Which wine goes with game?

Tannin binds to proteins and fat, which leaves less tannin to attach itself to your saliva proteins, so the wine seems softer.

Research into astringency shows that tannins form complexes with proteins in saliva; those complexes give the dry, rough mouthfeel. If the dish contains fat and protein, the food captures part of that tannin before the saliva gets its turn. That is why a robust red wine tastes calmer with fatty game than with a lean dish.

Roe deer and red deer are lean and fine in fiber, so a red wine with moderate tannin and enough freshness works better here than a heavy wine.

There is little fat to absorb the tannin, so a wine with a coarse structure runs over the meat. If the cook prepares the meat briefly and pink, choose a lighter style. If it is braised for a long time in a dark gravy, the wine may have more body, because the sauce then supplies the fat that the meat itself lacks.

Wild boar is fattier and coarser in fibre than roe deer, and therefore stands up to a red wine with firm tannins and more alcohol.

The fat in the meat binds part of the tannin, so a wine that is rather firm on its own in the glass falls into place with the dish. The selection below contains the red wines from 13.5 percent alcohol; that is a usable lower limit for this type of game. Also pay attention to the preparation: a stew calls for more wine than a grilled saddle.

Hare has dark, iron-rich meat and is usually prepared in a concentrated sauce, which calls for a red wine with acidity and maturation.

The acidity in the wine cuts through the thickened sauce, and a wine that has spent a few years in the bottle has already given up its harshest tannin. A young, tannic wine can feel hard next to jugged hare, because the sauce brings fat but little protein structure. Choose something with maturity rather than something with power.

Wild duck and pheasant are poultry and lighter in fiber than hoofed game, so a light red wine or a full-bodied white wine keeps up better.

With poultry there is less fat and less muscle tissue to absorb tannin, so a heavy red wine overpowers the dish. A white wine with wood ageing brings body without tannin, and therefore works with pheasant with cream or with duck with fruit sauce. If the duck is roasted with a dark jus, a light red wine can go with it.

The sauce often weighs heavier than the game itself, because fat, acid and sweetness in the sauce determine how the tannin in the wine lands.

Cream and butter call for acidity in the wine, otherwise the dish stays sticky. A reduced game stock brings protein and fat and therefore tolerates more tannin. Sweet elements such as apple, cranberry or red cabbage push the wine the other way: they call for a wine with ripe fruit, because with a tight wine the acidity comes out twice as strong.