PAIRING WINES WITH MEATS AND POULTRY

The go-to rule is red wine with meat, but what sort of red, and what sort of meat? And if the meat has a sauce, what happens then? It’s not as simple as it appears at first glance, but it’s not really difficult either. In fact, it’s probably easier to pair a wine with meat than with anything else, because there is so much information out there to help you. Meat is seen as the heart of the meal, so all the experts are falling over themselves to help you choose the right wine to go with your main course.

While a lot of that information is accurate, it’s also somewhat outdated, because these days, for many people, meat is not the focal point of the meal. It’s a small part of the whole, which may include vegetable dishes, meat substitutes and pulses and legumes. However, there has to be a starting point, and this book is going to start with pairing wines with meats.

Keep in mind that lighter foods need a lighter wine, both in flavor and alcohol, while something richer needs – and deserves – a fitting companion. Some wines are designated as ‘food wines’ because they complement the foods they are served with. Rieslings and Pinot Noirs are good examples of food wines, because they are light enough not to overpower the food they are served with, while having enough flavor to be memorable, long after the dishes have been cleared and the meal has been digested.

Other wines are the ‘big beasts’ that like to compete with the main course, but because they are so robust, they need something hearty and full flavored to be their perfect companion. Think Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon here. So, bearing these introductory comments in mind – and remembering that rules are made to be broken – here are some ideas for pairing wines with meats.

Charcuterie (cold cuts)

Charcuterie gets a mention here because you’ll come across it a lot, and if you’re hosting a drinks party, chances are you’ll go with a charcuterie platter for a quick, easy to serve option. At dinner parties, charcuterie makes a great starter, because it can be prepared and presented ahead of time, then covered and refrigerated to keep it cool and fresh.

Charcuterie meats are generally processed, which means they could be smoked or cured, and pates also figure in charcuterie plates. So you have a range of tastes and food types to pair with appropriate drinks. You’ve got a range of flavors to consider – charcuterie meats can be salty, smoky, spicy or fatty, and you need to select the right wines to go with them.

One pairing that may not spring immediately to mind is sherry. The drier types such as fino, amontillado and manzanilla are the perfect foils for processed meat, and because there is a certain level of acidity, it will counterbalance the fatty meats.

When you’re serving cured meats, with distinctive flavors, forget about the equally distinctive and world famous wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Shiraz. They have their good qualities, but pairing with charcuterie is not among them. Instead, go for white Rioja from Northern Spain, or maybe a Beaujolais from the Burgundy region of France. These wines have the required acidity to be able to make themselves heard above the strong flavors of the meat. Some experts also recommend a light sparkling wine, or a fruity rose, but all these pairing suggestions have something in common – they are light, fairly low alcohol wines that complement the charcuterie rather than compete with it.

The main thing is not to get too fussy here, and try to match wines to the individual meats on the charcuterie platter – which often includes cheese as well. It’s probably best to fix on a maximum of three wines – a sherry, white Rioja and a Beaujolis, for example. Allow your guests to make their own choices from the selection, depending on their individual preferences. Pairing wines with charcuterie food really is as much a matter of personal taste as the right combination of flavors, since many wines will work equally well, for different reasons.

Some people may wish to stick with one choice, choosing a full bodied Amontillado sherry, which will pair happily with a variety of smoked and cured meats. Others may enjoy a dry Fino sherry with fatty meats, while opting for something like a Riesling, with more residual sweetness, to accompany lean smoked meats such as chicken breast and duck breast. Fortified wines such as Sherries and ports are often overlooked for food pairings. People tend to think of them as wines to be enjoyed as an aperitif or digestif, as a curtain raiser or finale to the meal, but it’s surprising how versatile they can be. That’s the real beauty of pairing – often you surprise yourself as much as your guests!

Beef

Beef and red wine is the classic pairing supreme, but it’s not quite as simple as just opening any bottle of red to breathe while the rib roasts in the oven or the steak sizzles on the barbecue. The way the meat is cooked, and the specific cut, as well as any sauces the beef may be cooked in or served with will all influence the wine pairing. Referring back to the basic rules, a fatty cut of beef or a robust stew will require something heavy on tannin, whereas a spicy beef curry or chili needs something to take the heat out of the food.

