Silly Pinot/Lighter red question

[Deputy]

So people always say that generally, a lighter red like a Pinot or Gamay/Beaujolais/Bergamais/whatever don't go well with red meat. Why is that? Is that related to another post from foodie that says that it's the tannins that go well with red meat and so these lighter wines are lighter in tannins and therefore do not go as well with the red meat?

I love my steak, so this is why I ask...

Thanks!

[Innkeeper]

Just like wine, not all red meat is equal. Rich beef stews just about demand a big red wine such as Cabernet, Shiraz, Upper Rhones, Zinfandel, and the like.

If the steak is a realative simple unadorned one, Beaujolais is fine. The various Cru Beaujolais would be better. The same goes for burgers.

All this reminds me of a story. When we lived in the Omaha area for five or so years there was a restaurant on the way home from the airport called the Neon Goose. It was primarily a seafood place even though in a cow town. Wife and I would frequently stop there after her picking me up at the airport. We almost always ordered steamed mussels, a small rib steak with fixings, and along with it we ordered a Beaujolais Villages and asked for an ice bucket. Am not sure if the strange stares we always received from other tables was because of our being up to our elbows in mussels, mussel stock, and butter; or our drinking red wine out of an ice bucket. Obviously we didn't give a damn.

[Thomas]

To answer your question Deputy, it is a matter of structure, of pairing structure, sensation and taste.
The structure of red meat is rather bold and usually obliterates light wines because of their relative delicate structure.