Quick Answer: Wine Pairing with Prime Rib
Prime rib is a dish that predominantly goes well with red wines. It tastes its best when paired with wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Primitivo, Merlot, Syrah, Barolo, Rioja, Grenache, and Gamay. Pair any of these wines with prime rib for a wholesome dining experience.
Here’s an ultimate guide, prepared after putting in hours of intensive research & backed by my personal experiences, that you’ll ever need to find the best wine to suit your prime rib dish and satisfy your craving for good food.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started.
But first, let’s get to know a bit more about prime rib before we get to know the details about the best wines to pair it with.
About Prime Rib
Prime rib is a section from a cow’s rib rack consisting of the sixth to the twelfth rib.
It weighs approximately around 20 pounds and is further segmented into the first cut comprising ribs 10 to 12 and the second cut including ribs 6 to 9.
In the US, the term “prime” is used for the highest quality of beef available.
So, drooling over prime rib already? But before that let’s find the perfect wine match for it.
Best Wines That Go With Prime Ribs
Here are my top wine picks that go well with Prime Ribs –
1. Cabernet Sauvignon
| Name | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Origin | France |
| Taste | Dry and fruity |
| Primary Flavors | Blackcurrant, cedar, oaks, herbs |
| Acidity | Highly acidic |
| Serving Temperature (C) | 59-68 degrees |
| Glass Type | Bordeaux / Standard red |
| Storage (years) | 7-10 years |
| Wine Body | Medium to full |
| Alcohol % (ABV) | Over 13.5% |
Cabernet Sauvignon comes with a dark fruity taste of black cherry, blackberry, and blackcurrant with hints of vanilla, wood, and spice.
It comes with a medium to full-bodied texture, medium levels of acidity, and moderate to high tannins.
The acidity of this wine helps to cut the fats present in prime rib. It excellently strikes a balance with the flavors and heaviness of the food.
Click on the below-given link to know more about Cabernet Sauvignon:
2. Malbec
| Name | Malbec |
|---|---|
| Origin | Argentina |
| Taste | Dry |
| Primary Flavors | Red plum, blackberry, vanilla |
| Acidity | Medium- low acidic |
| Serving Temperature (C) | 15- 20 degrees C |
| Glass Type | Universal |
| Storage (years) | 5-10 years |
| Wine Body | Full-bodied |
| Alcohol % (ABV) | 13.5- 15 % |
Malbec is a red wine that comes with a great structure and a chocolatey feel on the tongue. It comes with a soft and smooth texture, leaving you craving for more.
It’s lower in acidity than most wines, has moderate tannin levels, and has a full wine body. It’s a great option for people who’d like to avoid bitterness.
Malbec pairs exceptionally well with meaty dishes like prime rib due to its moderate tannins and medium acidity levels.
To better understand the nuances of Malbec, check out this quick video:
3. Primitivo (Zinfandel)
| Name | Zinfandel |
|---|---|
| Origin | Croatia |
| Taste | Smoky and fruity |
| Primary Flavors | Jam, blueberry, licorice |
| Acidity | Highly acidic |
| Serving Temperature (C) | 60-65 degrees |
| Glass Type | Bordeaux |
| Storage (years) | 3-5 years |
| Wine Body | Light |
| Alcohol % (ABV) | 15-16% |
Primitivo is a red wine that comes along with black and red fruit flavors coupled with spicy pepper notes for that much-needed zing. It comes with low tannin levels making it an easy-to-go option for roasted dishes.
Its moderate acidity and medium-bodied texture make it an excellent pair with prime rib as its spicy taste gets perfectly balanced.
Get insights regarding Primitivo through this video:
4. Merlot
| Name | Merlot |
|---|---|
| Origin | France |
| Taste | Dark and fruity |
| Primary Flavors | Black cherry, blackberry, plum, raspberry, vanilla and mocha |
| Acidity | Moderate acidity |
| Serving Temperature (C) | 60-65 degrees |
| Glass Type | Bordeaux |
| Storage (years) | 3-5 years |
| Wine Body | Medium to full |
| Alcohol % (ABV) | 13-14% |
Merlot has a soft sensual texture that makes it a versatile beverage to go for. It comes with low tannins, while its flavors range from plums to black cherries with notes of vanilla, clove, and cedar.
You can either go for a full-bodied or light-bodied Merlot to relish along with a prime rib dish as either of the two options work well for meaty meals.
To better understand the details of Merlot, check out this quick video:
5. Syrah
| Name | Syrah |
|---|---|
| Origin | Rhone Valley, France |
| Taste | Dry |
| Primary Flavors | Blueberry, black plum, milk chocolate |
| Acidity | Medium |
| Serving Temperature (C) | 15-20 degrees C |
| Glass Type | Universal |
| Storage (years) | 10+ years |
| Wine Body | Full-bodied |
| Alcohol % (ABV) | 13.5-15% |
Syrah is a dark-skinned grape primarily used to produce red wine. It is also known as Shiraz. It consists of meaty, spicy, and fruity flavors that suit any kind of meaty dish.
It’s an opaque wine with moderate tannin levels.
Syrah is a chewy wine with notes of tobacco and smoke making it a perfect pair for prime ribs. Also, its acidity levels are perfect to cut through the fats.
