When lamb dishes come to mind for most people it is not merely a delicately arranged rack of lamb that they envision. Recipes for lamb run the gamut from extremely casual to undeniably elegant. Those who have had the fortune to travel to Greece and eat in a small local restaurant have hopefully had the luck to try a rustic lamb stew. It was probably served with freshly baked bread and made with vegetables grown by friends of the restaurant owner. Very possibly a carafe of a locally made nameless, hearty red wine also made its way to the table.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Michelin three star lamb experience. Suited waiters in a subdued and elegant environment brought Sèrves porcelain with and artfully arranged rack of lamb that was nearly too beautiful to eat. On the table in a Riedel decanter a perfectly aged vintage Bordeaux waited patiently to be served alongside the lamb. Your right hand was in a quandary over whether to reach first for the stem of the glass or your sterling silver knife.
All well and good. But when you are creating dinner at home or in a restaurant without a sommelier what do you choose to pair with your lamb? Lamb requires full, fairly tannic wines. The best pairings are regionally influenced, according to the dish you will be eating.
Finding Greek wines readily available in many regions is very difficult, the country does not export a high percentage of their wine in the same that many other countries do. Even if you are doing a traditional Greek lamb dish it will much easier to pair it with an Italian wine along the same lines as you would for an osso buco or traditional Easter lamb and serve it with a Chianti, Nebbiolo, Barolo or Brunello. In addition, another great pairing is leg of lamb with a California Sangiovese.
For more French style dishes and dishes that are not heavily braised Bordeaux is the ideal choice. Many California Cabernets will be a touch too tannic. When you find California Bordeaux style blends that do not contain the 80% Cabernet required to be labeled as such, but that still have a moderate concentration of Cabernet, these wines work extremely well also. More producers are beginning to make these wines and follow the ancient practice of blending multiple grape varietals in order to yield wines with an ideal balance of flavor, body and tannin. When you find one of these wines and some fresh mint you will be settling into a wonderful lamb dinner.
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