If you googled “does syrah go with pasta”, then you must be a gourmet or at least want to be one! Wine and pasta are a great, though a tough combination. But if you could match the right wine with your favorite pasta dish, that would be the greatest discovery in your kitchen. To be able to pair the right wine with your favorite pasta plate is quite a challenge and you may think the wine also should be Italian, but no: even Italians are happy with a new variety of choices. Now, let’s get back to our question “Does syrah go with pasta?”
Syrah most definitely goes with pasta – but only the right kind of pasta. Since syrah is a robust, powerful wine, we like to pair it with red sauce pasta that has meat or cheese in it. Pasta with beef, pork, or other oily meats will pair excellently with syrah. Syrah also goes well with gravy based pasta dishes, such as stroganoff and beef bourguignon.
When you want to choose the perfect wine for pasta, your choice lays between the color and weight of the wine, followed by the flavors and ingredients in the pasta. This includes, first of all, the sauce: what’s in it, whether the cheese is pungent and rich or mild and sweet, whether the pasta is filled with any ingredients, and what meats are used to accompany the dish.
Now we will provide you with a wild range of dishes that syrah goes with then you can decide yourself what to cook tonight!
Let’s get into it!
Syrah or Shiraz?
When you want to combine a drink with a dish, first of all, you should look for the origin of the drink and what people of the homeland of that drink ate (eat) alongside it. With wine, you should be more careful than with any other alcohol as the wrong choice can ruin the whole meal.
Syrah or Shiraz (this spelling comes from Persian) is a grape sort from Iran. The legend says that this winegrape was brought to Rhône valley in France during the middle ages, though some historians question it. Anyway, now it is largely being produced in Australia and America. Don’t confuse syrah with petite sirah – these are two different wines!
Author Note: The Syrah is a red dry wine, although the ripe fruit can be very sweet (the fruit taste resembles blueberry or blackberry). The sweetness of the fruit does not influence the flavor due to the wine-making process.
When pressing the grapes, its sugar is converted into alcohol after the mixture of yeast (ferment), so the initial sweet taste disappears.
The spelling can be important because the french call it with a special name “Cornas” when the wine is produced 100% from Syrah grapes. In Anglophone regions, it is called Shiraz because when making wine, they mix some other types of wine grapes, such as Viognier, Marsanne, or Roussanne white grapes, or Cabernet Sauvignon (red).
Australian Shiraz
“Shiraz” is used in Australia too, and the major part of this wine comes from that area. And they make it, generally, a little more delicate than in America and France. The American and French Syrah wines taste slightly heavier and bolder. Italy also produces some great tasting and qualified Syrah wines.
One last note about the wine and we will move on to the delicious dishes.
The cellaring, for sure, is one of the most important parts of wine production. The sommeliers recommend enjoying it while it is young. Three years or less is typically best for most labels.
What Dishes Go With Syrah
As we have already “disappointed” you above, syrah does not go with pasta dishes so well. But don’t get stressed too soon, as we have some great news for you. It is up to every cook what topping or sauce to mix with the pasta. Since pasta without dressing is simply dough, the sauce is what makes or breaks the wine pairing.
Now, we have set aside some great products, dishes, and flavors for you, so you can browse and choose what matches your palate best!
Syrah goes very well with black cherry, black pepper, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, clove, licorice, espresso, and dark chocolate, moreover, it is sometimes mixed with these products when served, so if you want to cook something that really goes perfectly with your wine, you should include the above ingredients! Remember to choose such products that will compliment your meal.
If you prefer to add wine to your sauces instead of having it with a meal, the Demi-glace is the best choice. Demi-glace is a delicious sauce to serve with red meats, like roasts and grilled steaks.
As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that Shiraz pairs very well with grilled meats, vegetables, wild game, and beef stew.
Barbecue
If you have picked French or American syrah, then you should try the intense flavors of slow-roasted barbecue pork with it. A great piece for this can be a pork shoulder to roast, where you’ll have a rich umami-driven meat piece.
Top Tip: Pepper and cumin are highly recommended to season this type of meat to bring out the fruitiness of the wine. The alternative method is using Asian cuisine flavors, such as plum sauce, that will add a sweetness to the dish.
Substitutes for vegetarians can be smoked seitan steaks, which are made from white peas, lentil, or other vegetables along with tomato paste and other sauces.
Grilled Lamb
Now if you picked Syrah’s delicate flavors, it ideally goes with lamb grill. You better season it with dried herbs and black pepper to keep it juicy. Try Lamb Shawarma or Gyros(Greek Shawarma) or, if you’re preparing it yourself, play with your spice rack to magnify the natural flavors in Syrah of allspice, clove, and mint.
The vegetarian choice can be grilled eggplants with olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, fresh chopped parsley, and fresh oregano.
Vegan Options
When it comes to vegan choices, this wine gets along with any kind of grilled vegetables and even fruits. The best veggies to combine with Syrah are mushrooms, papers, and garden asparagus, but you can prepare anything depending on how “big your garden is.”
This wine also goes well with fruits, some apricots, plums, or berries, so it is a fantastic dessert choice.
Pescatarian Options
We did not forget the seafood lovers, too. If you are a pescatarian or just love to eat fish and other products that the seawater provides, then you can take a bottle of Syrah (or Shiraz, just a reminder that they are the same) home with you.
The best fish pairing for our wine is tune, especially when it is grilled or seared. But as you probably know, people always argue about a red wine and fish combination.
It usually depends on how fish (or any kind of seafood) is cooked, with what sauce it is served with, and whether the wine is light, medium, or heavy (strong). It was no coincidence that we mentioned how Syrah and Shiraz are not the same, meaning that Shiraz suits better since it is lighter than Syrah.
A small note for the sauce or other food ingredient with fish and other seafood. When it is redfish, we suggest you just add black paper and extra virgin olive oil.
If it is white meat fish or other sea products, like oysters, mussels, or what else you prefer, you can bring some sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers, and fresh cherry tomatoes to dress your dish up. We recommend you avoid lemon if you are going to have wine, as these two aren’t a great match.
Seafood that must be avoided are sole, shrimp, or lobster.
Cheese
The later, the better. You have noticed it right: we were avoiding cheese all this time. But how can red wine be without any cheese? Here you have no limits, just pick whatever you want. But we can suggest you start with gouda cheese, which is the best for Syrah.
For vegans, tofu cheese works like the other kind of cheese which contains dairy.
Does Syrah Go with Pasta?
Back to our question, so finally, does syrah go well with pasta? Let’s talk about the pasta dish itself a little bit, too. And then you will decide the answer for yourself.
Author Note: So, pasta macaroni is made from unleavened dough with wheat flour and eggs. Then it is formed into all kinds of different shapes and according to those shapes, the kinds (names) of pasta dishes are formed. For etymology and other historical facts you can google it, but we are here to make a delicious dinner.
Now, shapes and kinds are great but they are half done without the key ingredients of the pasta- the sauce. This can take a while if we start to name the sauces but as you probably know, they are made of literally everything.
The products that we mentioned above can make your favorite sauce for your pasta, like red sauces with chopped pork barbecue, grilled lamb, you can add your beef, chicken, or seafood. You can make veggie pasta and make it more vegan, just skip eggs in the pasta dough and when adding cheese to all those mixtures, you can choose tofu not to lose the vegan start.
Parting Thoughts
You probably feel just as hungry as we do now…
There are millions of different tastes in the world and billions of combinations of them, just don’t hesitate to try them and find your perfect combination. Bon appétit!
To living a full-bodied life,
Wesley
