VENISON, ELK AND MOOSE
VENISON |
General InformationVenison can be formed into several styles including steaks, roasts, sausages, ground meat and smoked and dried meat. It is a meat with a strong pungent flavour and can be very lean which will pair well with fuller bodied and richly flavoured wines, especially those high in tannins. These wines will not taste excessively rich when competing with the flavour of the meat but will be flavourful enough to come across with these intensely flavoured game meats. The tannins will soften under the influence of the proteins and the meat will become more tender under the tannins.
Because of the need for a fuller, intensely flavoured wine and how tannins enhance both food and beverage, red wines tend to pair best with venison. Red wines also tend to have more earthy flavours which go quite well with game meat like venison. For elk and moose, wine pairing is similar to that of venison. In Depth PairingA red wine, liberal in tannins and intense in darker, deeper fruity flavours but with earthy components and smokier hints is a fine match for venison's bold savoury flavours and leanness. In particular, a good fuller bodied and earthier Pinot Noir, Mourvedre, Muscat, Syrah, Zinfandel, All of these red wines provide the full body, tannins and smoky or earthy components cherished in wine. Chateaunuef-du-Pape, Barolo and Alsace Pinot Gris also provide body, balance and fruity boldness that pair well with venison. Pinot Gris also provides a sweetness which can contrast the savouriness of the game meat quite nicely. For a roast venison, a wine with less tannins is a better selection. Mature Red Burgundies, Pinot Noirs and Cotes du Rhone all make fine accompaniments for venison. For moose, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Sangiovese all have a nice spicy touch with the intense fruits to back it up. With elk, Grenache, Dolcetto, Mourvedre, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Zinfandel all contain the necessary richness and individual characters to pair well. |
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