Shepherd's pie

Shepherd's pie

Assuming minced lamb cooked with onion, carrot and gravy, topped with mashed potato and baked until golden.

Shepherd's pie is savoury, homely and rich with lamb fat and gravy, softened by buttery mash. It wants a medium bodied red with ripe fruit, moderate tannin to meet the lamb, and a herbal or spicy note for the gravy. Big, tannic reds are too heavy for mince, and light whites are lost.

Pairs Perfectly. Rioja Crianza, Spain. Tempranillo with red cherry, vanilla and a little spice, soft enough in tannin for mince and savoury enough for lamb gravy. It is widely available and never expensive.

Pairs Well. Agiorgitiko from Nemea, Greece. Ripe red fruit, sweet spice and soft tannin, a natural partner for lamb.

Pairs Well. Merlot, Bordeaux, France. Plum and soft, round tannin, gentle with mash and rich with gravy.

Worth Seeking Out

Plavac Mali from Dalmatia, Croatia. Dark, ripe and herbal with firm tannin, with the depth for lamb and gravy.

Avoid

Very tannic, heavily oaked reds and light whites. Hard tannin swamps mince, and light whites vanish under lamb fat.

Failing That

A Côtes du Rhône Villages, France.

If All Else Fails

Malbec, Mendoza.

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