What kind of wine do you choose for lamb?

Many people wonder what kind of wine to choose with lamb, and the answer lies partly in the lamb's own character. Whether you choose red, white or sparkling wine, choose a wine with a lot of character that doesn't succumb to the lamb's powerful character.

The choice of wine also depends on how the meat is prepared. While lamb that is boiled or steamed often gets a slightly milder character, lamb that is roasted gets an extra flavour. Furthermore, the accompaniments will be crucial. Fårikål with potatoes is very different from a grilled or roasted leg of lamb served with a concentrated red wine sauce.

For roasted or grilled lamb dishes with dark and strong sauces, red wine is the first choice. Choose a red wine with a lot of flavour and preferably some character from aging. A Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva often has a lot of aging aromas that match the strong character of the lamb well. A Châteauneuf-du-Pape is often rich in rustic aromas, scents of herbs and spices that fit the herbs the lamb is often rubbed with.

For light and boiled or steamed lamb dishes, white wine can be very suitable, as long as it is aromatic and has enough body to match the texture of the dish. A white, flavourful and full-bodied Bordeaux from Graves is a good starting point. Here, you often have the aroma intensity of Sauvignon Blanc, while aging on the lees and in barrels gives even more aroma complexity and body. White Burgundy with similar aging can also work well. There can also be bolder, drier expressions of Riesling Grosses Gewächs, preferably from Rheingau or more southern areas such as the Palatinate. If you want red, choose a wine with moderate tannin and about medium body, such as a Pinot Noir. Feel free to try one of these wines with the dish below.

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Fårikål

For 4 servings:

• 1.5 kg of lamb 

• 2 kg of white cabbage

• 4 tsp. pepper

• 2 tsp. salt

• 3 dl water

Preparation

1. Cut the cabbage into wedges.
2. Place the meat and cabbage in layers in a pot (meat at the bottom with the fat side down). Sprinkle salt and pepper between the layers.
3. Pour in water. Bring it to boil, cover and reduce the heat. Let the mutton stew simmer until the meat is tender (until it falls off the bone), normally this takes 2.5-3 hours, check along the way.
4. Serve the mutton stew hot on preheated plates with freshly cooked potatoes and pour the steaming broth over it.