Food Pairing: Game & Wine - That Certain Something with Chardonnay

"Food pairing" refers to the perfect combination of wine & food, where the aromas complement or even enhance each other, making the harmonious whole a feast for the palate. It's like matchmaking for a dish & drink – in other words: who goes with whom?

There are combinations that simply go incredibly well together, everyone agrees on that. For example, fine chocolate and a good Saint Laurent red wine in front of a crackling fireplace, or a Riesling spritzer and tarte flambée on a hot summer evening in the garden.

Photo: Basics of wine & food pairing

Cooking with wine

Of course, we cook a lot with wine at our winery and in the kitchen of Kristine's Lamesa. We use it for searing, sautéing, cooking sauerkraut in wine, combining it with onions, garlic, and ginger, and we love the special finesse that wine, as an absolute flavor carrier, brings to every dish. Depending on the meat, we choose white wine or red wine, but as I said, even there we don't let ourselves be constrained by strict rules.

Does alcohol evaporate when cooking?

Good to know: Alcohol evaporates when cooking at approx. 78°C. Especially with long cooking times with an open lid, the alcohol content is reduced, although it rarely becomes completely alcohol-free (<0.5%). For our recipe below, we have a cooking time of a good hour, so according to our research approx. 25% of the alcohol should still remain. Our Chardonnay contains 13% vol. This amount roughly corresponds to approx. 5% of the entire dish. The alcohol content, in turn, is reduced by 75% due to the hour of cooking, i.e., to 1.25% vol in the entire dish... And since you usually don't devour goulash for four people all by yourself, the final amount of alcohol you consume is negligible.

Venison Goulash in a Chardonnay Wine Sauce

And here it is, the exception that is a real feast for us: dark venison combined with a strong white wine, preferably our dry Chardonnay, aged in oak barrels. We consciously choose this wonderful white wine with a slightly smoky note – and not a red wine.

As forest residents, we know the local hunters and thus occasionally get to enjoy venison, which we serve with gratitude and pleasure. This is Kristine's recipe (for four people) that makes all our mouths water:

- 1.5 kg venison, cut into medium-sized pieces

- 1 to 2 red onions

- 3 carrots

- 300–400 g mushrooms

- Bay leaves

- 0.5 liters dry Chardonnay

- 1 tbsp beef broth

- Butter 

- Olive oil

- Salt and pepper

1. Wash the meat and pat dry.

2. Heat some olive oil in a cast iron pot (or another oven-safe pot). As soon as it is very hot, sear the meat in it.

3. Once the meat is seared, add the onions and sauté until soft.

4. Add wine, bay leaves, and beef broth.

5. Bring to a boil and then cook in the oven at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

6. After the cooking time, add carrots and mushrooms and cook for another 30 minutes in the oven.

7. Finally, stir in a little butter for a creamier taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with mashed potatoes or fried potatoes. Of course, you can also replace the venison with beef or pork goulash, add kohlrabi to the carrots, or create a meatless alternative with tofu.

We wish you a good appetite and enjoyable hours.

Your pleasure-loving Grafs

2024 Chardonnay dry - aged in oak barrels -

Intense roasted aromas, full of character,
partially aged in barrique barrels, multi-award-winning.

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