How to Pair Wine With Short Ribs

Braising is a tried-and-true way to handle short ribs. It’s a process that requires patience, but the resulting flavor is unrivaled.

“Braises are long, slow cooks, designed to melt the interior fat and collagen in tougher cuts of meat,” writes Food & Wine contributor Stacey Ballis. “With other cooking techniques, the dishes are at their best when served immediately. But the nature of the slow cooking style and rich sauces of braises mean they actually taste better if you make them ahead of time. If you can, braise your food at least one day in advance of eating — you can braise up to three days in advance.”

When hosting, you’ll cut down on the hassle by preparing as much in advance as possible. Since the braise can be started a few days ahead, why not also pick up a few bottles of red wine to pair with dinner?

Whether you’re using red wine, soy sauce, vinegar, or broth for braising, here are some of our favorite red wines to pair with short ribs.

California Zinfandel

These short ribs braised in sweet, tangy balsamic vinegar and brown sugar will envelop your kitchen in warm, delicious flavor.

Try pairing this dish with a rich, full-bodied, peppery red wine from California, such as Zinfandel. The acidity in these high-alcohol wines plays nicely with the caramelized balsamic flavor in the braise, too.

Chilean Red Wines

Chilean red wines pair well with all kinds of hearty stews and braises. These intense, full-bodied wines are robust in flavor and high in tannins, making them a perfect counterpart to recipes like Coca-Cola Braised Short Ribs, which also calls for two cups of dry red wine for the braising liquid.

Carménére (also a go-to pairing for grilled steak) is generally lower in acid relative to Cabernet Sauvignon, with silky tannins. Many of our favorite Chilean Cabs and Carménére wines can be found for under $50.

Chianti

With elevated acidity and bold tannins, Chianti is a classic pairing for a hearty braised short rib ragu with a bright orange-parsley gremolata. By law, 70% of the blend for Chianti must be made using Sangiovese, a particularly fruit-friendly grape grown widely in Tuscany.

Basic Chianti wines are fresh, easy-drinking, and accessible, while Chianti Classico wines, for which the blend must contain at least 80% Sangiovese, have more stringent aging requirements that impact the final wine’s depth and complexity; Riservas need a minimum of 24 months in barrel and then bottle before release, while Gran Selezione wines must spend a minimum of 30 months.

While you should pass on a Chinati wine with more age, there’s no need to splurge to find one of these wines that pairs nicely with with braised short ribs.