Rich, hearty, and flavorful – the reasons why meatloaf is America’s classic comfort food are also what make it an ideal partner for red wine. From French Bordeaux to Californian Merlot, this dish has what it takes to play well with many wines. What is the best wine pairing for meatloaf? We put two wines to the test over the entire span of a meatloaf dinner.
The Wines We Tested
For our meatloaf wine pairing test, we picked a Napa Valley, California Zinfandel and a Barossa Valley, Australia Shiraz.
Caymus Napa Valley Zinfandel
This is a classic California Zinfandel with polish and finesse. Delectable flavors of blackberry jam, dried fig, and blueberry compote, laced with vanilla and mint. This dense, lush fruit is balanced by clean acidity and silky tannins. It is a concentrated purple color in the glass.
Tait Barossa Valley Shiraz “The Ball Buster”
A surprisingly robust, spicy, and meaty Shiraz. Dusty plum, sun-baked cherry, and pomegranate fruit flavors are kept in check by notes of rhubarb, earth, leather, and toasted oak. This wine has bold, savory acidity, and firm tannins that are dry on the finish. It is a deep garnet in hue.
The Meatloaf
We tested both wines against a classic meatloaf made with ground beef, onions, breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, and parsley. The meatloaf had a glaze of tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, and salt (essentially ketchup). We served it alongside creamy, buttery mashed potatoes.
Pair Meatloaf with New World Zinfandel or Syrah
Our wine pairing test results were very close. In the end, both Syrah and Zinfandel are delectable with meatloaf. Since each wine has its own merits, we recommend using your own palate as a guide:
- If you can appreciate juicy, fruit-forward wines, pair meatloaf with Californian Zinfandel. For us, Zinfandel eked out a narrow victory against Syrah. Zinfandel’s juicy black fruit was perfect with the sweetness of the ketchup glaze. With every sip, its concentrated, lush flavors seasoned the meatloaf like an extension of the sauce.
- If you prefer dry wines, and cannot tolerate “jammy” wines, pair meatloaf with Syrah from Australia, South Africa, or California. The creamy mashed potatoes are rich enough to minimize the sweetness in the meatloaf’s ketchup glaze. Each bite of meatloaf and buttery potatoes softened Syrah’s structured tannins and bold acidity, giving way to greater depth of fruit.
To summarize, the exact wine you pick will depend on the flavors you’re trying to play up. Zinfandel plays up the sweetness of the dish. However, Syrah is better at accentuating meatloaf’s more savory elements, particularly with creamy mashed potatoes.
Get inspired with more more comfort food and wine pairings:
