Spanish wines are hard to beat right now

Christmas is coming, but first things first – we are now in Game Season and we should start to see pheasant, partridges and wild ducks appearing in good butchers this month. 

Wild venison is available at other times, but the best quality seems to be available in November.

The flavours in game work particularly well with red wine, but there are some whites that work well with lighter meats such as partridges or pheasants. Alsace Pinot Gris from a producer such as Trimbach or Hugel has a richness on the palate that marries well, but so also will some of the more fragrant whites from Spain such as Albariño and Godello. German off-dry Riesling can also be a surprisingly good match as I found out in Knockranny house when it was paired with a teal and duck liver terrine.