Wine & Game

A wonderful revelation – the perfect wine for game

Do you also like game? Then we have good news for you. Thanks to the global supply, you can now indulge your passion for game dishes practically all year round. If you prefer seasonal and regional dishes instead, just like in the old days, you can celebrate fall and winter as the only true game season. And while your trusted hunter is out in the woods stalking your favorite game, you should quickly think about the right wine to accompany your next game dish. Nowadays, game meat is left to hang for a much shorter time than in the past. This has two advantages: you don’t have to wait as long for it to arrive on your plate and the strong taste of game, also known as “goût sauvage”, is also a thing of the past – unless a very old buck was shot.

Which wine to pair with rabbit and hare dishes

Two delicate candidates from the fields, forests and meadows that are all too rarely found on our game menu. Yet the meat of these animals is surprisingly tender and subtle. It is therefore not surprising that a pink roasted saddle of hare or tender, juicy rabbit legs are an absolute delicacy. The graceful lightness of these dishes means that the accompanying wine should also not be too dominant in order to emphasize the delicate aroma of the dish. Full-bodied wines such as a strong Chardonnay or a Pinot Blanc from the barrique are an excellent match for these dishes. Both wines have less tannin and significantly more freshness than red wines, and with their pronounced aroma and delicate, creamy melt, they will delight any lover of this type of game dish. If you absolutely cannot do without your red wine, we recommend a Pinot Noir with subtle tannins. This is especially true when the rabbit is literally “buried” in the pepper, i.e. when there is rabbit pepper as a dish. Classically prepared with red wine and depending on how strong the sauce is ultimately reduced, a red cuvée such as the Cuvée Madame Rosmarie Mathier AOC Valais, a multiple Swiss champion, is suitable. The masterful Ambassadeur Diego Mathier red AOC Valais is also a fantastically safe choice in this case. And before you face the – in this case rather pleasurable – agony of choice, we have one last, decisive tip for you. Local game, prepared with local ingredients in a broth made from Alpine herbs, is always best topped off with a wine from your region. Only then will it taste truly authentic. And now: en güete and G’sundheit! But there is another good reason why you should think about the right wine to go with your game dish in good time: The topic of wine selection is highly complex; after all, the choice depends not only on the type of meat, but also significantly on the type of preparation, the (filling) side dishes served and the – usually very intense, because cooked down and greatly reduced – sauce. Not forgetting the highly concentrated chutneys or cranberries, which provide additional taste explosions on the palate. And of course, compared to classic chicken, beef and pork, game meat has a more or less intense taste of its own, which also requires a certain amount of sensitivity when choosing a wine. You are not risking a ride on the razor’s edge, but it would be a shame if the wine and its aromas were to fall short, or if the elaborately prepared game dish were to be overshadowed by the wine due to the complexity of the wine’s taste. The meat of the individual game animals also differs in taste, which has to do with the marbling, among other things. Rabbit and pheasant, for example, are known for their lean and mild meat, which is very subtle with its fine taste and juicy tenderness. Roe deer love fresh herbs and the buds of young trees. It is not for nothing that the slightly marbled, aromatic meat of roe deer is popular with gourmets for its delicate herbal flavor. At the other end of the scale is wild boar. The meat of these animals not only has a higher fat content, but also a distinctly spicy note. It should therefore come as no surprise that you will find recommendations below not only for mostly full-bodied red wines, but also for full-bodied white wines, which are an excellent accompaniment to dishes with milder and lighter game meat in particular.

Which wine to serve with quail, pheasant, woodcock, partridge, pigeon, goose and duck?

