Wagyu beef

Wagyu beef

Wagyu is so marbled that the fat melts into the meat, rich, sweet and savoury, and a small piece carries more fat than a large steak. The wine needs high acidity and firm tannin to cut through it, but not the heavy oak or ripe sweetness that would add yet more richness. Whether seared and sliced with soy or grilled as a steak, freshness matters more than power.

Pairs Perfectly. A village Barolo or Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy. Nebbiolo carries high acidity and firm tannin with only moderate weight, so it scrubs the palate clean of fat without piling on richness, and its rose and tar suit the sweetness of the meat. Barbaresco is the slightly more elegant and earlier drinking of the two, and a Langhe Nebbiolo gives the same logic at an everyday price.

Pairs Well. Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California. Ripe cherry and spice with bright acidity and soft tannin, best with wagyu seared and sliced with soy.

Pairs Well. Champagne in its Blanc de Noirs style, France. Made from black grapes, with body, toast and bubbles that lift the fat, for wagyu served raw or barely seared.

Complex and austere. Young Barolo and Barbaresco can be fierce, so open the bottle an hour ahead or decant it, and serve it just below room temperature. With ten years or more in bottle the tannin softens and meets the fat more gently.

Worth Seeking Out

Saperavi from Kakheti, Georgia. Inky, sharp and firmly tannic, one of the few red grapes with coloured flesh, and a match for the richest cuts.

Avoid

Soft, jammy, heavily oaked reds. Sweet fruit and vanilla add richness to a dish that already has plenty, and low acidity leaves the fat unchecked.

Failing That

A Shiraz, Barossa, Australia.

If All Else Fails

Pinot Noir, Central Otago.

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