Duck Confit is one of my favourite dishes and a cornerstone of French cuisine. If it’s on a restaurant menu, I normally have to have it, so I know this traditional French cooking technique pretty well. Recently, I had a conversation with a customer about wine and food pairing with duck confit, which got me thinking about the wine pairings for this delicious, rich duck dish. First of all, let me say, wine and food matching is not an exact science – there are no right or wrongs, and finding that perfect wine pairing is ultimately a personal decision. One person’s ideal match will not work for someone else. However, there are still basic rules that can point you in the right direction.
Recently, I was quite surprised when a customer suggested that Monbazillac would make a good food and wine pairing with duck confit. Surely a Monbazillac is going to be too sweet, with not enough acidity balance to cut through the rich and fatty characteristics of the duck. I know I shouldn’t knock it ’til I’ve tried it, so that set me thinking: what are the best wines to drink with this winter comfort food classic?
First of all, you need to understand this traditional slow-cooked duck preparation. Duck confit is made by salt-curing a duck leg and slowly poaching it in duck or goose fat with basic seasonings. It’s a time-honoured confit technique from Gascony in South West France, representing centuries of French gastronomy tradition.
The duck leg is usually rubbed with salt, herbs (thyme) and garlic, covered and refrigerated for up to 36 hours. Then it’s poached in rendered duck fat for anywhere from 4 to 10 hours. At this stage, the duck legs can be stored covered in the fat, canned or in jars.
Most commonly, duck confit is served by frying or grilling the leg portions so the skin becomes lovely and crispy duck skin. You can imagine the result: a pretty rich and savoury, gamey flavour profile with umami richness and relatively fatty characteristics.
Red or white? Most recommendations lean towards a full-bodied red wine rather than white, but some white wine options can create excellent flavour harmony too.
If you want a white wine with duck confit for your dinner party wines, you need a richer, aromatic wine with good acidity to cut through the fatiness of the duck, in much the same way that a good German Riesling or Gewürztraminer can be a great match with Roast Duck or Peking Duck.
For duck confit, I would personally choose a German Riesling – nothing too sweet, probably a good, fresh Spätlese (an Auslese will probably be too sweet). I’d suggest something like the Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese from the Mosel. This excellent Spätlese isn’t too dry, with superb lime/grapefruit citrus characteristics, good mineral finish and the crisp acidity needed to enhance flavours and stand up to the duck confit.
Another alternative would be a good Gewürztraminer offers another wine pairing guide option – I’d suggest something crisp and on the drier side, nothing too flowery, like the Trimbach Gewürztraminer from Alsace, for example. It’s a great wine, more refined and austere than some New World Gewürztraminers, though they’d make credible alternatives for your wine cellar selection.
This brings me to the more traditional duck confit wine pairings. One of the best red wine pairings is probably Pinot Noir. This is what a lot wine books and forum discussions recommend as the best match, though there are many recommendations for Bordeaux blends and also some younger and more tannic wines to cut through the richness.
For Pinot Noir selections, I think you need a fairly full-bodied wine option – something like a big, rich, well-structured Pommard from Burgundy Pinot Noir would be excellent. Another great alternative would be a New World Pinot Noir from New Zealand, California or Oregon.
I am going to recommend the Marimar Torres La Masia Pinot Noir from California, which has classic, delicious aromas of Russian River fruit – raspberry and pomegranate in the nose with hints of roast coffee. The palate offers supple, silky tannin structure and spicy characteristics from elegant oak ageing.
Another alternative US Pinot Noir, from Oregon, is the Resonance Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (owned by Maison Louis Jadot) It has a “beautiful cherry colour and transparency. The nose is very floral, with cherry, figs, and sapwood notes. On the palate, the wine is powerful, full of bright fruit-forward flavours and black cherry with some minerality. The wine finishes with acidity and citrus.”
Another good red wine option would be a youngish, robust red wine from French wine regions in the south. I think a good Madiran or Cahors would be a good match – I’d edge towards a Madiran. The Château Peyros Madiran Heritage is a fresh, fruity blend of Tannat and Cabernet Franc displaying ripe black fruits, black cherries, floral notes and herbaceous notes with hints of garrigue. The power, fruit, and robust tannins make this a great wine pairing experience.
Alternatively, for Bordeaux blends, I’d recommend something young, fruity, quite masculine and Cabernet Sauvignon-based – Château Lilian Ladouys from St Estèphe would be a good option. It’s still quite young, fruity and full without being heavy or overbearing. There’s plenty of depth and fruit with surprisingly supple tannins.
Of course, there’s one alternative pairing I haven’t considered: Champagne pairing or sparkling wine. Some say Champagne goes with everything (who am I to argue!), so why not try a Champagne or a good Hampshire sparkling wine? They have the acidity and bubbles to cut through any fattiness – perfect for cleansing the palate.
I think it’s best to choose one that isn’t bone dry, so a richer style of Champagne like Taittinger’s fantastic Grand Crus blend, the Prelude, would complement the texture contrast. Another idea is trying a Blanc de Noirs – the red grapes tend to give these wines more red berry fruit character. Raimes Sparkling Blanc de Noirs from Alresford in Hampshire would be excellent for wine appreciation with duck confit. Likewise the red berry fruit character of Hambledon Premiere Cuvée Rosé would be a great pairing.
Your Culinary Adventure Awaits
So there are some suggestions for your next epicurean adventure – any comments and feedback are greatly appreciated. Do you have a favourite wine matching combination? Let me know!
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