Game dishes like venison, deer and wild boar call for powerful wines. Discover the best pairings and sommelier recommendations for your festive meal.
Game on the plate, red wine in the glass — for many this is the perfect winter evening. But which wine actually goes with venison, deer and wild boar? I have spoken with sommeliers, done the research and tasted for myself. Here is your guide to the perfect combination of game dishes and wine.
Game is not all alike. The different meats vary considerably in intensity and tenderness:
These differences are decisive for the wine choice. While a saddle of venison can take an elegant Pinot Noir, a wild boar roast cries out for a powerful Syrah.
The wine must not disappear with game dishes. The intense aromas and typically bold sauce call for wines with substance, structure and character.
The sauce is often more important than the meat itself:
Saddle of roe deer is the fillet mignon of game cookery — tender, fine and delicate. The wine should respect this elegance.
Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir The classic par excellence. Its silky texture, fine tannins and aromas of cherry, raspberry and undergrowth harmonise perfectly with saddle of venison.
St. Laurent The Austrian alternative to Pinot Noir — slightly more powerful, with peppery notes and dark fruit.
Merlot Soft, velvety and with rounded tannins. Merlot-dominated Bordeaux from the right bank (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol) are excellent companions in particular.
Blaufränkisch The more robust Austrian alternative — spicy, with good structure and berry fruit. Ideal for venison stew or braised roe deer.
Insider tip: A matured Pinot Noir (5–8 years old) from Weingut Friedrich Becker in the Palatinate or a Burgundy from Auxey-Duresses offer elegance and depth without dominating.
Roast deer sits between the tenderness of roe deer and the robustness of wild boar. The wine may therefore be a touch more powerful.
Barolo / Barbaresco Nebbiolo from Piedmont is a dream with deer. The tannins are present but refined, the earthy aromas of truffle, leather and tar harmonise perfectly with the dark sauce.
Chianti Classico Riserva Sangiovese from Tuscany brings acidity, structure and earthy aromas. The Riserva has enough power for dark game sauces.
Ripasso Valpolicella Ripasso from Veneto — fruitier than Barolo but with enough substance. The dried grape component gives the wine fullness and complexity.
Bordeaux blend Classic Bordeaux blends with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot offer structure, tannins and longevity.
My tip: A Barolo from Barolo with 7–10 years of age is the absolute highlight alongside a perfectly pink-roasted saddle of deer with mushroom sauce.
Wild boar roast is robust, spicy and intense. Wines are allowed to have real punch here — fruit, oak, alcohol, all is welcome.
Syrah / Shiraz The perfect partner for wild boar. Intense aromas of dark berries, pepper, leather and smoke — exactly the power the robust meat requires.
Amarone della Valpolicella The dried grape wine from Veneto is a heavyweight: 15–16% alcohol, intense fruit, chocolate, raisins. Perfect with braised wild boar.
Malbec from Argentina Powerful, fruity, with good acidity. Wines from Mendoza at over 1,000 m altitude offer freshness despite their power.
Primitivo / Zinfandel Primitivo from Apulia or Zinfandel from California — both powerful, fruity wines with enough alcohol and body for the robust meat.
Nero d'Avola Sicily's answer to powerful reds — spicy, dense, with aromas of blackberries and Mediterranean herbs.
Professional recommendation: A matured Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhône — a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre — offers complexity, power and elegance all at once.
Game wines almost always benefit from decanting:
Serving temperature:
Decanting:
Wild animals, powerful wines — both benefit from getting a little air. Decanting opens up the aromas and makes the tannins more supple.
Red cabbage with cranberries: Choose wines with berry fruit — Grenache, Merlot, Spätburgunder
Chestnuts and mushrooms: Earthy wines like Nebbiolo, aged Pinot Noir or Tempranillo
Dumplings and egg noodles: Powerful wines with enough body — Syrah, Primitivo, Malbec
Potato gratin: Acidity-driven wines as a contrast — Chianti, Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent
After many game meals I have found my personal champions:
With roe deer: A matured German Spätburgunder from the Ahr or the Kaiserstuhl — elegance meets terroir.
With deer: Barolo with 7–10 years of age — the earthy aromas, silky tannins and fine acidity are unbeatable.
With wild boar: Côtes du Rhône Villages or Crozes-Hermitage — powerful, spicy, with pepper and dark berries. Perfect with braised wild boar and red cabbage.
The combination of game dishes and wine is less complicated than it seems:
And remember: recommendations are only guidelines. In the end, what matters is what you enjoy. Try things out, experiment — and savour the powerful aromas of game and wine.
Enjoy your meal and cheers!
Game dishes call for powerful wines with substance and structure. With tender venison, an elegant Spätburgunder; with deer, a medium-bodied Nebbiolo or Chianti Riserva; with robust wild boar, a powerful Syrah, Amarone, or Primitivo. Often the sauce matters more than the meat.
Saddle of venison is tender and delicate, so a Spätburgunder/Pinot Noir with a silky texture and aromas of cherry and raspberry pairs best, for example from Burgundy, Baden, the Ahr, or the Palatinate. The Austrian St. Laurent, a soft Merlot, or Blaufränkisch are also suitable.
Deer sits between roe deer and wild boar and can handle more powerful wines. A mature Barolo or Barbaresco from Nebbiolo (at least 5 years of ageing), a Chianti Classico Riserva, a Valpolicella Ripasso, or a Bordeaux blend is ideal.
Wild boar is robust and spicy, so the wines can really have some power here: a Syrah/Shiraz from the Rhône or the Barossa Valley, an Amarone della Valpolicella, a Malbec from Mendoza, a Primitivo from Puglia, or a Nero d'Avola from Sicily.
Yes, game wines almost always benefit from decanting, it opens up the aromas and makes the tannins smoother. Young wines under 5 years 1-2 hours beforehand, mature wines (5-10 years) 30-60 minutes beforehand, old wines over 10 years carefully and only briefly allowed to breathe.
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