Game Season Starts Here

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By tradition, the first grouse of the year reaches London dining rooms on the Glorious Twelfth itself. By mid-October the rest of the larder has caught up. Partridge has been in season since September 1, pheasant and woodcock since October 1, and the butcher’s window has filled with mallard, venison and the occasional hare. For the next three months the British autumn eats better than any other season, and game wine pairing gives the mature reds in the cellar their finest hour.

The Season in Brief

• Red grouse: August 12 to December 10 in England, Wales and Scotland.
• Partridge: September 1 to February 1.
• Pheasant: October 1 to February 1.
• Wild duck (inland): September 1 to January 31.
• Woodcock: October 1 to January 31 in England and Wales.
• Venison: seasons vary by species, sex and nation, but autumn is when wild red deer is at its finest.
• Hare: no close season in England, though it may not be sold between March and July.

The 2026 grouse season has been a better one. After two poor years, from a wet 2024 spring and a 2025 heather beetle outbreak, the Countryside Alliance forecast a much-improved year ahead of the Twelfth, and early reports pointed to strong bags in the Pennines and southern Scotland. Red grouse are wholly wild; they cannot be reared and released, which is why numbers swing so sharply.

Cooking Notes

Game is lean. The rule is high heat, short cooking and long rest, or low heat and a long braise. Nothing in between.

• Grouse. Roast whole in a very hot oven for around 15 to 18 minutes and rest for ten. Serve pink, on a croûte spread with the livers, with bread sauce, game chips and watercress. The flavour is dark, heathery and slightly bitter.
• Partridge. The gentlest of the game birds. Roast quickly, bard with streaky bacon, and serve with cabbage and a light jus.
• Pheasant. Young hens roast well; older cocks are better braised. The Normandy way, with apples, cider and cream, flatters the bird.
• Mallard and teal. Cook the breasts rare and serve with something sharp: cherries, blackberries, a reduction of red wine and orange.
• Venison. Sear the loin hard and serve it rare. Braise the shoulder with juniper, red wine and bacon.
• Hare. The richest meat in the larder. Jugged in the English style, as a French civet or as the Tuscan pappardelle alla lepre, slowly cooked in wine.

The Principles of Game Wine Pairing

Wild game has more iron, more savoury depth and less fat than farmed meat. It asks for wines with savoury, secondary character, fresh acidity and tannin that has had time to soften. The level of gaminess guides the choice: delicate birds want lighter reds; grouse, venison and hare can take the biggest.

Pinot Noir: for partridge, pheasant and grouse

Mature red Burgundy is the classic partner for game birds, its forest-floor and dried cherry notes rising to meet the meat; it is the same quality that puts Pinot at the top of our wild mushroom wine pairing guide.

• Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis. Perfumed, silky and ideal with roast partridge. Shop it at Wine.com
• Felton Road Pinot Noir Bannockburn. Central Otago Pinot with spice and depth for pheasant or duck. Shop it at Wine.com

Northern Rhône Syrah: for grouse and venison

Syrah from the steep granite of the northern Rhône brings black olive, pepper, smoked meat and violet, the most natural match for venison and the darker birds.

• Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie. Savoury, peppery and profound with grouse. Shop it at Wine.com
• Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas. Dense, traditional Syrah that needs years, and venison, to show itself. Shop it at Wine.com
• Graillot Crozes-Hermitage. The best-value route into northern Rhône Syrah for a midweek venison steak. Shop it at Wine.com

Nebbiolo: for hare

In Piedmont, hare braised in red wine is a traditional partner for Barolo, and Nebbiolo’s acidity and tannin cut through the richness of the sauce. To taste it at the source, see our Langhe itinerary.

• Massolino Barolo. From Serralunga d’Alba, structured and classical. Shop it at Wine.com

Bordeaux: for pheasant and venison

Left Bank Cabernet blends with fifteen years or more develop cedar, tobacco and graphite, a fine match for roast pheasant or venison.

• Château Léoville Barton. Classic Saint-Julien, long-lived and fairly priced among the classed growths. Shop it at Wine.com
• Château Gruaud Larose. Generous and savoury, with the weight for braised game. Shop it at Wine.com

Rioja: for duck and partridge

Gran Reserva Rioja, with its long ageing in oak and bottle, offers dried fruit, leather and spice with softened tannin.

• La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904. Tempranillo-led, elegant and mature on release. Shop it at Wine.com
• Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva. The house’s most traditional wine, made for game. Shop it at Wine.com

For background on the region, see the Rioja entry in Santé’s daily Wine A-to-Z series on Substack.

Game Wine Pairing at a Glance

• Partridge or young pheasant: red Burgundy or Rioja Gran Reserva.
• Grouse: Côte-Rôtie or mature Burgundy.
• Duck: Central Otago Pinot Noir or Rioja.
• Venison loin: Cornas or mature Left Bank Bordeaux.
• Hare: Barolo.

Decant older bottles an hour ahead, serve at cellar temperature, and keep the sauce restrained. The wine is half of the dish.