16 October 2026 · motty

Biltong and Wine: What Goes With a Salty, Spiced Cured Beef

Biltong is salty, spiced and savory, so the best wine pairings are dry reds with some body and fruit, plus a few whites and sparkling wines that cut through the salt. This guide is for adults of legal drinking age, and for a kosher table, it also covers what to ask your rabbi.

We make certified Glatt Kosher biltong in Florida, and a bowl of it next to a glass of wine is one of the easiest ways we know to start an evening. Biltong is not a delicate food, though. It has salt, coriander, black pepper and vinegar in it, and some wines fall apart next to that. Here is how to match the two, what to avoid, and what to settle first if you keep kosher.

Start with what is in the bag

You pair wine with flavors, not with a category. So here is what you are working with in our Sliced Biltong.

Original: grass-fed kosher beef, coriander, black pepper, salt, garlic, vinegar. Beef first, then a warm, citrus-like note from the coriander.
Peri Peri: the same base with red pepper and a little brown sugar. Real heat that builds.
Loaded Garlic: roasted garlic, rounder and sweeter, savory rather than hot.

Three things matter for wine. Biltong is salty, which makes tannic wines taste a bit harder and fruit-forward wines taste a bit juicier. It is dry-cured, so there is no sauce to soften anything. And it is chewy, so the wine has to stand up through a long bite.

Reds that work

Red is the natural place to begin, because this is beef.

A dry red with ripe fruit. Fruit and a little softness handle the salt and the pepper. This is the safest all-around choice for Original.
A medium-bodied red with gentle tannins. Moderate tannin acts a bit like the char on a steak. It grips the fat and the chew. Very heavy, very tannic wines are the risk. Salt makes them taste harsher.
A spicy red for Peri Peri. Heat is easier to enjoy against a wine with some peppery character and not too much alcohol. A very high-alcohol wine will make the heat feel hotter.

For Loaded Garlic, go for fruit and softness. Garlic and a soft, ripe red are friendly together.

One honest warning: do not spend your best bottle on this. Biltong is a snack. A mid-range bottle that you enjoy is the right call, and a rare, delicate wine will be overpowered by the salt and spice.

Whites, rosé and sparkling

You do not have to drink red. Some of the best pairings with salty food are the bright ones.

A crisp, dry white. Acidity cleans your mouth between bites, the same way the vinegar in the biltong does. This is a good choice with Original on a warm afternoon.
A dry rosé. It sits between the two. It has enough fruit for the salt and enough freshness for the spice.
Sparkling wine. Bubbles and acid reset your palate with every sip. Salty, savory snacks and sparkling wine are a classic combination, and biltong fits it well.

Be careful with very sweet wines. A little sweetness can help against heat in Peri Peri, but a dessert-style wine next to dry beef usually clashes. Keep sweet wines for the end of the meal.

Matching by flavor, one at a time

If you would rather decide bag by bag, here is a short guide. Treat it as a starting point and not a rule. Taste is personal, and the best test is a glass in one hand and a slice in the other.

Original biltong

This is the flexible one. The coriander gives it a gentle brightness, so it works with a wide range of wines. A dry red with ripe fruit is the easy answer. A crisp white also works, because its acidity echoes the vinegar in the cure. If you are only buying one bag for a mixed group, buy Original.

Peri Peri biltong

Heat changes everything. Alcohol amplifies it, tannin sharpens it, and a little fruit or a little chill calms it. A fruit-driven red served slightly cool, a dry rosé, or sparkling wine are all good here. Skip big, high-alcohol reds. Peri Peri divides a room, so label the bowl and let guests choose.

Loaded Garlic biltong

Roasted garlic makes this one rounder and sweeter, savory but not hot. It likes a soft, fruity red and it also likes a rich, dry white. If you only have one bottle open, this is the flavor that gets along with it most easily.

