Wines to pair with game need enough structure, tannin and depth to stand up to wild boar, roe deer, hare, venison and pheasant. Game meats, from wild boar to hare, from roe deer to feathered game such as pheasant and partridge, have an intense, iron-tinged flavor and a wild note that comes from the animal’s natural diet and movement. Long cooking, marinades in wine and spices soften the meat, but the wine alongside must match that same character: structure, tannin and often a few years of ageing, which bring tertiary aromas—leather, tobacco, forest floor—able to converse with the meat without being overwhelmed. Not all game, however, calls for the same wine: the difference between fur and feather, between a braised wild boar stew and a roast pheasant, radically changes what you should pull from the cellar.

Braised wild boar and cacciatora-style

Wild boar is the most widespread game meat in Italian cooking, and also one of the most demanding: long, moist cooking, often with tomato, olives or polenta, leaves a rich, savory jus that a light wine can’t balance. You need a red with dense tannins, able to cleanse the palate of the meat’s fat, and enough acidity to cope with the sauce. Sagrantino di Montefalco is one of the most precise answers: it is among the Italian varieties with the highest tannin concentration and, in Umbria, finds in game one of its natural pairings.

But wild boar also leaves room for more international takes. A great Bolgheri Rosso, especially based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, brings structure, freshness and a tannic weave that can support the richest preparations, with a Mediterranean profile that meshes well with aromatic herbs, juniper berries and sauce-based cooking. For even more intense, important dishes you can look to Bordeaux as well, in particular the great reds of the Left Bank, where Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc develop with age notes of tobacco, leather, graphite and forest floor that mirror the meat’s wild character perfectly. A common mistake is to pick a soft, simply fruity red in the hope of softening the dish: without tannin and acidity to counter fat and savoriness, the sip becomes cloying by the second bite.

Roast roe deer and red deer

Roe deer and red deer are furred game but leaner than wild boar: the meat is firm, with little external fat, and the risk, when roasted or oven-baked with juniper berries, is pairing it with a wine that’s too young and tannic. You need a red that’s still structured, but with tannins already polished by ageing, to accompany the meat rather than drying it out further. Brunello di Montalcino, with the long ageing required by its regulations, is a particularly coherent choice: the tannin has evolved, while complexity and tertiary aromas—leather, sweet spices, forest floor—converse with the game without the harshness of a younger wine. A great mature Bordeaux can also work very well, especially when venison is served with dark sauces, mushrooms or red-wine reductions.

Hare in civet and pappardelle with hare

Hare is among the most intense game meats: the long marinating in red wine and spices typical of civet, together with the blood that binds the sauce for pappardelle with hare, creates a dish with an iron-laced, spicy taste that no light wine can accompany without disappearing. You need a powerful, matured wine, with significant tannin and enough acidity to handle the marinade component. Barolo—especially from a vintage with a few years under its belt—is the classic Piedmontese pairing: its tannic texture and aromas of forest floor, liquorice and spice marry the wild flavour of hare rather than clash with it. It should be opened well in advance, especially in the more structured vintages. The mistake to avoid is serving it too young: a Barolo still dominated by tannin can make the sip aggressive right alongside already intense meat.

Feathered game: pheasant, partridge and quail

Pheasant, partridge and quail are feathered game: flavorful meats but with a much more delicate texture than wild boar or hare, often roasted or stuffed. A tannic, powerful red here is almost certainly a mistake: it smothers the meat instead of enhancing it. You need a wine with more moderate tannin and an earthy, fruity profile that accompanies without overpowering. Pinot Noir is one of the most convincing answers, whether it comes from Alto Adige, fresher and more linear, or from Burgundy, deeper and spicier: its finesse is made precisely for lean, aromatic meats like these. The typical mistake is to treat all game the same way and choose the same big red used for wild boar: with pheasant and partridge, that wine risks literally swallowing the dish.

Roast wild duck

Wild duck is a case apart: feathered game like pheasant and partridge, but with a fatty component much more akin to wild boar, especially if served with crispy skin. You need a wine that has both the structure to handle the fat and a vein of sweetness or ripe fruit to balance it, without slipping into the kind of aggressive tannin that would dry out meat that’s already naturally juicy. Amarone della Valpolicella, with its appassimento that concentrates sugars and ripe fruit while remaining a dry wine, is a choice that can reconcile both needs: the duck’s fat finds in its richness a natural counterweight. A great mature Bolgheri can also be interesting, especially with preparations featuring red fruit, pan juices and spices, thanks to the combination of structure, freshness and fruit.