You don’t have to go too far if you’re looking for the best wine pairing with venison. Similar to beef, we already have a great selection of wines to go with this top-quality game meat. Here are 7 tasty combinations that we have come up with.

Venison is a delicious game meat that is very close to beef. It is often cooked the same way as beefy steak or even stews. If you’re wondering what kind of wines go well with venison, you don’t have to go too far if you know your way around beef and wine pairings. However, as simple as it may sound, there are some adjustments to the kind of wine that is good to have with venison.

We’ve narrowed down a list of the best wine pairings to have with your venison meal.

1. Malbec

Malbec is a delicious wine known for its dark fruit flavors and smoky finish. Its fruit notes are that of plum, black cherry, pomegranate, and blackberries. It has medium tannin and medium acidity making it great for the start of the plate, the venison.

These characteristics of the wine bring out the richness and gamey flavor of the venison. Malbec goes very well with leaner meats like venison and the best part is that it goes perfectly well with funky flavors.

2. Fruity Bordeaux

Bordeaux wine is often full-bodied and fruity. It has dominant flavors of black currant, black cherry, plum, and violets. This medium to full-bodied wine is great with an array of dishes but its dark fruitiness is what makes it a great pair with venison.

Bordeaux is a great pairing for venison because it cuts through the richness of the meat, making it a balanced palate in your mouth.

3. Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir has a delicious earthy tone, which makes it perfect for meats, and venison isn’t shy of that. Pinot Noir is so good for our palate and it is quite versatile when it comes to meats. It goes well with many different ways of how to cook meat and it’s light on our pockets.

If you’re not sure what kind of wine to look for, this is your best bet with your venison meal. It goes best with a venison casserole dinner.

4. Merlot

Venison is a wild game animal that tastes a lot like beef with notes of gamey, earthiness and the wild. These characteristics make it perfect to pair with a wine that would bring out the natural sweetness of the meat, making it taste so fresh and wild.

Merlot also has the dark fruity notes of plum and dark cherries, which brings out the best in venison.

5. Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon has a dark and delicious color with notes of dark fruit like plums and black currant. These notes of wild dark fruit enhance the wild flavor of the venison most especially if it is cooked as a steak. The acidity and tannin level of Cabernet Sauvignon is well balanced making it a perfect accompaniment to your gamey meal.

6. Shiraz

Shiraz is a spicy and peppery wine. These characteristics make a delicious and interesting pairing with venison. The deep flavor of the wine not only complements the flavor of the meat but it brings adventure and mystery to the pairing.

Shiraz won’t overpower the flavor of the meat but it will only make it better.

7. Zinfandel

Red Zinfandel wine is a fruity wine with a smoky finish. When you have it, the fruit notes explode in your mouth and leave you with a peppery and smoky finish. These characteristics make it a good wine to serve with braised venison. It’s even suggested to use Zinfandel when cooking braised venison. The flavor simply adds depth to the meat and it brings out the natural sweetness of the meat.