this cut incredibly versatile for pairing.

Ideal pairings: Cabernet Sauvignon leads the pack here, with its bold tannins and dark fruit flavors creating perfect harmony with ribeye’s richness. California Cabs work particularly well, offering ripe fruit that complements the beef’s natural sweetness. Syrah or Shiraz provides another excellent option, especially Australian versions with their peppery notes and jammy fruit that echo the charred, savory flavors of grilled ribeye.

For those seeking something slightly different, try a Malbec from Argentina. Its plush texture and dark cherry flavors meld beautifully with ribeye while offering smoky undertones that enhance the grilled character.

Filet Mignon: Elegant and Lean

Filet mignon’s tender texture and mild flavor profile requires a more delicate approach. This lean cut can be overwhelmed by overly aggressive wines, so balance is key.

Ideal pairings: Pinot Noir emerges as the classic choice, with its silky texture and red fruit flavors providing elegance without overpowering the subtle beef flavor. Look for bottles from Oregon or Burgundy for refined complexity. Merlot offers another excellent option—its soft tannins and plum notes complement filet’s buttery texture without dominating the palate.

Chianti Classico from Italy’s Tuscany region brings bright acidity and cherry flavors that cleanse the palate between bites, especially when the filet is served with mushroom or truffle preparations.

New York Strip: Bold and Beefy

The New York strip delivers robust beef flavor with moderate marbling, creating a middle ground between ribeye’s richness and filet’s delicacy. This versatile cut accommodates a wide range of wine styles.

Ideal pairings: Bordeaux blends shine with New York strip, their structured tannins and complex flavor profiles matching the steak’s beef-forward character. These blends typically combine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc for multilayered complexity. Zinfandel provides a fruit-forward alternative, with its jammy berry flavors and hint of spice creating a delicious contrast to the savory meat.

Tempranillo-based wines from Spain’s Rioja region offer earthy, leather notes that complement the strip’s beefy intensity while providing enough acidity to keep each bite fresh.

Prime Rib: The Saturday Night Tradition

Prime rib’s slow-roasted preparation creates unique flavors that differ from quickly grilled steaks. The longer cooking time develops deeper, more complex beef flavors while the generous marbling ensures incredible richness.

Ideal pairings: Full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon remains the gold standard, but consider seeking bottles with some bottle age—the developed tertiary flavors of aged Cab mirror the complexity of slow-roasted prime rib. Barolo or Barbaresco from Italy’s Piedmont region offers an sophisticated alternative, with their powerful tannins, rose petal aromatics, and tar-like complexity standing up beautifully to this substantial cut.

A Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhône Valley combines Grenache with complementary varietals, producing rich, complex flavors that beautifully mirror the savory, roasted qualities of prime rib.

Considering Your Temperature Preference

How you like your steak cooked influences which wines will taste best alongside it. The degree of doneness affects not just texture but flavor intensity and fat rendering.

Rare to Medium-Rare Steaks

Steaks cooked rare to medium-rare retain more of their natural beef flavor and haven’t had their fats fully rendered. These cooler temperatures call for wines with enough structure to complement the meat without overwhelming its subtle qualities.

Medium-bodied reds work beautifully here—think Côtes du Rhône, lighter Cabernets, or elegant Pinot Noirs. The wine should have good acidity to refresh the palate without aggressive tannins that might clash with the less-rendered fats.

Medium to Well-Done Preparations

As steak cooks beyond medium, flavors intensify and fats render more completely. The increased char and caramelization from longer cooking times create opportunities for bolder wine pairings.

These preparations can handle full-throttle wines—big California Cabernets, powerful Malbecs, or robust Syrahs all work well. The more intense beef flavors and charred exterior notes find harmony with these wines’ bold fruit and substantial tannins.

Beyond Red: When White Wine Works

While red wine dominates steak pairings, certain preparations and personal preferences open doors for white wine enthusiasts. Don’t let convention prevent you from exploring these less-traveled paths.

Rich, Full-Bodied White Burgundy

A heavily oaked Chardonnay from Burgundy possesses enough weight and complexity to accompany certain steak preparations, particularly filet mignon with cream-based sauces. The wine’s buttery texture and vanilla notes from oak aging complement rather than contrast with the rich preparation.

This unconventional pairing works best when the steak’s seasonings lean toward herbs and butter rather than peppercorns and char.

Rosé for Lighter Fare

If you’re ordering a leaner cut prepared simply—perhaps a petite filet or hanger steak—a full-bodied rosé from Provence or Bandol can surprise you. These aren’t your sweet, pale pink wines but rather serious, structured rosés with enough body to stand alongside beef.

This choice particularly appeals on warm evenings or when you’re seeking something refreshing yet substantial enough for red meat.

The Impact of Sauces and Accompaniments

Your steak rarely arrives naked on the plate. Sauces, compound butters, and side dishes all influence which wine will taste best with your complete meal.

Classic Steakhouse Sauces

Béarnaise sauce, with its rich egg yolk base and herbaceous tarragon notes, calls for wines with good acidity to cut through the heaviness—try a Burgundy or lighter-style Bordeaux. Peppercorn sauce’s intense spice pairs beautifully with Syrah’s peppery character or Zinfandel’s bold fruit that can match the sauce’s intensity.

Blue cheese or compound butters add another layer of richness requiring wines with structure to balance—Cabernet Sauvignon or aged Rioja both excel here.

