We chose three red wines and paired them with Yoshinoya’s ostrich under two conditions. The three wines are pictured below and a limited sensory evaluation will be provided for each. The wines are all reasonably priced. The ostrich was tasted first without the accompanying sauce and then with it, following the rule “from light to heavy.” The sauce is sweet, slightly thick, and has a silky mouthfeel.
Sangiovese: a grape variety closely associated with Italy. We found this one to be relatively low in tannins with cherry notes on the nose and sour cherry on the palate. The alcohol was 12% ABV. Ostrich Pairing: Without Sauce: Both tasters chose this as the best wine to accompany the ostrich sans sauce. Perhaps this was because the relatively low tannins complemented the spice on the ostrich, particularly the pepper. With Sauce: Both tasters agreed that this was a suitable partner for the ostrich with sauce. The sour cherry notes in the wine were nicely balanced by the sweet sauce.
Naked Red: Austrian blend of Blaufrankisch and Saint-Laurent. We found this to have a light body compared with the other two wines, to be slightly tart, with red fruit notes on the palate and white pepper on the nose. It came in at 12.5% ABV. Ostrich Pairing: Without Sauce: One of us rated this #2. The other found it acceptable. With Sauce: One of us found this to be a good pairing; the other rated it as “acceptable.”
Cabernet-Merlot Blend: a Pays D’Oc: in a sense a typical Bordeaux blend, but it is not from Bordeaux, but from Languedoc. It has moderate tannins and a pleasing, jammy sweetness owing to the presence of Merlot. It weighs in at 13.5% ABV. Ostrich Pairing: Without Sauce: Neither one of us found this to be a good pairing. The flavor profile is simply too strong. With Sauce: One of us found this to be an inappropriate pairing. However, the other one rated it the best choice. The tannins, the higher alcohol level, and the presence of Cabernet Sauvignon complemented the sweetness of the sauce.
Drinking Japan 