Pairing Wine with Lamb – What Wine Goes with Lamb?

Best Wines with Roast Lamb

Roast lamb, a favorite for family get-togethers, has a deep, savory flavors, sometimes with a hint of gamey or grassy notes. To go with a classic roast lamb, you need a wine that can handle the meat’s strong tastes and balance its rich fat.

A full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley can do just that, with complementary ripe dark fruit flavors and firm tannins. With its luscious berry flavors, the Saracosa 2022 Super Tuscan red is also a good choice—this award-winning Sangiovese-based blend has dark cherry and chocolatey notes that complement the richness of the roast lamb.

A Greek-style slow-roasted lamb with classic flavors of garlic, thyme, oregano and rosemary is an excellent alternative to a standard roast. Match it with a medium-bodied Xinomavro, one of Greece’s top red grape varieties, which complements the herbs in the lamb dish with its earthy notes.

Best Wines with Grilled and Barbecued Lamb

When grilling and barbecuing lamb, you can add flavor by experimenting with sauces, herbs, marinades and spices, all of which are absorbed by the meat. Savory crusts or barbecue char also add an extra layer of complexity to your plate. So, what should you consider when it comes to wine pairings?

Grilled, herb-crusted lamb chops (typically served pink) call for a full-bodied wine. For example, a Cabernet Sauvignon with plenty of tannins and complementary berry and herb flavors would be delicious.

If you’re barbecuing over the weekend, look for a wine with enough sweetness to balance the bitterness of BBQ char and enough acidity to balance the meat's richness. A medium-bodied Grenache blend will do a wonderful job—try the full-bodied Clos del Mill Priorat with its rich black fruit and wild berries flavors and subtle spice aromas.

Best Wines with Lamb Curries and Tagines

Dishes like aromatic tagines—the traditional slow-cooked dish from Morocco—or curries, with a complex mix of spices, need wine pairings that are just as complex. Red wine is usually the first choice to go with them, but a white wine could be better for curries that have a noticeable heat.

A creamy lamb curry with a coconut milk or almond base needs a wine that can handle the rich, nutty taste of the dish. An off-dry Riesling could be the go-to choice. Its natural sweetness helps cool the spicy heat of the dish, while its sharp tartness balances out the creamy richness. An off-dry or dry Chenin Blanc can also work well.

If you like dishes like lamb Rogan Josh, try a glass of Gewürztraminer. This golden, slightly sweet white wine will cool the curry's heat and go well with its spices.

If you’d like to go for a red, choose a medium-bodied wine with notes of spice to complement the spices in your food, like a Zinfandel.

Choose a medium- to full-bodied red wine to serve alongside a spicy lamb tagine. A bold, peppery Syrah will do the trick—try River Rock Syrah 2019, with expressive fig and black currant aromas.