The standard Australian answer here has long been Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon, the bigger the better. On a cold night with a good steak, that can be a perfect answer. But the great red wines of Italy were built for this job too, and depending on how marbled your cut is, they can be the more rewarding choice.
The main thing to get right is matching the weight of the wine to the richness of the meat.
Marbled cuts: scotch fillet, rib on the bone and Wagyu
These are the cuts shot through with intramuscular fat: the marbling that bastes the meat from the inside as it cooks and gives it that rich, beefy flavour. Scotch fillet (the boneless rib-eye) is the classic example, and Wagyu takes the same idea to its extreme. Fat like this calls for a wine with real tannin and structure to balance the richness.
There is some chemistry behind why this works so well. Tannins are what give a young red its firm, mouth-drying grip, and they create that sensation by binding to the proteins in your saliva. A mouthful of marbled steak changes things: the protein in the meat gives the tannins something else to bind to, and the fat coats your palate, so the wine comes across as softer and smoother than it would on its own. The richer the cut, the more tannin it can comfortably take.
For a scotch fillet or a rib on the bone, we would reach for a Barolo. The Nebbiolo grape gives firm tannins, high acidity and complex earthy, tar and floral notes, and the Ravera Cru Barolo from Cagliero stands up to all that fat beautifully. The Brunello di Montalcino from Il Colle di Carli is another fine choice, with the concentration to match a thick cut.
With Wagyu, where the fat is almost buttery, the bright acidity of the Chianti Classico Riserva from Tregole does a lovely job of refreshing the palate between rich bites. An older Barolo, if you have one in the cellar, is glorious here too.
Leaner cuts: eye fillet, porterhouse and rump
Eye fillet (the tenderloin) is the leanest steak of all, prized for its tenderness rather than its fat. Porterhouse (also sold as sirloin) and rump sit a little fuller but still carry far less marbling than a scotch fillet. With less fat to stand up to a big wine, these cuts are better served by something more elegant and perfumed, where the wine flatters the meat rather than burying it.
Barbaresco is our pick here. Made from the same Nebbiolo as Barolo but usually softer and more aromatic in its youth, the Serracapelli Cru from Cecilia Monte has the red-fruit and floral lift to flatter a beautifully cooked fillet. For a special occasion, her Dedicato a Paolo is one of the most beautiful wines we sell. If you would rather go lighter again, the Etna Rosso from Monteleone, made from Nerello Mascalese grown on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, brings a fresh, savoury, mineral edge that suits a leaner cut without dominating it.
As always, these are suggestions rather than rules. The best steak pairing is the one in your hand, with someone you like across the table. Enjoy.