The Stampede Guide to Pairing Wine with Your Favourite Meat

This one’s for you, Alberta! In partnership with the Calgary Stampede, we’ve paired ten wines from Ranahan’s Winemaker Series, with dishes for a meat lovers’ palate. Start your barbeques, make the taste, and celebrate this special time of year!

While cold beer and hotdogs is a go-to, you may want to class up your Stampede with premium wines and delectable eats. Keep reading to explore my selections of top-notch red wines paired with a variety of grilled courses.  

Beef Tenderloin with Green Peppercorn Sauce

Kick off the festivities with a classic Napa Valley red and beef tenderloin. Chappellet Cuvée Mountain Proprietors Blend pairs perfectly with lean meats and savoury sauces. Its full structure and subtle herbaceous notes will be a hit at your next backyard dinner party.

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Sweet Barbeque Sauce

Keep it sweet and simple with a pulled pork sandwich and The Stalker Pinot Noir from Roco Winery. Ripe fruit and aged stalks give this wine a full-bodied smooth texture on your palate and it’s not too harsh on your wallet either. As winemaker, Rollin Soles would say, “it’s designed for folks that love BBQ’s and ponies!”  

Chargrilled Ribeye with Roasted Thyme Carrots

Ya'll know it’s Stampede season when you hear this pairing. From the land of Tuscany, comes a Sangiovese that’s rich, full of fruit, and ready to impress. Enjoy the Merchesi Antinori Tignanello Chianti Classico Riserva with chargrilled ribeye and roasted thyme carrots.

Alberta Boar Chops with Rosemary Butter

Grab a bottle, grab a boar, and experience Tuscany in your mouth. The Tolaini Valdisanti is a staff favourite for a reason, its full of heavy structure, high acidity, and definitely shows its longevity. You may want to snag an extra bottle for your cellar, but this week, pop that cork and grill up some Alberta boar chops with rosemary butter.

Grilled Flatiron Steak with Parsley Chimichurri

Freemark Abbey Winery knows how to make their mark. Since the 60’s it’s been their goal to perfect winemaking techniques and produce nothing less than quality. Well, the Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 shows exactly that; especially when it’s paired with a grilled flatiron steak and parsley chimichurri. It’s supple firm tannins and Bing cherry ripeness are just screaming for the grill!

Sticky Baby Back Pork Ribs

Let’s head south of the Okanagan Valley to the beloved local estate, Black Hills. Their flagship wine, Note Bene VQA, is Bordeaux-inspired and expresses flavours of black fruit, cassis, raspberry, and plum. These characteristics combined with sticky baby back pork ribs; well, we may have found the newest Stampede staple. Grab a bottle while you can, limited quantities are available!  

Braised Beef Short Rib on Sweet Potato Mash   

“Merlot is part of our DNA”, says winemaker of Duckhorn Vineyards, Renée Ary. And I have to say, it’s in mine too! Napa Valley’s diverse wine growing region is why it triumphs as one of the top wine producing regions of the world. With a legacy of over 40 years, it’s hard to choose what pairs with perfection, but for this occasion I’d go with a braised beef short rib on sweet potato mash. 

Herb Crusted Alberta Lamb Chop

While Avignonesi Winery may be vegan, my stomach sure isn’t! Life is a balancing act right, so let’s pair the Avignonesi Desiderio Cortona Merlot IGT with herb crusted Alberta lamb chops. The melo tannins and oak influencing flavours, blended with a bite of local lamb will have you saying bon appétit all night!

Smoked Farmers Sausage with Roasted Bell Peppers 

Malbec has been kicking it for over 2,000 years, it’s one of those wines that never gets old. If you’re opting to take the lunch route this Stampede season, you’ll want to get your hands on a smoked farmers sausage covered in roasted bell peppers with a side of Catena Alta Malbec.

Grilled Chicken with Vinegar-based Barbeque Sauce     

The oldest wine house in Burgundy deserves the perfect pairing! Enjoy Pernand-Vergelesses Clos De Bully Pinot Noir with a grilled chicken under a vinegar-based barbeque sauce. Its light body and raspberry notes are made to complement delicate dishes that express pure flavours in all aspects.

Curious to find more pairings go with Stampede food? Read our Midway Food Pairings to catch your cravings!