Common mistakes

Serving it too warm. A red that is too warm tastes heavy and alcoholic against salty food. A short time in a cool spot before you pour makes a real difference.
Putting out one huge bowl. Sliced biltong dries at the edges if it sits for hours. Refill small bowls from a sealed bag as the evening goes on.
Forgetting something fresh. Fruit, olives and pickles refresh the palate between bites. Without them, the salt builds up and the wine starts to taste thin.
Treating it as a meal. Biltong is a snack. If people are staying a few hours, add real food.

Keeping it kosher

This part is simple on one point and contested on others. We state the plain, widely accepted part and leave the rest to you and your rabbi.

Our biltong is certified Glatt Kosher (see how the certification works). The wine you serve with it needs its own kosher standard. A kosher bottle is not the same as a bottle of kosher grapes. How wine is handled matters, and communities differ on some points of that.
Whether a particular bottle, or a particular way of serving it, is acceptable at your table is a question for your rabbi. We do not name wineries, and we do not rule on the open points.
Biltong is meat. If you plan cheese with your wine, that is a different board. A kosher meat board does not include cheese, and our post on building a biltong charcuterie board shows what to use instead.

For Shabbos and holidays, kiddush wine is its own category with its own requirements. This article is about a glass at the table, not the blessing. Ask your rabbi about the blessing and the bottle.

How to set it up

A simple plan for four to six people:

Put out two bowls of sliced biltong, Original and Loaded Garlic. If your group likes heat, add a third bowl of Peri Peri and label it.
Add pareve extras that suit wine: olives, roasted almonds if no one has a nut allergy, pickles, sliced fresh pear or apple, and good bread.
Open one red and one bright white or sparkling. Let people taste both with each flavor and decide.
Serve water too. Salty food and wine make people thirsty.

If you are not sure how much to buy, start with the Biltong Sampler Pack, which gives you one mini bag each of Original, Peri Peri and Loaded Garlic. Or browse all our biltong sizes for a bigger evening. For other drink ideas, our guide to the best drinks to pair with biltong covers beer and non-alcoholic options.

If you also want a sweeter, cooked-and-glazed snack on the table, our kosher beef jerky is Meat Candy, which has a glaze, so check the label for anything you need to avoid.

Bottom line

Pair biltong with a dry red that has ripe fruit and soft tannins, or with something bright and bubbly if you prefer white. Match the heat of Peri Peri with a wine that is not too strong. Skip very heavy reds and dessert wines. If you keep kosher, ask your rabbi about the wine itself, and keep cheese off the board. Drink responsibly, and only if you are of legal drinking age.

Frequently Asked Questions

What wine goes best with biltong?

A dry red with ripe fruit and moderate tannins is the most reliable match. Bright whites and sparkling wines also work well because their acidity balances the salt. Avoid very heavy, tannic reds and sweet dessert wines.

Is red or white better with biltong?

Both can work. Red suits the beef flavor and the pepper. White and sparkling cut through the salt and refresh your mouth between bites. Try one of each and see which you prefer.

What wine pairs with spicy Peri Peri biltong?

Pick a fruity red or a dry rosé that is not too high in alcohol. Strong alcohol makes heat feel stronger. A little sweetness can also soften the heat, but do not go as far as a dessert wine.

Is the wine I serve with kosher biltong also kosher?

Only if you choose a kosher wine. Our biltong is certified Glatt Kosher, but that does not cover the wine. Questions about how a wine is handled or labeled are for your rabbi.

Can I serve cheese and wine with biltong?

Not on a kosher meat board. Meat and dairy are not served together. Use pareve pairings like olives, fruit, pickles and bread alongside the biltong.

Is this for everyone?

No. Wine is for adults of legal drinking age only, and anyone who does not drink should skip it. Biltong goes just as well with seltzer, tea or juice.

How much biltong do I need for a wine night?

For a small group that is also eating other snacks, a few 3-ounce bags is a reasonable start. Buy more if biltong is the main event. It stays good on a table through an evening, and it needs no refrigeration.