Venison Wellington food pairing...

Hi All,

It’s Burns night this week and even though we’re proud Scots, we’re changing it up this year and having a venison Wellington for our main course.

It’s sparked a debate about wine - burgundy, Rhone, Bordeaux or a nice US / NZ Pinot… do you guys have any input as to what a good match would be?

Any comments / suggestions would be most welcome and appreciated!

Cheers! champagne.gif

KM

Bordeaux or N.Rhone unless the duxelles is very mild, then a burgundy would work. This screams Bordeaux for me though.

Cornas came to mind or Hermitage.

Mourvedre . . .

Just had a flashback to a Bourdain show in Scotland when he hunts a stag with A.A. Gill (how are both of them no longer with us?) then has venison with single malt. That was a great show.
That’s not my bag, but when in rome…

I’d go with Kris’ suggestion and if you have a slightly older (20+) N. Rhone.

Cote Rotie or Cornas always hit the spot with venison for me. I think Cote Rotie pairs a little better but had pretty good success with a Venison-Cornas pairing last night. Had Benetiere with Venison tenderloin a few weeks back and that was off the charts

Whatever you think will be a good match is the answer.

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My first thought was to use crimini mushrooms and serve an Aglianico with it.

I would go with a good Cab or Bordeaux,

Damn that sounds good!!

I’d be hard pressed to figure whether I want Bordeaux or Northern Rhône, and thus might have both open!

Claret!

Isn’t it next Monday (25th)? Have to get my haggis neeps and tatties.

Ditto this! An old Barolo would also be super!

I always like tannic monster wines (Barolo, young Bdx, some Tempranillos) or ones with a spice character like Syrah with venison (aforementioned No. Rhone). I guess the trick here is finding one that doesn’t overwhelm the mushroom.

Carnes, cook this sh*t for your crew! Nobody makes Wellington like you, and you even kill the deer. And Gator. I’m in.

If you have a stand-alone venison roast / steak or a braised neck, sure… but wellington adds the puff pasty (and mushrooms) which I think is a rough pairing for a tannic monster. I’m much happier with a bordeaux/claret style here, or a rich CA cab.

Yeah, I wouldn’t think twice about it regarding claret style with beef wellington. Venison is tough though.

Challenge for me is that I’d be less worried about a strong, distinct flavor from the venison and more about the lean nature of the meat. To that end, I see the mushrooms/pastry being the heaviest part of the flavor profile, with the venison being more of a texture and “meaty” element. Could totally be over-thinking the hell out of this, but with a freezer full of deer and elk, I’ve never tried to make wellington out of it. Maybe I should :smiley: Will keep it in mind the next time I get a nice backstrap!

I would definitely go Bordeaux for this. Though, to mix it up, you could consider NE Italy if you are so inclined- Amarone, Miani Merlot, Gravner Rosso. Barolo could work well too.