Wine & Food: What Wine Goes with Duck?

Wine with duck: a match made in heaven?

Duck is one of those elegant meats you can’t help but love. What could be better than a beautiful duck a l’orange, or some tasty duck pâté spread on salty crackers? We’ve found that adding the right wine can take the flavours of duck to a whole new level, making these meals even better.

Duck is a beautifully fatty meat, with rich flavours brought out by the spices used to cook it. Regardless of how you choose to prepare the duck, there is a wine to pair with it.

It’s a versatile meat, which is why we’ve come up with a wide range of wines to serve with your duck. Of course, we’d always recommend choosing organic meat for the best flavour, texture and sustainability.

The ideal wine for duck will usually be flavourful with a good acidity to cut through the fattiness. This makes for a delicious contrast, enhancing both the food and the wine. Below, we’ll explain which wines to choose according to the type of duck you are eating.

 

Duck and Wine Pairing: Roasted Duck

Roast duck is one of our favourite dishes!

The wine you serve will depend on the range of herbs and spices used in the cooking.

The classic roasted duck and wine pairing is Barolo (in this case, Barolo DOCG "Bussia" from Barale Fratelli).

Something about the earthy flavours of a good Barolo helps to accentuate the stronger flavours of the duck, particularly if there are no over-strong herbs or spices. Barolo can stand on its own, and it has a bright acidity, freshness, and strong fruity red flavours that contrast with the duck.

A classic match for Barolo is truffle, but porcini also work brilliantly with the wine and the meat.

For olive or tomato-based sauces, you’ll want to try a nice Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It’s also a good option with duck that’s well-done, or cooked for a longer period. We’re particularly fond of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG from Manvi, a Tuscan Vino Nobile made from Sangiovese grapes.

The savoury red fruit character of this wine has just the right balance of acidity to bring you the cherry flavours that pair nicely with duck.

 

What Wine Goes With Duck a l’Orange?

Duck a l’orange is a classic European dish.

The fruity sauce is perfect to complement the fatty duck meat, providing a palate-enchanting balance of bright and rich flavours, but it does make for a rather tricky wine match.

One of the our favorite types of wine with duck a l’orange is Ribolla Gialla, a complex, full-bodies white. The fruit flavours of the sauce will be complemented perfectly by the softer, richly-bouqueted wine. We’re particularly fond of Collio DOC Ribolla Gialla from La Castellada, an Italian wine like nothing else.

With its orange rind flavours, floral notes, and spicy finish, it’s a wine that pairs perfectly with the orange sauce on the duck.

 

Duck and Wine Pairing: Confit Duck

Confit de Canard is one of our favourite duck dishes, where the duck is preserved in its own fat making it beautifully rich, albeit not the healthiest option!

There are two, complementary ways of balancing this fattiness.

One is to serve the dish with a fresh salad and vinaigrette. The second is to pair the dish with a wine with enough acidity to cut through the fat, whilst providing flavours to match the food.

The earthy, spicy flavours and smoky finish of Pinot Grigio make it a perfect match to the duck. Try the Collio DOC Pinot Grigio from La Castellada for a truly extraordinary pairing.

 

 

 

Source: https://www.vintageroots.co.uk/wine-guides/what-wine-goes-with-duck/

Image credits: https://italysfinestwines.it/en/