Red Wine with Game: Moldovan Wines for the Hunting Season
From September to December, game is in peak season, and with it comes the question of the right wine. Roe deer, red deer and wild boar call for red wines with structure: enough tannin to stand up to the robust, slightly iron-rich meat, and enough ripe fruit to carry the spice of juniper, bay leaf and red wine jus. Two Moldovan grape varieties offer exactly that: Fetească Neagră and Rară Neagră. Both come from the Republic of Moldova, yet they are still little known here, all the more reason to discover them this game season.
Fetească Neagră and Rară Neagră at a Glance
Fetească Neagră ("black maiden") is the more powerful of the two varieties: dark cherry, plum and a spicy, almost tobacco-like depth, along with rich, velvety tannins. It is precisely this profile that makes it a natural counterpart to braised and roasted game. Rară Neagră is more restrained and elegant: red cherry, dried berries, delicate floral notes and silky rather than powerful tannins. It is less suited to a hearty pot roast, but pairs very well with more refined game dishes featuring a mushroom or cream element.
Which Wine for Which Game Dish?
Saddle of venison and roe deer fillet in red wine jus: these call for fruit and supple yet present tannins that do not overpower the jus. The Novak Fetească Neagră 2023 offers ripe blackberry, dark cherry and plum with velvety tannins: a wine that, according to its own description, is explicitly intended for braised lamb and game dishes, and is just as good a match for a pan-seared fillet.
Wild boar ragout and pot roasts: the longer and more intensely a dish is braised, the more maturity the wine itself may bring to the table. The Novak Fetească Neagră 2019 has undergone exactly this development: stewed dark cherry, plum, tobacco and softened tannins, a mature red wine expressly made for pot roasts and game.
Saddle of roe deer with creamy mushroom sauce and game birds: with more delicate game dishes featuring mushroom or cream notes, power alone does not convince; here, elegance is what counts. The Novak Rară Neagră 2019, with red cherry, dried berries, floral notes of maturity and silky tannins, is intended for precisely such combinations: braised poultry and mushroom dishes, a natural bridge to roe deer with mushroom sauce or pheasant.
Good to Know: Ordering and Delivery
All three wines are part of our red wine range and ready to ship from stock in Switzerland. Details on delivery times and costs can be found on our shipping page; prices for alcoholic beverages include Swiss VAT of 8.1 %. As with every wine order in our shop, handover takes place with an age check by the delivery service.
Editorial note: the Novak Rară Neagră 2021 is deliberately not recommended as a game pairing. According to its own product description, it is a light, silky wine for white poultry and pasta and does not meet the demands of hearty game dishes. It remains part of our range, but outside the scope of this article.