The feathered species of wild animals is extremely versatile and varied in culinary terms. And if you are a friend of wild feathered game, you can enjoy a threefold pleasure. Not only in terms of the choice of preferred game birds. They also have the choice between red wines, white wines and even sparkling wines to accompany and enhance their meal. One grape variety that you can almost always rely on for game dishes is Pinot Noir – preferably vinified in stainless steel tanks but also as a barrique wine for more intense dishes. Elegant, fruity, with sufficient acidity and a long finish, the Pinot Noir from Salgesch by Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen, the three-time best Swiss winery of 2018, 2011 and 2007, harmonizes excellently with wild fowl, for example the Pinot Noir Lucifer AOC Valais, the Pinot Noir Réserve de Salquenen AOC Valais or Pinot Noir Oskar Mathier non filtré AOC Valais. How quickly a change of wine can become necessary becomes clear with a roast duck breast. Traditionally, this is best served with a powerful, complex red wine with plenty of tannins. However, as soon as a fruity sauce takes the dominant role in the dish, you can also opt for a less powerful Pinot Noir. However, this should definitely be of a higher quality, such as the L’Ambassadeur de Diego Mathier red AOC VS, world champion Pinot Noir and winner of gold at the Mondial du Pinot for more than 20 consecutive years. A classic roast goose also makes an excellent pairing with a Pinot Noir, also known as Pinot Noir. The most important thing here is that the wine comes with a good portion of acidity, which knows how to tame the rather fatty meat of the goose. For this reason, it can also be a different, acidic red wine variety, such as Humagne rouge Ferdinand Mathier AOC Valais, which can also easily match wild herbs and cranberry sauce. If game birds with a stronger aroma are used, or if the dish is cooked for longer, as with a baked guinea fowl, a smooth red wine is recommended, whose fruity characteristics and silky-soft texture perfectly complement the delicately spicy taste of the game birds. If you prefer tender meat in the form of a lean quail breast roasted short and pink, you can also opt for a fruity white wine. Or you can look forward to a particularly delicious combination with a fine sparkling wine such as the Folie à deux brut sparkling wine vin de pays suisses from the best Swiss winery of the decade. Would you like to think outside the box in sensory terms? Then you can also entrust yourself to a full-bodied Chardonnay or Pinot Gris – here we recommend the Malvoisie La Valaisanne AOC Valais. However, these white wines should preferably be matured in barriques so that the poultry really floats on the wine and doesn’t sink into it without a trace. If your culinary desires take you on a journey to the Far East, you should also say goodbye to red wines and instead devote yourself to the genre of white wines with residual sweetness. A sweet and sour Asian-style duck breast harmonizes perfectly with a fresh, full-bodied white wine such as the Swiss masters Heida Les Pyramides AOC Valais and Cuvée Madame Rosmarie Mathier AOC Valais. And the spicier your planned meal, the sweeter your wine selection should be, for example with an Amigne de Vétroz Les Pyramides AOC VS or a Muscat La Fiancée AOC Valais.

Which wine to pair with venison and stag dishes

Venison is known for being very tender and subtle in taste. In addition to venison schnitzel and venison pepper, you are certainly familiar with saddle of venison, the absolute crowning glory. And there can only be one worthy accompaniment to this culinary feast. A Pinot Noir from Salgesch, the Pinot Noir village of Switzerland. This wine captivates with its elegance, its fruity aromas and, not least thanks to its velvety-silky texture, blends perfectly with the aroma of the pink roasted saddle of venison. Alternatively, a Merlot such as the Merlot Nadia Mathier AOC Valais is also an option. Soft and fruity, it goes perfectly with quick-roasted venison without masking the tenderness of the meat. If you are more interested in a roasted saddle of venison – the taste of this meat is somewhere between roe deer and wild boar – you should opt for a richer red wine with more tannins and aromas that you will also encounter on your nose on a walk through the forest. We are talking about dark berries, mushrooms or moss. Ideal wine pairings for saddle of venison include the Merlot Nadia Mathier AOC Valais, the Syrah Diego Mathier AOC Valais or the Cabernet Sauvignon Adrian Mathier AOC Valais with its aromas of blackcurrants, spices and tobacco, which will delight you with a dark, hearty sauce to accompany this dish. If you tend to go for juicy goulash or braised dishes with a dark sauce, we recommend that you opt for red wines that set clear accents. In other words, these dishes should be accompanied by more alcohol and a full-bodied, fruity red wine of mature age with a certain spiciness. Then nothing stands in the way of an unforgettable culinary flight of fancy. And if you don’t want to go wrong, go for the Humagne Rouge Ferdinant Mathier AOC Valais with its dense tannins and wild elegance for a roast venison. If your choice falls on the stronger venison, then you should indulge in one of the three best Syrahs in the world, the Syrah Diego Mathier AOC Valais. With its aroma of pepper, dark berries, spicy nuances and its full body, fruity warmth and supple palate, it is the absolute dream partner for these dishes.

Which wine to pair with wild boar dishes

Wild boar, as the name of the animal suggests, has a more intense and wild flavor. The meat is often served braised, as the roasted aromas obtained during the roasting process together with a rich sauce (ideally, you should also use the wine for the sauce, which you will enjoy later in the glass, as the wine also influences the taste of the dish during preparation) bring out the best in the wild boar meat. Braised wild boar requires a juicy red wine with plenty of fruit and generally intense aromas, a high alcohol content and velvety tannins. An ideal full-bodied and robust candidate that is bursting with power is, for example, the Folissimo AOC Valais – a literally wild and crazy creation made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Mathier. Or, if you prefer single-varietal wines, we recommend the Merlot Nadia Mathier AOC Valais or the Cabernet Sauvignon Adrian Mathier AOC Valais to accompany your wild boar dishes.

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