To better understand Syrah traits, check out this quick video:
6. Barolo
| Name | Barolo |
|---|---|
| Origin | Piedmont, Italy |
| Taste | Bone-dry |
| Primary Flavors | Raspberry, cherry, rose |
| Acidity | High |
| Serving Temperature (C) | 15-20 degrees C |
| Glass Type | Aroma collector |
| Storage (years) | 10+ years |
| Wine Body | Full-bodied |
| Alcohol % (ABV) | 13.5-15 % |
Barolo is produced from the grapes of Nebbiolo. It is a red dry wine with fruity flavors and earthy and coffee-like notes.
It has high tannin levels that generate a structured texture to your wine.
Barolo wines are meant to be aged but a young and bold version of it is simply the best option to go for with prime rib.
Its acidity, wine body, tannin, and alcohol levels articulately are meant to go with a plate full of prime ribs.
Check out this quick video to get insights about Barolo:
7. Rioja
| Name | Rioja Red |
|---|---|
| Origin | Spain |
| Taste | Dry |
| Primary Flavors | Cherry, plum, dill, vanilla |
| Acidity | Medium-high |
| Serving Temperature (C) | 12-15 degrees C |
| Glass Type | Universal |
| Storage (years) | 10+ years |
| Wine Body | Medium to Full-bodied |
| Alcohol % (ABV) | 13.5-15% |
Rioja is a red wine with a moderately sweet taste and high tannin levels.
It is oaked and aged which results in the wine developing an intense fruity flavor and an excellent finish, providing you with a pleasurable dining experience.
High tannins complement meat loaded with fats just like prime ribs.
It comes with high levels of acidity and a medium wine body, making it an irresistible combination with prime ribs.
Dive deeper into the world of Rioja with this video:
8. Grenache
| Name | Grenache |
|---|---|
| Origin | Spain, France |
| Taste | Dry |
| Primary Flavors | Grilled plum, leather, dried herbs |
| Acidity | Medium |
| Serving Temperature (C) | 15-20 degrees C |
| Glass Type | Universal |
| Storage (years) | 10+ years |
| Wine Body | Medium to full-bodied |
| Alcohol % (ABV) | More than 15% |
Grenache is a red wine with juicy red fruit flavors with a dash of cinnamon-like spice. It’s thin-skinned and has a similar profile to that of Pinot Noir.
It comes with high alcohol content and moderate tannin levels. Grenache is available in a variety of styles, namely, dry, semi-dry, and sweet.
A medium-bodied white wine with moderate tannins and acidity is simply the best option to turn to for pairing with prime rib.
Get insights regarding Grenache through this video:
9. Gamay
| Name | Gamay |
|---|---|
| Origin | France |
| Taste | Dry |
| Primary Flavors | Sour Cherry, Raspberry, Currant, Cranberry, and Strawberry |
| Acidity | Highly Acidic |
| Serving Temperature (C) | 17 - 20 degrees |
| Glass Type | Burgundy Wine Glass |
| Storage (years) | 1 - 3 years |
| Wine Body | Light-bodied |
| Alcohol % (ABV) | 10 - 11% |
Gamay is articulately known for its light-bodied texture, high acidity, and low tannin levels.
It’s a red wine also known as Gamay Noir as it holds a close resemblance to Pinot Noir in terms of wine body and taste.
Gamay is an excellent pick for meaty dishes like prime rib due to its light wine body and high acidity that’ll help you cut the fat.
Get to learn more about Gamay through this quick video:
Wine Pairing Guide for Prime Rib
Meaty dishes like prime ribs require a certain level of acid to cut through the fats present in the meal.
That’s a primary reason why you’ll witness structured red wines are the most lauded options to go for while on a quest for wine for prime rib.
Any wine that contains a certain proportion of fruity flavors and herbal notes will work wonders and enhance the taste of your prime rib meal. Tannic wines may solely not soothe your tongue but when paired with prime ribs, there’s certainly no turning back.
A medium-bodied red wine will perfectly poise the flavors and richness of the prime rib without overpowering the beef’s natural taste.
Full-bodied wines may overpower the taste while light-bodied ones just won’t suffice your meal.
For a truly fulfilling experience, make certain that the beef and the wine should have a terroir i.e., they both should belong to the same place of origin.
This assists the wine to complement the meat very well.
Recipe for Prime Rib Roast
Prime rib is roasted in an oven at high temperatures to attain a good browning at the exterior of the beef cut.
Later the meat is cooked at low temperatures to make sure that the central meat doesn’t get overcooked.
Prime ribs are either served rare roasted or medium-rare roasted.
For a rare roast, you cook the meat at around 46 degrees Celsius, and for a medium-rare roast, you prepare the meat at around 49 degrees Celsius.
FAQs
3.5 ounces of broiled prime rib contains around 205 calories, 9 g of proteins, and 9 g of fats. It also contains nutrients like thiamine, vitamin B6, niacin, phosphorus, riboflavin, magnesium, and zinc.
An entire rack of prime beef consists of 7 ribs in total that will easily suffice a group of 14 to 16 individuals. You may need to cut half the beef rack, as an entire rib rack won’t fit in your oven at once.
Most of the prime rib meat that you order from the market are USDA Choice quality ones. While USDA Prime Ribs are the ones that have more fat marbling across the meat and they cost you approximately 50% more per pound.
Bottom Line
Now that you’ve made it to the end, I hope this article was useful enough for you to locate your ideal wine pair for prime rib.
If you found this article useful do share it with your friends and family!