Pairings | Strong Belgian beer

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 wines and beers to pair with meaty stews and casseroles

Posted by Fiona Beckett on February 15 2024 at 08:05

Meaty stews and casseroles are hearty, comfort food so what type of wine should you pair with them or is beer a better match?

When it comes to pairing wine with a stew most of us would instinctively turn to a red, the big issue being how full-bodied it should be.

There are two ways of looking at it. Stews tend to be intensely flavoured with a rich thick sauce so you could argue that you need a big wine to hold its own. But that can be overwhelming. I prefer a slightly lighter more rustic red - grape varieties such as Syrah, Grenache, Malbec and Tempranillo hit the spot for me.

Of course it does depend what liquid’s in the stew. If it’s beer, as in a classic Belgian carbonnade then it’s almost wilful to drink anything else. Stews that have a savoury, meaty almost marmitey taste pair better with ales than with wine.

If they’re made with wine however. as in the classic French daube, it’s best to choose a similar style but slightly better quality of the wine you used for the dish. (Though not everyone agrees - see Marc Millon's argument in favour of cooking with Barolo)

If the stew is spicy like goulash or a tagine I would choose slightly sweeter style of red such as an Australian Shiraz, Zinfandel, Pinotage or a modern Spanish red, wines that also come into play when you serve sweet flavoured veg such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash and corn alongside. But watch out for big tannins which can combine with spicy flavours to create a palate overload.

Best wines for stews

Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages, or, better still, village wines with their own denomination such as Cairanne or Vacqueyras

Other Rhône appellations such as Crozes-Hermitage, Gigondas and Lirac

Languedoc reds such as Corbières, Faugères and Minervois

Rioja crianza and similar Spanish reds from e.g. Navarra

Reds from the Douro in Portugal

Barbera from Piedmont - or elsewhere

Argentinian Malbec (and French Cahors)

Australian or South African Shiraz

Zinfandel - especially for rich stews such as braised oxtail or ox cheek

Pinotage (particularly for spicier stews)

Best beers for stews

Classic British ales such as Young’s Special London Ale, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Theakston's Old Peculier

Strong Belgian beers such as Chimay and northern French beers from the Pas de Calais region

Brown ales (for simple, old-fashioned stews without too much seasoning)

Stout or porter - if that’s what the dish is cooked in.

Image © casanisa at shutterstock.com

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Pairings | Strong Belgian beer

What wine to pair with goose

What wines and beers to pair with meaty stews and casseroles

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