There are few dishes as comforting as meatloaf. This classic American dish can be made with ground beef, pork, turkey, or lamb and is usually served with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. But what wine should you serve with meatloaf? In this blog post, we will discuss the best wine pairings for meatloaf and provide some recommendations for you to try!
Meatloaf pairs well with medium-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz, which have a lot of tannins to balance with this classic comfort food’s meaty flavors. The wine’s tannin content is reduced by the meaty tastes in the dish, allowing it to appear brighter and more alive.
Meanwhile, tannin aids in the breakdown of proteins, resulting in a more savory and delicious flavor. Light meats like Turkey or Pork are recommended for red wines with an acidic edge, such as Zinfandel, Beaujolais, Barbera, and Dolcetto.
Best Wine with Meatloaf
Pairing meatloaf with the right wine can elevate this classic dish to new heights. By taking into account the type of meat, the seasonings, and your own personal preferences, you can choose a wine that will perfectly complement your meatloaf. So don’t be afraid to experiment and find the perfect pairing for your next meal!
Cabernet Sauvignon & Meatloaf Pairing
My favorite Meatloaf accompaniment is a medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with a little spice. I prefer my meatloaf to be simple, using mostly beef, breadcrumbs, and maybe some herbs, onions, and bell peppers. If I overcook it too much, my Meatloaf might become a little dry. (I tend to go overboard and overcook my Meatloaf frequently because of the dark crust.)
While Meatloaf with red wine is delicious, they both mask any dryness with their fruity flavors of cassis and blackberry. In addition, there are additional tastes of leather, smoke, herbs, menthol, and chocolate in each delectable bite of your Meatloaf that adds depth to the overall flavor profile.
For a Meatloaf pairing, stick to mid-range California, Chilean, or Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. Expensive Cabernet Sauvignon will be high in alcohol and tannin and is typically meant to age for a few years before reaching its peak. In the meanwhile, a $15-$25 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon (as high as your budget will allow) should be ready to drink straight away.
While it won’t taste as good as a more expensive bottle, it’s a lot more logical to pair it with meatloaf. Meatloaf was designed as a cheap dish to stretch your budget, therefore I believe budget-friendly wines are best suited for this meal.
Zinfandel & Meatloaf with Ketchup Glaze Pairing
Meatloaf can be made with any sort of meat, and the acidic nature of a medium-bodied Zinfandel makes it a flexible red to match with this hearty meal since it goes nicely with beef, turkey, pork, sausage, or any other meat used in your dish.
Zinfandel will add a fruity note of blackberry, blueberry, plum, raspberry, and strawberry to your Meatloaf, even if you’ve overcooked it and it’s become dry. Zinfandel has beautiful undertones of black pepper, smoke, herbs, chocolate, and coffee that dress up any Meatloaf that is a little flat.
Although many people like Meatloaf, it can be a little bland because of low-fat meats and other fillers. However, with a sip of Zinfandel, you’ll never even notice the lack of flavor. The bland tastes are why some people add a ketchup glaze to their Meatloaf. Ketchup is quite acidic, and acidity rejuvenates our taste buds as well as brings out the dish’s greatest flavors. You’ll get the same experience from Zinfandel that this red wine has: slightly acidic, somewhat sweet (with its fruitiness), and zippy.
Stick to medium-range Zinfandel which costs around $20. High-alcohol and syrupy monsters, on the other hand, are best consumed with slow-cooked ribs glazed in a homemade barbecue sauce and other meaty meals that will make you sweat fat.
Australian Shiraz & Meatloaf Pairing
Meatloaf is a hearty comfort meal, and the flavors of blackberry, plum, raspberry, and cherry provide a lot of refreshment. You’ll also discover notes of black pepper, dark chocolate, smoke, spice, and herbs that compliment the savory aspects of your meatloaf while also giving depth to the dish.
If you’re new to wine, stick with an inexpensive Australian Shiraz for a Meatloaf Shiraz. While more expensive Shirazes will taste better, they are better suited to expensive cuts of steak or a delectable rack of ribs. With Meatloaf, the variety in meats, spices, and fillers used in the recipe makes it difficult to create a meal that lasts throughout the week by combining meat with a variety of other ingredients. Once you’ve gotten the hang of how your Meatloaf tastes with Shiraz, keep experimenting and elevating your level of Shiraz until you discover the one that’s perfect for you.
Beaujolais Villages & Meatloaf Pairing
Beaujolais Villages is a light, fruity, acidic, and low-tannin French Red Wine. The lack of tannins makes Beaujolais Villages ideal with Meatloaf smothered in a ketchup-based sauce. Meanwhile, strawberry, raspberry, and cranberry flavors are light and lively enough to provide welcome refreshment against the meaty, savory, and salty tastes of your Meatloaf. Because Meatloaf includes meat as well as seasonings, vegetables, and breadcrumbs, it should be able to hold up in the lighter body of Beaujolais. If your Meatloaf is a solid block of beef, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz are far better matched.
The earthy, smoky, and mushroomy qualities of Beaujolais-Villages complement meatloaf.
If you’ve never tried wine before, I highly recommend that you try Beaujolais-Villages. The language barrier, outdated labeling, and lack of cute animals on the label may put a lot of people off when they first enter the French section of the wine aisle. However, Beaujolais Villages is a low-cost red wine with a centuries-old reputation for quality that is well worth your time in sampling.
Baco Noir & Meatloaf Pairing
Baco Noir is a popular red wine produced in the Niagara and NY regions of North America. Bacon Noir is an excellent wine to go with Meatloaf, which has a Ketchup glaze because red wines high in tannin taste like tin if you add ketchup or tomatoes to them. Baco Noir’s high acidity makes it ideal with Meatloaf in a creamy mushroom sauce or gravy. Acids cut through the fat, keeping your palette cleansed between bites.
Baco Noir is a bright and fruity medium-bodied red wine with blackberry, blueberry, and plum notes. The red wine, on the other hand, has a rustic side and offers tastes of black pepper, leather, smoke, and tobacco that complement Meatloaf’s salty flavor profile.