As an example, if you cooked braising beef in a rich red wine sauce, the best wine to cook the beef in would be a Pinot Noir or Gamay, since these wines come from the same French region as Boeuf Bourgignon – the classic French stew with wine. That will cut through the fat in the meat to create a perfect balance of flavors. If you want to step away from tradition, a Malbec or Shiraz will work well too. These are both hearty wines with an excellent color. To accompany the meal, you could go for a slightly better quality of the same wine type you cooked with, or you may prefer something slightly different, but still rich in tannin. Cabernet Sauvignon is a good choice.

However, if you’re using the same braised beef to make a curry, you’re adding something different to the mix – spices. These create a variable element of heat in the food, which can make pairing a wine with it difficult. That’s why many people suggest you forget about wine with curry and go for a refreshing cold beer instead. That’s the lazy way out though, because if you put some thought into it, there are a lot of good pairings that work with different curries. The secret is, rather than choose several different wines for different courses, go for one particular wine that pairs well with the dominant flavor of the meal.

The classic pairing for a curry is Gewurztraminer, because wines paired with hot foods should be lower in alcohol and have some sweetness to counteract the heat of the spices and allow the flavor of the wine to come through loud and clear. However, that won’t work with a mild curry, such as a coconut-based mild Thai or Massaman beef curry, because the wine will overpower the delicate spices. Go for a Pinot Gris or a Riesling for the best combination if your taste in curry tends to the mild end of the spectrum.

For a curry with more heat, such as a Rogan Josh, Madras, or Thai red curry, Gewurztraminer is ideal. Another interesting pairing is a fruity rose with a bit of attitude. Many young Spanish and Portuguese roses will fit the bill, although classic Provencal roses are a little too delicate to do justice to a really hearty curry. They are happier with lighter meals such as salads.

The best wine to go with a steak is clearly a red of some description, but it will depend on the cut of the meat and how well you like your steak cooked. For most people, steak is an occasional treat, since a good steak can be quite expensive, so you don’t want to ruin it with the wrong wine pairing. Your red needs to be food friendly, and if you’re not too sure about what to choose, you can always play safe by choosing a nice Merlot. Because it doesn’t need to be aged too long to be food friendly, it’s lighter on the oak, and a little more fruity. Merlot will work well with most cuts of steak, no matter how you cook them, but if you want to get a bit more into the specifics, here are some ideas.

If your preference is a rare fillet or sirloin, you’re not going to want a wine that’s heavy on the tannin, but if you’re happier with a medium rib-eye steak, something oaked and aged is a good pairing for you. Malbec works well with steak that’s more well done. It’s strong tasting notes pair nicely with the smoky flavors of the seared steak. Cabernet Sauvignon also works well with fattier cuts of steak, because it has the tannins to compete on the taste front, and the acidity to cut through the fat.

For leaner cuts of steak, a fairly young Shiraz works well. It’s fruity and fresh, with just the right amount of acidity and tannin to complement the steak rather than compete with it. Shiraz is the name of the grape used in the New World – Australia, California are particularly known for their excellent Shiraz wines. If it comes from France, it’s called Syrah, and a Rhone Valley Syrah is a perfect accompaniment.

If you really can’t face a red wine with your steak, consider a Riesling. This is just about the most versatile wine there is, and in Germany – it’s original and spiritual home – it’s drunk with anything and everything. While Riesling is a fruity and refreshing wine, it also has the strong flavors needed to bring out the best in a steak.

So, now you have some great ideas for pairing wines with beef, whether it’s a prime steak, a curry, a hearty stew, or beef in a sauce. Now you’ve got those ideas under your belt, let’s take a look at the best wines to pair with other meats.

Lamb

Lamb seems to be one of those ‘love or loathe’ meats – there is no middle road. Some people love the flavor that the marbling of fat through the meat imparts – in Spain, lamb is the first choice for celebration meals. Very young milk-fed lamb is very popular in the Mediterranean countries, where a fine wine is a must to accompany it.

Other people, however, find even spring lamb too fatty for their taste. It certainly doesn’t have the universal appeal of steak, which is a pity, since perfectly cooked lamb is a real taste sensation. And it’s very wine-friendly meat too, since it is equally happy with a good Spanish Rioja or a hearty Bordeaux.

If you’re tucking into a leg of spring lamb – maybe around Easter time – a Pinot Noir is a great accompaniment. And rose also works well with spring lamb. For something a little different with a touch of class, why not try a dry rose champagne or cava? Lamb deserves the best! Rose is best with lamb that is served up when it’s still pink in the middle – if the lamb is well done, the meat can overpower the wine, unless you choose something robust. Try a good Chianti Classico from Italy, or a red from the Rhone valley in France. And of course, Rioja is a good pairing too. Go for a more aged Rioja, like a Reserva.

