Just ordered some and wondering about wine pairing. Debraggia, from whom I ordered it wrote:
“You could select a very rich chardonnay if you want to surprise your guests, champagne is a lovely choice, and a red wine with body: a structured cabernet, many Italian varietals from the Alto Adige go well. Be careful on the alcholol content; I’d say zinfandel, but they can run hot sometimes, beyond 14% alcohol.”
Thoughts?
I don’t entirely agree with DeBragga. High quality wagyu does not have the tight protein structure that wants taninns. I would not go the Piemonte route, or even Bordeaux unless it is well aged. Really, to me, it needs acid more than anything else. Champagne, particularly a full bodied rose can definitely work, as can a medium aged burgundy. What are you doing with it? There’s a reason the Japanese tradition is often whisky and that can be a fine choice if you are looking at small pieces grilled. If it’s a big steak (relatively speaking - who can handle a big wagyu steak?), then a red with bright acidity and some fullness. Or good quality yamahai sake - something with funk and backbone, not a lemony-clean daigingo.
I would actually go the orange wine route on this. I had a 45 day dry-aged usda prime ribeye that was highly marbled not too long ago with a Slovenian orange wine and thoroughly enjoyed it. While I understand Wagyu is not the same as prime I’m sure it would still remain a more than suitable option. Here is the wine I opened with my tasting note. CellarTracker
Aged Bordeaux
Aged Calif Cab
Both great with the Wagyu
Zinfandel? No way. Old Red Burgundy… or white for that matter.
George
Sarah, interesting you mention Japanese tradition and grilling small pieces. I understood that’s more or less the only way this beef is grilled, and most goes into the shabu shabu pot… Do you know of Japanese traditional cooking as large steaks as is the modern Western fashion?
There’s a documentary on Netflix called Steak (R)evolution that touches on the Japanese culture of beef. The documentary as a whole is sort of awkward and I don’t totally understand the ‘point’ of it but there’s some serious steak pr0n.
I do not. A teppanyaki restaurant will often begin a slightly larger “steak,” (still diminutive by Western standards) but it always gets quickly cut down in my experience. It’s been like pulling teeth convincing butchers in Japan to cut us a larger piece, anything like a steak as Americans know it. Usually, we have to buy a larger chunk from a wholesaler and cut it down ourselves; and Jonathan generally allows them to assume he’s buying for a restaurant, as that’s the only way they can make sense of our request. But wagyu sold here in the US could easily have come in a different size/shape parcel to Mark.
Thanks. 
I would do no/low dosage Champagne. At last year’s La Fete de Champagne it was brilliant with the Benoit Lahaye Violaine.
Or skip the wine entirely since you’ll presumably only be eating a small amount of steak. When we order the ribeye miyazaki from deBragga it’s so rich we split half of it between the two of us. Truly great steak.
The last time I ordered from them it was a choice of 12oz ribeye, 12oz strip or a filet mignon. I see they are now offering 24oz versions as well.
When my bank account recovers from our last vacation I’ll be splurging on another order.
Agreed.
JD
I agree with the above comments that you need to be careful of alcohol and tannin but I would add you need texture too, so bubbles or RS are your friend.
Are you eating it raw? dressed? heavily salted? all those things will impact the pairing choice which can be just as much about preparation as protein. If you read Trotter’s books on the subject, he’d often bend the prep and sauces for a dish given a diner’s wine selection, even making Bordeaux work with lobster, as an example.
A refreshing dry riesling might work. Good Japanese wagu has delicate flavor and subtle sweetness. The tannin and alcohol in wine might mask those flavor. At the same time, you need some acidity to play against the fattiness of the meat.
Cooked the waygu medium rare, and it was incredible. Opened a few bottles experimenting what worked well and what didn’t.
Best matches:
Bringer Private Reserve 1977 (excellent showing, with a slight greenish tinge: harmonized beautifully with the beef.)
Very good.
Half Bottle Trimbach Frederik Emile 1989 (this was about texture and sweetness.)
Glenkinchie whiskey (at Sarah’s suggestion, tried a few whiskies; this was the best. Very floral, the waygu seemed to blossom as well.)
OK
Half bottle Pontet Canet 1995 (possibly it wasn’t that good to start with)
Glenlivet 12 year old. (separate and no real getting together. Like a bad date)
Not so good.
Laphroaig (Just weird: I like Islay generally but the beef just seemed to bring a medicinal quality)
Hudelot Chambolle village 1999 (overwhelmed the beef. I think it would have worked better with a 1996 and the extra acidity and age.)
Had a bit of a wagyu fest recently and the wine that paired the best by a very long shot was this.
Thanks for the report, Mark. Glad the beef was delicious for you. I’m not surprised the Laphroaig was not a good match - you need something bright, clean and a on the sweeter side, and Laphroaig ain’t that. I’m flattered you experimented with the whiskies. We’ll bring a few fun bottles for you to try next time we see each other.
Thanks for your report. Surprised that whiskey worked with wagyu. I will try my yoichi 15 year next time when I get my hands on some good wagyu.
I can’t imagine Laphroaig working with anything, even burnt ends
Rosebank, on the other hand…