A classic braised dish with an intense flavour: tender beef, slowly braised in a hearty sauce of red wine, paprika & spices – a real winter comfort food! The hearty goulash develops a deep, velvety texture thanks to the long cooking time, while the red wine perfectly combines the fruit, spice and flavours with the meat.
➡ But which wine goes best with it? In this article, you’ll find out which red wines go perfectly with this goulash and why! 🍷
🍷 Perfect wine pairing for beef goulash with red wine
Why does red wine go perfectly with goulash? The intense aroma of braised beef, peppers and onions needs a wine with enough structure and fruitiness to balance the flavours. The ideal accompaniment is a strong, flavoursome red wine with medium to high acidity, which complements the depth of the sauce and makes the meat appear even more tender.
1. blaufränkisch (Austria or Germany)
✔ Why does it fit perfectly?
- Medium tannins & fresh acidity balance the strong sauce
- Flavours of dark berries & spices harmonise with paprika & beef
- Spicy, mineral notes enhance the roasted flavours
➡ Tip: A Blaufränkisch from Burgenland (Austria) or a German Lemberger is an ideal choice!
2. tempranillo (e.g. Rioja, Spain)
✔ Warum ist Tempranillo eine tolle Wahl 2. tempranillo (e.g. Rioja, Spain)?
- Round, silky tannins go perfectly with braised meat
- Dark cherries, vanilla & roasted flavours complement the sauce
- Oak barrel ageing brings depth & light flavour
➡ Tip: A Rioja Crianza or Reserva with a slight wood maturity emphasises the paprika aroma.
3. Zweigelt (Austria)
✔ Why does Zweigelt work so well?
- Juicy fruitiness (cherry, blackberry) emphasises the tomato notes in the goulash
- Light spice & mild tannins make the pairing particularly smooth
- Medium body with good balance to the sauce
➡ Tip: A strong Zweigelt Reserve from Carnuntum or Burgenland is the perfect choice!
Rindergulasch mit Rotwein & Paprika
Cooking utensils
- 1 Schmortopf oder Dutch Oven
- 1 Messer & Schneidebrett
- 1 Kochlöffel
- 1 Suppenkelle
Ingredients
- 400 g Rindfleisch (z. B. Wade oder Schulter)
- 2 Zwiebeln
- 1 rote Paprika
- 2 Knoblauchzehen
- 1 EL Paprikapulver (edelsüß)
- 1 TL Kümmel (ganz oder gemahlen)
- 1 EL Tomatenmark
- 200 ml trockener Rotwein (z. B. Blaufränkisch)
- 300 ml Rinderfond
- 2 EL Olivenöl
- 1 Lorbeerblatt
- Salz & Pfeffer
Preparation
- Rindfleisch vorbereiten: In mundgerechte Stücke schneiden & trocken tupfen.
- Anbraten: Fleisch in heißem Olivenöl kräftig anbraten, dann herausnehmen.
- Zwiebeln & Paprika anschwitzen: Im Bratensatz anrösten, Knoblauch & Tomatenmark dazugeben.
- Ablöschen mit Rotwein: Den Wein einkochen lassen, dann Fond & Gewürze hinzufügen.
- Schmoren: Fleisch zurück in den Topf geben & ca. 2 Stunden bei niedriger Hitze köcheln lassen.
- Abschmecken & servieren: Mit Salz & Pfeffer final würzen & genießen!
