I can’t remember the last time I had duck. I know it must have been at a restaurant, but it’s been a while. Anyways duck is my favorite bird, to eat at least…
This was a very cool recipe that I found for Braised Duck with Pinot Noir, Cherry Tomatoes and Grapes. It actually requires a whole bottle of Pinot Noir poured over the duck into a casserole dish ,and then braised in the oven. As much as I’m sure the Landmark Pinot would have tasted amazing when reduced to a mere cup, I opted for an El Cheapo brand of Pinot I found at The Fresh Market. After the wine is reduced, you add whole grapes and cherry tomatoes and cook it down some more. Fairly simple recipe really!
I have to confess, I have never used grapes in a recipe, but as it turns out they were one of the best parts of the dish! For starch I just quartered fingerling potatoes, roasted them with salt, pepper and rosemary. For greens, I stumbled across what has to be the worlds largest asparagus at Fresh Market, which I just threw in a pan with white wine, butter, salt and pepper.
The biggest pain in the arse with this whole recipe was removing the giblets from the duck. Not something I have done before, but it isn’t really any different from chicken.
So on to the pairing…
The Landmark Vineyards Grand Detour Pinot Noir 2008 was very expressive on the nose, showing a mixture of black and red cherries, fresh herbs and a touch of oak and vanilla. Rich and smooth on the palate revealing ripe cherry and raspberry at the beginning, more herbs and even a little spice toward the middle, making way for deeper darker black fruits toward the extensive finish. This dish was MADE for the Landmark Grand Detour Pinot!
The two paired beautifully together, with neither one overpowering the other, and the wine cutting through the duck fat perfectly. The wine also picked up on the rosemary in the potatoes, which is always nice when a wine pair with the accompaniments, as well as the main dish.
If I was to make this recipe again, I would be really interested to see how I could possibly incorporate cranberries and cherries into the sauce. I think it would work really nicely, especially with a Pinot, but maybe I’m just overthinking things!
I’m going to rate this as a Perfect Match!
~ My Food & Wine Pairing Guide ~
Bad Match
The interaction of wine and food when tasted together has a negative impact on the senses. This is common when the food item is high in acidity, salt, bitterness, or spiciness.
Refreshment
Many times wine serves simply as a satisfying refreshment to accompany a certain food choice. The refreshment match may be appropriate when the food severely inhibits a good or synergistic wine choice.
Neutral
These pairing situations are average and pleasant, but are missing an element of individuality and thus cannot provide a superior gastronomic experience.
Good Match
In this situation, you have found a wine that matches the food item’s basic components (sweet, sour, bitter, salty) and overall body.
Perfect Match
This essentially means the combined effect of the wine and the food paired together is superior to the sum of the individual parts.