For a lamb curry, the same sort of rules apply as for beef curry. Anything too heavy on the tannin or too high in alcohol just won’t counteract the heat of the food. Something rich but without the tannin is called for, and a Portuguese Douro fits the bill nicely. Portugal is also the home of port, and Duoro has a hint of that flavor about it. Another good choice for curry is Zinfandel. If the curry is really hot – or if any of the side dishes are – there’s always the good old curry standby, Gewuztraminer.

Possibly one of the most famous lamb dishes is hotpot, and because it’s cooked simply with root vegetables and herbs, wines that are tanked up on tannins will kill the flavor. Go for an inexpensive but tasty rustic French red, such as Vin de Pays de L’Aude, or maybe Cotes de Rhone du Villages.

As you can see, pairing wines with lamb is rather different than choosing wines to accompany beef. Generally, lamb tends to be cooked for longer, and not at such a high heat, so the chemical changes brought about by the cooking process are different. That calls for different wines, but if you have trouble getting the wine you really want, a nice mid range Rioja is a good failsafe.

Game meats

Game meats can include all sorts of creatures – particularly in countries where hunting for food is a popular leisure pursuit. However, the most common game meats served at table are venison, rabbit, duck and quail. One wine that will pair happily with all game meats is a red Burgundy from France, so that’s a good standby if you don’t feel knowledgeable enough to make a different selection.

Game is darker and more richly flavored than many meats, and because effectively you’re eating wild animals rather than livestock raised on a farm or ranch who don’t need to go looking for their food, the meat is likely to be much leaner. So, no fat to smooth out the alcohol or the tannins.

Venison is full of flavor, so it can take a robust Cabernet Sauvignon or a high end Bordeaux from France. Anything else is not really a worthy companion for what most people consider to be the king of game meats, although the best reds from the Rhone Valley have to be considered. If your venison is cooked with a creamy sauce, the Cabernet may be a little too robust for it, but if it’s in a port wine sauce, it should be good to go. Or you might want to try that Portuguese Duoro with it, for an interesting variation.

Rabbit is probably the mildest of the game meats, with a hint of sweetness about it, so although you can go with the Burgundy as a failsafe, you might want to think about alternatives. Go for a lighter Burgundy, or a Chianti. Beaujolais pairs well with rabbit as well. You can even try white wines, especially if the rabbit is cooked in a sauce. In that case, consider a Sauvignon Blanc, a lively Pinot Grigio or a Pinot Gris – either of which have a nice depth of flavor to complement the more delicate taste of the rabbit.

Duck is possibly the fattiest of the game meats, although the customary method of cooking over a rack after piercing the skin with skewers to allow the fat to drip out will reduce it considerably. As a side note, do remember to save the fat that comes out of the duck – it makes fantastic roast potatoes. But let’s get back to the matter in hand.

You need a wine with some acidity to counteract the residual fat in the meat, but wines that are heavy on tannins don’t pair well with duck. Instead, aim for a slightly earthy flavor with your wine. A more mature Pinot Noir or Burgundy is a good choice. For something slightly different, you could try a sparkling wine made with earthy red grapes such as Pinot Noir. And some wine experts recommend Rioja, particularly for smoked duck breast.

Quail

Quail is a small game bird that can pair really well with an oaked Chardonnay, so it’s a good choice for fans of game who don’t enjoy red wines. Pinot Noir, Beaujolais and Merlot are recommended reds for pairing. Chianti and Rioja also work well with quail – this bird might be small, but it’s big on pairing options!

Game meats deserve to be paired with good wines to bring out their very different flavors and smooth out some of the stronger tastes in the meat. While generally reds offer the best pairings, you can experiment with whites, and even carefully chosen sparkling wines in some cases. It’s worth taking the time to find the best wine to go with your game, because the right pairing will lift your meal to a whole new level.

Pork

Like rabbit, pork has a certain sweetness in the taste, and it is often heavily seasoned and spiced in the cooking, which makes pairing wines with it more difficult, but certainly not impossible. Look for red or white wines that are low on tannins but have some acidity to counteract the fat, because unless you’re cooking pork fillet, there is going to be a certain amount of fat. It’s also a lighter meat than beef or lamb, so a fruity wine is a good companion.

A fruity Merlot works very well with both grilled and roast pork, and it’s a lighter red with low tannins, so even people who don’t drink a lot of red wine should be happy to try this. Pinot Noir is another good choice – particularly for pork tenderloin – while lightly oaked Chardonnay goes well with pork chops or a simple roast. Gewurztraminer also works well with chops.

