Scotch 'n' Shiraz : A combo worth dining for

A thick, juicy cut of prime beef, lightly seared to reveal an exterior crust of golden fat. A rich, robust red wine spiked with flavours of spice, smoked meat and blackcurrant. We’re talking scotch fillet and shiraz – a match made in culinary heaven. 

Scotch fillet is a particularly luxurious cut of steak, well deserving of a carefully chosen wine to enhance its rich flavour and unctuous texture. Here at Sydney steak restaurant, Chophouse, our staff have been giving their impeccable palates a workout in order to perfectly pair red meat and vino rosso and create the ultimate beef-lovers wine and dine experience.  

When it comes to matching wine and steak, a general rule is that reds with a higher tannin content (shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, malbec) go best with fattier cuts of steak (scotch fillet, T-bone, porterhouse). Tannin is a natural palette cleanser, able to cleanly cut through oil and fat while maintaining the integral flavours of the wine. High fat marbling gives scotch fillet its characteristic juiciness, and is ideally accompanied by a bold, tannic wine such as shiraz. 

If you’re not into super-heavy wines, try pairing scotch fillet with a cooler climate shiraz, such as those made from grapes grown in the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula. Cool climate shirazes tend to be more savoury and less heavy-bodied than the warmer styles, with more subdued herbal and fruit undertones. 

Shiraz from warmer regions like the Barossa, McLaren Vale and the Hunter Valley are usually punchier and more intense, with lots of spice and sweet dark fruit upfront and smooth, velvety mouth feel that stands up well to the palate-coating oils from a forkful of fine scotch fillet.

Complex, sweet, savoury and spicy, shiraz is a chameleon of a wine that comes in endless flavour variations. If you haven’t tried an Aussie shiraz you’ve fallen in love with, don’t give up, there are many to choose from, each one unique. All it needs is the perfect partner, a meltingly tender Oaky Reserve Black Angus Scotch Fillet from the Chophouse restaurant. 

The Perfect Pairings

Here are a couple of drops from the Chophouse cellar that make up some of our favourite scotch-n-shiraz combos: 

The Other Wine Co. Shiraz, 2015, Adelaide Hills

 A brawny, meaty and unmistakably Australian shiraz, showcasing classic Barossa power and weight tempered with dark fruit, violets and spice.

Aramis Black Label Shiraz, 2015, McLaren Vale

Rich and ripe, with intense berry flavours countered by mocha, liquorice and a hit of white pepper, backed up by an earthy, smoky oak finish on the palate.