Side Dish Considerations

Creamed spinach, loaded baked potatoes, and other rich sides contribute to your meal’s overall heaviness. When your plate leans heavily indulgent, choose wines with brighter acidity or higher alcohol content to provide palate-cleansing refreshment between bites.

Lighter sides like grilled asparagus or simple salads allow you to focus primarily on the steak itself when making your wine selection.

Navigating the Wine List with Confidence

Armed with pairing knowledge, you still need to translate theory into practice when faced with an actual wine list. Here’s how to approach the selection process.

Ask Your Server for Guidance

Don’t hesitate to request recommendations based on your steak choice. Experienced servers at quality steakhouses understand their wine lists intimately and can guide you toward pairings that work within your budget and preferences.

Mention if you prefer fruit-forward versus earthy wines, lighter versus bolder styles, or Old World versus New World expressions. This information helps your server narrow the vast possibilities to bottles you’ll genuinely enjoy.

Consider the Occasion

A romantic anniversary dinner might call for something special—perhaps that aged Bordeaux or prestigious Barolo you’ve been curious about. A casual weeknight meal could be the perfect time to explore that interesting Malbec you’ve never tried.

Match not just the wine to the food, but both to the moment you’re celebrating or creating.

Exploring by the Glass Versus Bottle

Many steakhouses offer extensive by-the-glass programs that allow experimentation without committing to a full bottle. If you’re dining with others who’ve ordered different cuts, by-the-glass options let everyone optimize their individual pairing.

When sharing a bottle, choose something versatile that complements the range of dishes at your table rather than perfectly matching just one.

Price Points and Value Considerations

Excellent wine pairings exist at every price level. You don’t need to order the most expensive bottle to enjoy a harmonious match with your steak.

Mid-Range Magic

The $40-$80 range on most steakhouse wine lists offers tremendous value. Here you’ll find quality California Cabernets, respected Malbecs, and solid Bordeaux that deliver complexity and structure without the premium commanded by trophy labels.

These wines often represent the sweet spot where quality significantly exceeds price, especially compared to both budget options and ultra-premium selections.

When to Splurge

Special occasions justify exploring upper-tier selections. Aged wines from prestigious regions bring complexity that young, inexpensive bottles simply cannot offer. If you’re celebrating a major milestone, that aged Napa Cab or First Growth Bordeaux creates memories beyond just the meal.

Consider splitting a special bottle with your dining companions to make premium selections more accessible while sharing the experience.

Budget-Friendly Excellence

Quality pairings exist even at lower price points. Spanish Tempranillo, Portuguese Douro reds, and Argentine Malbec all deliver excellent steak-pairing potential at friendly prices. These wines might not possess the cachet of prestigious labels, but they’ll complement your meal beautifully.

Making It Personal: Trust Your Palate

Although pairing rules offer a useful foundation, the perfect match will always be whichever combination you personally enjoy the most. Wine preferences are deeply personal, influenced by individual taste sensitivity and previous experiences.

If you genuinely prefer Pinot Noir with your ribeye despite conventional wisdom suggesting something bolder, that’s your perfect pairing. Use recommendations as launching points for exploration, not rigid rules that restrict your enjoyment.

The most important aspect of wine and steak pairing isn’t impressing others with your sophisticated choices—it’s enhancing your own dining pleasure through thoughtful combinations that make both the food and wine taste better together than either would alone.

Creating Your Own Pairing Adventures

The best way to develop your pairing instincts is through experimentation. Each steak and wine combination teaches you something about how flavors interact, building an intuitive sense that eventually makes selections second nature.

Keep mental notes of combinations you particularly enjoyed. Did that Malbec bring out unexpected flavors in your ribeye? Did the Pinot Noir make your filet taste even more delicate? These observations inform future choices and help you refine your preferences.

Don’t fear mistakes—even pairings that don’t quite work teach valuable lessons. Maybe that wine was too light, too tannic, or too fruity for that particular preparation. Each experience adds to your understanding and makes you more confident in future selections.

The Complete Experience

When everything aligns—the perfect cut cooked to your preferred temperature, an ideal wine pairing, and the comfortable atmosphere of a quality steakhouse—dining transcends mere eating to become a genuine experience worth savoring. The wine elevates the steak, the steak enhances the wine, and you find yourself fully present in the moment.

This is what thoughtful pairing achieves: not just matching flavors on a technical level, but creating harmony that makes every element shine brighter. Whether you’re a wine enthusiast eager to explore complex pairings or someone simply seeking to enjoy a better meal, understanding these principles opens doors to richer, more satisfying dining experiences.

The next time you settle into a booth at a Redlands steakhouse, wine list in hand and anticipation building as you contemplate the menu, you’ll have the knowledge to make selections that transform a good meal into an exceptional one. Take your time, ask questions when needed, and most importantly, savor every perfectly paired bite and sip.

About the Restaurant

Tartan of Redlands is the quintessential steakhouse known for Prime Rib on Saturdays, an assortment of steaks, a Redlands Famous Tartan Burger, and a full bar. This beloved establishment opened its doors on April 15, 1964, founded by three brothers: Velmer, Al, and Art Ctoteau. Larry Westin managed the restaurant and eventually became a partner, with Mr. and Mrs. Westin owning it until Larry’s passing in 2003. The restaurant was then passed down to Larry Westin Jr., who continued the family legacy until 2015 when Tartan of Redlands was sold to its current owners, Jeff and Lisa Salamon. Jeff was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and served in the Marine Corps. Even with the changes in ownership, you will find that the old-school atmosphere has remained and the reputation of being the Cheers of Redlands where everybody knows your name remains strong.