With baked or boiled ham, serve a young Beaujolais to act as a foil to the saltiness of the meat. This also works well with sausages. There are a number of great wine pairings for pork – both white and red, and some roses also work well. It’s a matter of personal preference, and also taking into account any sauces you may be serving with the meat. Experiment a little and see what suits your palate, and pleases your guests.

Offal

Offal is not to everyone’s taste – some people can’t countenance the idea of eating the insides of an animal, although they’ll quite happily tuck into a juicy steak or a nice pork chop. Other people love the stronger flavors and different textures provided by liver, kidneys and other offal, and naturally want a decent wine to pair with it. Then of course, many fine pates are made from offal, and you’ll want a decent wine to go with that.

Because of the strong flavors most beef and pork offals carry, you need a wine that’s up to the challenge. Poultry and lamb offal is milder tasting though, so there’s the risk of overpowering the meat with the wine.

Good old Gewurztraminer is a great pairing for offal, for all the reasons that it works so well with curries and strongly flavored meat dishes. It’s not intimidated by strong tastes, and it’s lively enough to be memorable even when paired with the most exquisitely cooked offal.

Many recipes call for the offal to be cooked in a wine sauce, and a good rule of thumb here is to go for a better quality version of the cooking wine, to avoid too many strong flavors competing for the attention of your taste buds. You want to experience both the food and the wine at their best, so that means choosing your pairings with care to ensure there are no clashes of personality.

Pinot Noir is another good choice, as it can cut through the fat in the meat and leave its own impression. Offals are always going to come with a layer of fat that can’t be removed, so your wine has to work with that.

French wines work particularly with offal – try a red Minervois or white Corbieres from the Languedoc Rousillon region. These wines are inexpensive, yet full of robust yet smooth flavors, and the sheer rusticity of the wines pairs well with the no-nonsense taste of offal.

While it can be a challenge to successfully pair wine with offal, it’s not too difficult once you learn more about the characteristics of different wines, and the way offal reacts to the cooking. Offal in a sauce is going to have a more mellow and rounded taste than pan fried offal, so it will work well with a smoother wine.

It’s a good idea to become more confident in pairing wines with pork, beef and lamb, before moving on to the more challenging but equally satisfying prospect of successfully pairing wine with game meats or offal. If you really don’t feel up to the task, ask the staff at your liquor store for some advice to get you started. Once you are familiar with the characteristics of various wines, and the main flavor attributions of different meats, you will develop an instinct for pairings that work, and learn which wines are best avoided with certain foods.

As a useful exercise to increase your knowledge of wine and food pairings, switch it around occasionally – don’t always start with the food or the wine. Head out and buy a wine you want to try, then work out what would go well with it. Or cook a favorite recipe, then make a suitable wine selection. Approaching the task from different angles will generate fresh ideas.

Above all, remember that pairing wines with food should be a pleasurable experience, not a trial – enjoy it. And if you love the combination of a certain wine with a particular meat, then it’s a good pairing – whatever the experts say!

By now, you should have some idea of which wines pair well with red meats, game and offal. Some people class pork as white meat, because of its appearance and sweeter flavor, but conventionally it’s treated as red meat. Now let’s take a look at pairing wines with poultry.

Poultry

Poultry – or white meat – is basically chicken and turkey, although goose, duck and pheasant is also classed as poultry. In this book, duck has been dealt with under game meats, because that’s the way tradition dictates. We will cover other birds under this section, but for most people, poultry means a straight up choice of chicken and turkey. Both are inexpensive meats, and while at one time turkey was out of the reach of most people, other than for celebrations, these days it’s widely available all year, whether as a whole bird or as breast fillets or drumsticks.

The same goes for chicken – compared to red meats, it’s often ridiculously cheap. However, just because the meal is cheap, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care with the wine pairing. The truth is, matching the right wine with the right food lifts the whole meal out of the ordinary, so it’s well worth while taking the time to get the right pairing.

Chicken

Chicken is both inexpensive and versatile. It’s everybody’s friend as far as food is concerned, because it’s so easy to knock up a chicken meal in no time at all. And if you’re watching your weight as well as your budget, you’ll know that chicken is low on fat and calories but high on flavor and filling power. And there are so many different recipes for serving chicken, you need never tire of it. Whether you prefer plain roast or fried chicken, a stir fry, curry or casserole, you’re in for a treat on the taste buds, and the right wine pairing will give your chicken dinner that extra little something.

