Duck is practically a poultry product and categorized as dark meat for its strong texture, and rich and gamey taste. Duck can be cooked in umpteen forms as any other meat, with various recipes accentuating its different qualities. These various duck recipes impart themselves to a slew of wine pairings, from rich, light-bodied red wines to the classiest dessert wines. For a more pleasing experience, store your wine in a wine cooler or fridge. You can enhance the taste of your food by cooking duck in red wine. Here, you can find a few top picks for pairing red wine with duck.
Pinot Noir with Pan-Fried Duck Breast
One of the multiple traditional wine and duck pairings is undoubtedly a fleshy pan-fried duck breast with Pinot Noir. The well-cooked amazing pink duck breast shows gentle earthy, rich and bloody tastes that go perfectly with the earthy, zesty tinges of mushroom, flesh and essence in a sip of aged Burgundy red. Sheer whiffs of black cherry in a Pinot Noir from France and the more fierce red cherry in more fruit flavour New World kinds like an Oregon Pinot Noir show a fine touch of fruit to this traditional dish, matching with the acerbic red berry sauce typically served on the side.
Reds pairing with Confit Duck
It involves slow-cooking different duck pieces in their own fat unless the meat becomes soft enough to fall off the bone. It is commonly served with braised red cabbage and potatoes. The robust, rich and rustic duck taste will go best with an equally full and structured wine. You can enjoy this classic recipe with a cool-climate Syrah from Hermitage, An Aglianico from Basilicata, Or a Merlot-based Bordeaux.
Reds combo with Roasted Duck, Peking Duck, and Glazed Duck
The preparation involves slow-roasting the duck and, commonly, carving it tableside. Initially, the flaky skin is served with a sweet garlic sauce. Then, delicate dark meat pieces are covered in steamed hotcakes and relished with plum or hoisin sauce and spring onions. And to get over the sweet and sour tastes of this dish, pair it with delicate reds of jammy black fruit tastes, such as Shiraz or a Zinfandel.
Reds with Duck Curry
Duck dishes with a tad more heat, like a duck with Thai red curry or jerk-spiced duck, may go paired with reds having a low level of alcohol and soft tannins to over-accentuate the spicy flavours of the dish. You can pick a fruity red wine from Jura. Or a lighter-bodied Gamay from a Beaujolais cru, for example, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, or Saint-Amour, might be a great pick.
Reds with Cassoulet, Braised Duck
For cosy, winter-time comfort food, nothing delights like a hearty bowl of cassoulet, slow-cooked duck in a casserole with sausage and white beans. Enjoy the meal with a red Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Priorat.
Conclusion
One red wine option that goes well with all duck recipes is Pinot Noir, which pairs incredibly pleasingly with duck due to its increased natural acerbity, which scours the palate of the duck skin’s fatty texture, and because of its gentle tannins which do not overwhelm the tender meat.
