Pairings | Goose Island

What wine to pair with goose

Posted by Fiona Beckett on December 18 2024 at 10:05

If you’ve decided to serve goose rather than turkey this Christmas you’ve already opted to be adventurous. So you could arguably be adventurous about your wine pairing too.

I say arguably because family members often get a bit odd around the festive season, digging their heels in and insisting on having something they’ve had hundreds - or at least tens of times - before.

Goose is, of course, stronger-flavoured than turkey - more like game but - crucially - quite a bit fattier which makes it essential in my book to look for a wine that has a fair level of acidity. It also tends to be accompanied by powerfully flavoured accompaniments such as chestnuts and red cabbage. Other traditional (and very good) accompaniments are potato stuffing, apples and prunes which can also affect your pairing:

Here are my suggested options...

Best wine pairings with goose

Top quality German or Alsace Grand Cru Riesling

Probably the best match of all if you’re planning an apple or apple and prune stuffing. A dry spätlese Riesling would be ideal, cutting through the fat and providing a subtle touch of sweetness. The drawback is that your guests may well expect a red - but there’s no reason why you can’t serve both.

The best food pairings for riesling

Gewürztraminer

A bolder choice still for Christmas. Obviously it’s not to everyone’s taste but if you serve a slightly spicy stuffing, especially one that contains dried fruits and/or ginger it would make a great match. Again look for a top quality wine with some intensity from Alsace or New Zealand which is making some great examples.

The best food pairings for gewürztraminer

Barolo or Barbaresco

My preferred red wine with goose, Both have the structure and acidity to cope well with the rich flavour of the meat. They’re also impressive special occasion wines which is what you look for at Christmas. I wouldn’t be inclined to serve red cabbage with them though.

The best food pairings for Barolo and Barbaresco

Pinot Noir

Probably the most likely wine to please your guests and certainly the one to choose if you’re going for red cabbage, sweet potatoes or other richly flavoured veg. I’d choose an example with some sweet, silky fruit rather than big tannins otherwise you may suffer from palate overload.

The best food pairings for Pinot Noir

Rioja gran reserva

A safe bet - just as good with goose as it is with game. Likely to be popular with older members of the party.

The best food pairings for Rioja

Best beer pairings for goose

Strong Belgian trappist beers such as Chimay or beers made in that style

These are just as good a match for goose as wine is if truth be told but there are, admittedly, likely to be fewer takers. No harm in having one or two available though.

Oude gueuze

Probably the most off-the-wall choice on my list but for those who like it - and since writing my beer book An Appetite for Ale I now do - it’s a brilliant match.

A Goose Island beer

Well, why not? This Chicago-based bewery makes great beer and it would be a bit of a laugh to have a few bottles on the side. Wouldn’t go badly either. The most widely available one in the UK is the IPA (India Pale Ale).

What to pair with artisanal cheddar?

Posted by Fiona Beckett on February 16 2008 at 09:34

By artisanal cheddar, I mean cheddar that is mature, full-flavoured, and unpasteurised (learn more in this post: So what makes a great cheddar?). It isn't the easiest cheese to match with wine.

One’s instinct is to drink red but it’s a struggle. You don’t want anything too light and graceful or, conversely, too full-bodied and tannic. There can be some wild flavours in a cheese like this which I think are best matched by an equally artisanal wine - and old Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache or Mourvèdre, maybe - or a blend of all three. Or a good Zinfandel. But don’t introduce blues or smelly washed-rind cheeses to the cheeseboard as well.

Vintage port is surprisingly - or not so surprisingly - good as we confirmed at a cheese and wine tasting I conducted for Decanter last year. One associates it more with stilton but it’s equally good with a fine cheddar. But it’s not the type of wine to open with a ploughman’s or other light lunch.

That distinction goes to a traditional British ale which I’m not sure isn’t the best pairing for this kind of cheese, especially if you serve it with an onion pickle or a chutney. Something like Adnams Broadside or Young’s Special. If you find British beers too bitter a sweeter-flavoured American IPA may be more to your taste, being a classic example.

If you’re looking for a terroir-based match a farmhouse cider would be the obvious choice for an authentic Somerset cheddar, especially if you serve it with apples or an apple chutney. Personally I prefer a medium-dry style but that’s up to you.

Apple-based aperitifs or digestifs such as Pommeau and Pomona which is made by the Somerset Cider Brandy Company can also work very well. Obviously they’re more alcoholic than cider but you could serve them instead of port for after dinner drinking.

Other possibilities, less mainstream: a full-bodied oaked Chardonnay pairs surprisingly well with cheddar as does a good rich whisky like The Macallan or Famous Grouse. Sherry can also work well particularly if you serve your cheddar with nuts - I’d choose something like a palo cortado. Other possibilities would be a medium-dry Madeira or a 10 - or 20 - year old tawny port.

Image by SplitShire from Pixabay

RSS

Comments

Pairings | Goose Island

What wine to pair with goose

What to pair with artisanal cheddar?

Latest post

Most popular

Instagram

My latest book

News and views