Traditionally, wine experts recommend white wine with chicken, but these days rose is very much in vogue, and some reds are light enough to pair with chicken. Wines that are heavy on alcohol and tannins will swamp the delicate flavor of the chicken, and since it absorbs the favors of spices and sauce ingredients very quickly, there is a risk that you may get the wrong call for the wine. Therefore, you need to look at the ingredients for the sauce, and decide whether it’s better to pair the wine with those, rather than the chicken itself.

A light to medium oaked Chardonnay is the perfect companion for just about any chicken dish, other than curry. It’s smooth, and it presents a nicely balanced flavor that gives the chicken an extra dimension and lifts it out of the ranks of the ordinary. Reisling is another good pair, and that will also go with curry or a spicy sauce. Gewurztraminer is probably a bit too beefy to serve with chicken, unless you’re having a seriously hot curry, in which case, it’s the most sensible choice to make.

If your chicken is cooked in a creamy sauce, the wine you pair with it needs some sort of acidity. Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are fresh and crisp, and will pair well with chicken cooked in a creamy sauce.

On the other hand, if you’re cooking the classic coq au vin, you should use a good Burgundy to cook it with, and the same or an even better Burgundy to drink with it. However, if you don’t really do Burgundy, a decent Pinot Noir is a good substitute. You may want to try a rustic red from the Languedoc Roussillon region to go with chicken chasseur, which has a tomato-based sauce. Italian red wines tend to pair well with tomato sauces, so Chianti is another option.

As was previously mentioned, if a sauce is involved, it’s often better to pair the wine with the key ingredient in the sauce. This is particularly true with chicken, because it tends to absorb the flavors and characteristics of the sauce. Many chicken dishes include mushrooms, and they tend to impart an earthy characteristic to the dish which pairs well with fruity reds that are not too high in tannins. Merlot fits the bill quite nicely for that, and Pinot Noir also works well with dishes containing mushrooms, as long as it’s not a creamy sauce.

Chicken is a popular choice for the barbecue, and this requires a slightly more intensely flavored wine, to offset the smokiness of the barbecued meat, and any rubs or marinades that have been used with it. A New World Sauvignon Blanc or Zinfandel is a good pairing here. Pinot Noir also fits the bill.

If you’re serving up chicken, you have a great range of wines to choose from, across the color spectrum. Sparkling wines also work well with chicken – particularly with cold dishes like coronation chicken. It really is a matter of personal taste, and it’s difficult to get it wrong – unless you select a high alcohol wine that is heavy on the tannins. That’s just going to overwhelm your chicken dish, so it’s really not a good call. Think clean, crisp and fruity wines, whatever colors you settle for, and you won’t be disappointed.

Turkey

Turkey is similar in flavor to chicken, although it tends to be slightly drier, and not quite so juicy. Most of the rules and guidelines that apply to pairing wines with chicken are also good for turkey – you need a measure of acidity in white wines, and a low dose of tannins in the reds. If anything, reds pair better with turkey than with chicken, because there’s a larger proportion of dark meat, which means the overall flavor is not quite so delicate.

The main difference between the two is in the way they are cooked. As stated previously, chicken is cooked in a variety of ways – roasted, fried, stir-fried, curried, and cooked in casseroles and stews. While the same things can be done with turkey, it’s more usual to serve it roasted, with an array of accompaniments such as stuffing’s and sauces, along with sausages and a variety of vegetables. It’s often served as a celebration meal for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. So you have a number of different flavors to pair the wine with.

German wines pair particularly well with turkey – think Gewurztraminer and Riesling, which are gutsy, fresh and good matches for all the savory trimmings that go with turkey. Sauvignon Blanc is another option, or Pinot Grigio. All these wines have fresh, citrus or fruit flavors, often with hints of herbs, which are the perfect pairing for stuffing’s, onions and gravy. Remember you want the wine to pair with all elements of the meal, not just the meat. Less robust wines will be overwhelmed by the array of different tastes, and eminently forgettable. That’s not what you want to happen at a celebration meal. On the other hand, the turkey is the star of the show, so you don’t want it to be overshadowed by the wine. These choices will guarantee that doesn’t happen.

If you prefer a red wine with your turkey – or you want to offer an alternative to your guests – a Pinot Noir is a good choice. It’s earthy and fruity, and not too high in tannins, so it will pair really well with the side dishes and stuffing’s. For a wine with a bit more depth, try a Zinfandel. This is particularly good if you’re serving a lot of sides with a wide range of flavors. It will pair well with fruity or spicy stuffing’s, while at the same time sitting well with the turkey.

