Wine: Game, set and match
Saturday, 9 September 2006
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A lot of people just can't quite stomach the whiff of game. The pioneering Australian winemaker, Dr Max Lake, makes this quite obvious in his book Scents and Sensuality: The Essence of Excitement. He says: "the hanging of grouse for weeks, until it is green and almost fluorescent enough to read by in the dark, and the whole mass of bones fall off, is not a universal delight." But I think that's a bit strong, as it were. Game with good wine can be a heavenly combination.
If you, too, are a bit squeamish about the decadently autumnal odours of game, then turn over now, because this week's column shines a light on wines that might make great partners for Mark Hix's recipes on page 36. Subtle aroma and delicacy of flavour and texture are the necessary keynotes that point to something like red burgundy, or by the same token, New World pinot noir.
An evolved red burgundy like the 2000 Volnay Clos de la Cave des Ducs, 1er cru, Domaine Carré Courbin (£27.50, Berry Bros and Rudd) displays just the right amount of aroma and juicy berry fruit to complement grouse or partridge. Younger but almost equally exotic, the 2002 Gevrey Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Heresztyn (£20.99, Waitrose) displays abundant cherry and strawberry fruit with a silky veneer of spicy oak and soft tannins.
New World pinot noir tends to be more obviously berry-like and juicy, and the more elaborate the trimmings, the more suitable for pheasant, guinea fowl or partridge is a richer style of red such as New Zealand pinot noir. The value option is the warm, cherry ripeness of the 2004 Mount Riley Marlborough/ Nelson Pinot Noir (£13.99, or buy three at £9.33 each from selected Threshers and Wine Rack). In a similar vein, you could try New Zealand's rich and fruity 2004 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir (£14.99, or buy three at £9.99 each, from selected Threshers, Wine Rack), or the 2004 Isabel Marlborough Pinot Noir (around £17.99, Harvey Nichols, or Bedales Wine, 020-7403 8853), which is a classy, classic pinot noir.
The Italians are no less fond of dispatching birds than the French, and equally, they are masters of the art of matching game with wine. I never had a better quail than the one that was spatchcocked over a flame grill in Tuscany and served with a mature sangiovese.
The perfect, juicy young Tuscan red for quail and pheasant is a bright young rosso such as the 2004 Piancornello Rosso di Montalcino (£13.50-£14.95, Stone Vine and Sun, 01962 712 351, or Lay and Wheeler, 0845 330 1855). If you want a partner for a gamier bird such as grouse, the ultimate choice is Isole e Olena's sumptuously fruity, cherryish Supertuscan, the 2001 Cepparello (around £34.95, Noel Young Wines, 01223 844744, or Valvona and Crolla, 0131 556 6066).
The haunting scents of barolo and barbaresco's nebbiolo grape shares a kinship with burgundy's pinot noir, which is why this northern Italian red chimes so well with game.
Nebbiolo from Piemonte's Langhe hills offers something of the thrilling savoury richness of classy barolo without the need to take out another mortgage. The delicately scented, tarry-rich cherry fruit of the 2003 Mascarello Langhe Nebbiolo, around £15, at Les Caves de Pyrène, Guildford (01483 538820) and Scatchards, Liverpool (0151 922 7346), is a case in point. Or try instead the youthful 2004 Parusso Langhe Nebbiolo, £14.95, Swig (08000 272 272). Game, match, and you're set.
Something for the weekend?
Under a Fiver: 2005 La Grille Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de Pays
A fresh, young Loire Valley sauvignon blanc with shades of Sancerre; ideal with a goat's cheese salad. £4.49, down from £5.99, Sainsbury's, until Tues
Under a Tenner: 2005 Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Riesling
A fine young lemon- and-lime riesling from South Australia's cool Eden Valley. £7.99-£8.49, Laithwaites (0870 444 8383), Noel Young (01223 844744)
Splash Out: 2005 Isabel Estate Pinot Gris
A refreshing, elegant and balanced dry white with ripe pear fruitiness and moderate alcohol levels of 12.5 per cent. Around £11.99, Uncorked (020-7638 5998), Richard Granger (0191 281 5000)
