Lamb shoulder is a joint that, particularly when slow roasted to a melting tenderness until it needs no more than a spoon to take it from the bone, requires wines with an essential freshness as part of its make up to slice through the fatty meat. Rioja and red Bordeaux are classic combinations but look too to Chilean carmenère or Chianti from Italy. If white is your thing, look for oaked and full-bodied versions, like white Rioja, to stand with the rich meat.