At Thanksgiving, you might want to go topical and pair your turkey with a Beaujolais Nouveau. Coming from the Gamay grape, the new run of the wine is always released on the third Thursday in November, at the perfect time for you to sample it ahead of Thanksgiving and make sure it’s what you want!

All red wines tend to have a wider spectrum of tastes than most whites, which makes them an excellent choice for turkey, and the various accompaniments that go with it. However, if you want to stride the middle ground, there are some roses that will work well with turkey too. In fact, dry roses are very food friendly, and one with fruity notes will sit better alongside all the different flavors of the meal than a white Zinfandel, which can be rather sweet. Try a rose from Provence, or if you like sparkling wines with your turkey, why not experiment with a cava Rosado? Spanish sparkling wines pair very well with poultry, but go for the brut option rather than the semi-seco.

It’s both a pleasure and a challenge to pair wine with turkey. It’s a pleasure because so many wines go so well with it. As long as the wine isn’t too heavily oaked or too high in tannins, it’s a good fit. The challenging part comes when you’re serving your turkey with all the traditional trimmings – and maybe some more. You need to be sure your wine will sit well with everything. This is one instance where it’s probably better to choose one wine and serve with all the courses, otherwise you run the danger of being swamped with too many different tastes. Let the food take the starring role, and let the wine be the supporting player that makes the whole production something to remember.

Goose

Traditionally, goose was eaten at Christmas, and it still is seen as a celebration bird, because it’s expensive, and it doesn’t yield much meat. It’s also very fatty – if you prick the skin and set the bird on a roasting rack, then collect the fat that runs out, you’ll have enough to make fantastic roast potatoes well into the New Year. Goose also tends to be served with rich stuffing’s that include the liver, and prune or apple and brandy sauces, so
it can be a challenge pairing it with wine. Because the goose is not cheap and it’s a special occasion, you don’t want to make an expensive mistake and spoil the meal for everyone.

The wine you serve should have a certain level of acidity to counterbalance the fat of the meat and complement the somewhat gamey flavor, so an acidic late harvest Riesling would work well, or a Gewurztraminer, which is acidic and also pairs well with strong flavors. Gewurtztraminer and late harvest (or spatlese) wines are also high quality wines that are perfect for special occasions, and goose certainly demands something special to
keep it company.

If you prefer red with your goose – or if you want to serve both, which is a good idea if there are traditionalists around the table – go for a wine with low to medium tannins. Too much will compete with the goose rather than complement it. That standby and crowd
pleaser Pinot Noir is a good pairing, but if you want to go for something a little more special, try an aged Rioja Gran Reserva. Barolo is another excellent special occasion wine to serve with goose. It has the strong taste without the high tannins, yet there’s enough acidity to counterbalance the fat in the meat. Don’t go for a very young red, and uncork the wine for at least an hour or two before serving to bring out the best in it.

Provided you choose your wine with care, serving goose as the centerpiece of your Christmas dinner is something you and your guests will look back on with pleasure for many months. It’s a hard act to follow if you get the wine pairing right.

Pheasant

Pheasant is classed as a game bird, but is also traditionally classed alongside poultry, unlike duck, which is also poultry but treated as game. Confused? Don’t be, because what really matters is not the classification of the bird, it’s the pairing of the wine to get the best from it. Pheasant is the most strongly flavored of all the game birds, even if it isn’t traditionally hung. So it’s going to need a robust wine as a partner. Pheasant can be tough, and it’s often slow cooked, which means even more intense tastes to consider.

The only white wines that are likely to be up to the challenge are good old Gewurztraminer and maybe a Pinot Gris. When it comes to red, pheasant can take a higher alcohol, high tannins wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, but it also pairs well with rustic wines from the Languedoc Roussillon region. An oak aged Sangiovese from Italy is also an excellent choice. Often, pheasant is cooked in red wine, and if that’s the case, opt for a slightly better wine to drink than the one you cooked with.

Pairing wines with poultry is a bit of a mixed blessing, because if it’s versatile chicken, there are numerous options, whereas turkey with all the trimmings, goose or pheasant requires a little more specialized knowledge about both the food and the wine. Let your preferences be your starting point and you should soon be able to get the right pairing of wine and poultry.


By Harry Lockwood in " Wine Become A Wine Connoisseur – Learn The World Of Wine Tasting, Pairing and Selecting", Amazon Digital Services LLC, 2015, excerps pp. 38-59. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.