Wild Boar requires red wine with a lot of personality, such as Shiraz, Amarone, Barolo, Super Tuscan, and Brunello di Montalcino. Younger Wild Boar has more fat, is more flavourful and is much more tender than older Wild Boar. Thus, with Wild Boar, you’ll want to pair it with an aged Super Tuscan, aged Barolo or wines with softer tannin, such as Barbera, Zinfandel or a medium-bodied Shiraz.
Older Wild Boar meat is tougher and has a much more gamey and pungent flavour to it. You don’t need to break out the expensive and aged wines with older Wild Boar. Instead pair wines with lots of tannin, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo and Super Tuscan as the tannin will break down the tougher meat, making the Wild Boar taste more flavourful.
Most people prefer the flavours of Wild Boar, and at its prime, Wild Boar tastes a touch nutty, a little beefy and slightly gamy. You’ll also get some smoky flavours of pork.
Best Wine with Wild Boar
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano & Pasta with Wild Boar Sauce
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano works well with Pasta with Wild Boar Sauce as this red wine is balanced with both tannin and acidity. The acidity of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ensures it will not clash with any tomato sauce in your Wild Boar Sauce. Meanwhile, the medium-high tannin count of the wine denatures the protein found in the Wild Boar, making it taste more savoury and succulent.
Made from the Sangiovese grape, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is bright with flavours of plum, red cherry, and pomegranate that complement the tangy tomatoes in your Wild Boar Sauce. On top of that, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano features notes of earth, violets, herbs, tea, spice and licorice that bring complementary flavours to your Wild Boar Pasta.
Wild Boar and Shiraz Pairing
Wild Boar is a leaner but stronger flavoured and gamier meat than pork. Due to the meat’s stronger flavours, it demands complex and bold wines. My number one pick, for when you don’t know how old the Wild Boar was when slaughtered, would be a rich and spicy Shiraz. This dark fruit flavours of plum, raspberry and blackberries will show off its richness and complexity when paired with barbecued or roasted Wild Boar. In addition, the fruit flavours of Shiraz will also mask the gamier flavours of the meat.
Furthermore, Shiraz has notes of black pepper, smoke, dark chocolate tobacco, leather and earth that jive with the succulent flavours of your Wild Boar. You’ll want to make sure you stick to a medium-bodied Shiraz. A full-bodied Shiraz will overpower both young and old Wild Boar alike, as this meat is not high in fat or flavour.
Brunello di Montalcino & Wild Boar Stew Pairing
Older Wild Boar is often used in stew, as the extra liquid will help soften up the meat. The process of making stew often guarantees the Wild Boar Meat will be well done, as all stew is cooked for long hours. Thus, while the stew will be flavourful as the fats of the meat will be cooked into the stew, the chunks of meat itself won’t be as flavourful as they would be if served rare.
Brunello di Montalcino is a medium-bodied red wine that will hold to the flavourful stew, while not overpowering the milder Wild Boar flavours. With Brunello di Montalcino, expect notes of black cherry, black pepper, coffee, dark chocolate, game, herbs, plum, smoke, spice, tar and earth which complement and contrast the flavours of the stew.
High in acidity, Brunello di Montalcino won’t clash with any tomatoes used in your stew. Meanwhile, the high-tannin content of Brunello di Montalcino will be softened by the chunks of Wild Boar, making for a more expressive red wine.
Barolo & Rare Wild Boar with Mushrooms
Barolo is this crazy red wine that looks super delicate and pretty but knocks you on your butt with searing tannins and rich flavours of blackberry, cherry, licorice, tar, tobacco, truffle and roses. Barolo is amazing with any Wild Boar dishes prepared with mushrooms as the flavours of this wine will complement the strong Wild Boar flavours along with the earthy flavours of your mushrooms.
I’d choose an aged Barolo to pair with a younger Wild Boar dish as a young Barolo will obliterate the tender flavours of your game. Also, your Wild Boar will need to be cooked no more than medium-rare. When you overcook Wild Boar, it will go dry and will lose a lot of its flavour.
Amarone and Wild Boar Chops
A lush Amarone with spicy dark fruit flavour is exceptional with Wild Boar Chops! I prefer a more traditional style of Amarone that features caramel, earthy, and dried black cherry flavours. I find the caramel flavours of the Amarone are amazing with the charred and smoky flavours of grilled Wild Boar Chops.
Modern Amarone will be pretty good with Wild Boar. Expect super concentrated flavours of cherry, dark chocolate, raisin and vanilla along with a high amount of alcohol.
Older Amarone with softened tannin should be paired with younger Wild Boar Chops. Meanwhile, younger Amarone can be paired with Wild Boar who were slaughtered when they were older. The high tannin in the Amarone will help break down the meat, making it appear to be less tough, while also making it taste more flavourful. Meanwhile, the Wild Boar meat will soften the wine, letting all its glorious flavours of figs, coffee, leather, spice, smoke, mocha and plum shine through.