Duane's Wine Blog

for the practical wine drinker

Blog Post #56 – Food & Wine: Restaurant (main course)

This post will be another in my newer pairing series on restaurant food. What I’m choosing today is Duck, typically prepared from duck breast. There are, of course, many variations, but I will try to keep it simple. What you want to pair with duck is a Pinot Noir or Sangiovese wine. The why I will explain below. If the duck comes with something “sweet” or “tangy”, like cooked cherries, than I would go towards the Pinot, preferably one from the Willamette Valley in Oregon or Sonoma/ Russian River Valley in California. Otherwise, I would go towards the Sangio., but the mellower Brunello or Montepulciano, not the Chianti Classico. Sometimes, the best option is something else, given their choices. As examples, I will use two local restaurants I really like that serve duck: The Tailor & the Cook in Utica and Nola’s in Clinton.


Duck is not a common meat at most restaurants, and not all high end restaurants serve it. But those that do, generally do it well and with some interesting “add-ons”/ sauces. It’s therefore a “moral imperative” to pair it with the proper wine. Never pair duck with a Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of what you need to compliment the duck. If you have a clear choice between a really good Pinot Noir and an equally good Sangiovese, then the decision should be made based on the “add-ons”/ sauces. If one is clearly better than the other, than go with the better one (assuming it’s not out of your price range). If your not sure what to go for, ask the sommelier/ wine steward. If it’s a high end restaurant, they should have one or the other. At the Tailor & the Cook, they have a German Pinot and a Tuscan Montepulciano. Here, I would go for the Montepulciano. At Nola’s, they have a California Pinot (not Sonoma/ Russian River Valley, I think?) and a Nero D’avolo (Sicilian red). In this case, I would go with the Nero D’avolo.


Why these wines with duck? To balance both the richness and high-fat content of duck, a reasonably sweet wine with marked acidity is required. It is a delicate and tender cut of meat. So, a high acid red would be perfect, either a Pinot Noir or a Sangiovese. Again, the “add-ons”/ sauces should be your decider, if given a good choice. Otherwise, Pinot Noir is the “go to” for duck. Personally, I tend more towards the Italians (Sangiovese), but the duck I have here is not done like the picture above, which is more typical. In that case, I would definitely be looking for a good Oregonian Pinot Noir, like the A to Z Wineworks pictured above. Hopefully, I’ve given you enough options. But, if not, just drop me a line or ask the Sommelier at your local restaurant.


That should take care of this one. Next time, I will return to my Education series on the Noble Grapes. Hopefully, you are finding it interesting, as well as educational. Until then, Cheers!