Venison

[Randy Caparoso]

I would have to beg to differ, just slightly, with my esteemed colleagues. I think your original thinking -- Pinot Noir -- was sound from the perspective of acidity. If, say, in your first cooking method, the sharpness from the marinade will remain pervasive (as I'm sure you imagined), a Rhone style wine (Syrah or Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre style blends) would be too low in acid. Dishes with zesty marinades definitely make such wines taste dull, plodding, even coarse. You need a red with zesty acidity.

But as Curmudgeon pointed out, most Pinot Noirs don't have the heft to handle well marbled, slightly gamey venison. But not all are like that. The '97 Babcock "Grand Cuvee," for instance, has incredible color, good tannin backbone, and opulently rich, spicy flavors -- on top of the intrinsic varietal snappiness. The Pinot Noirs of Dehlinger, David Bruce, Calera, and Beaux Freres also have good muscle and richness. These bigger styles of Pinot offend some "purists," but your venison just may be give them the food "home" they deserve.

There are other alternatives. Zinfandels from the Russian River Valley Zinfandel (De Loach) and Mendocino (Edmeades) also have tremendous depth, blackstrap tannin, and whipsnapping acidity to boot. Thirdly, a deeply colored, full flavored style of Sangiovese could also work. Babcock and Ferrari-Carano's Siena have both the richness and acidity to work with vinegary marinades, and make you break out in a lick samba song. As for the Sangiovese based wines of Italy, almost across the board, you'll find that the best '97 Tuscan estates are deep, dark, ponderous and sinewy. Unlike most vintages, definitely meaty wines for meaty dishes.

So here's what you should do: get ahold of a good, black Syrah from France or California, or an Australian Shiraz (take a look at the Rhone thread for some pointers), and then compare it with one of my suggestions. Then you'll be able to see for yourself which are actually better with your preparation. And your taste, in the end, is the only one that counts!