Which wines to drink with rabbit?

Rabbit is a dish appreciated by many for its tender texture and great taste. There are many different recipes to choose from for interesting food and wine pairings. With both white and red wines.

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• What wines to serve with mustard rabbit

Rabbit with mustard may have a connotation and be "scary" to some of you, but if the recipe is well executed, it can leave a gentle spiciness, a kick that offers great prospects for pairing with wines.

If you choose to go with a white wine, it should be powerful and spicy enough to match this spicy sauce. We recommend wines from the south of France. These will have enough body and aroma. In the Rhône Valley, a nice Saint-Joseph or Crozes-Hermitage will be perfect. Roussanne and/or Marsanne grapes love full-bodied dishes. Some Languedoc whites will also go well with this type of recipe. Try appellations such as Saint-Chinian white or Faugères.

As far as red wines are concerned, here too, dishes from the south are ideal. Their warm aspect and Mediterranean aromas are just what you need. Just be careful not to select a wine that's too young and has spent too much time in barrel. The tannins could destroy the sauce and take over. On recent vintages, prefer fruity, spicy and round wines, such as again Crozes-Hermitageand Côtes du Rhône or lower, some vins de pays d'Ocor Côtes Catalanes. If, however, you want to take it up a notch, you can start out on the old tracks. Côtes-Rôtie or old Hermitages. Their black pepper and leather aromas are a perfect match.

• What wines to serve with rabbit and prunes

The second most popular rabbit recipe, this one calls for very different food and wine pairings than the mustard one. A prune sauce generally calls for finer wines, with more evolved aromas. In this case, it's best to concentrate on red wines for this recipe.

If you're not into old wines, don't worry, we've got just the thing. For you, you'll have to go for silky, gourmand wines. Go for single-varietal Pinot Noir-based wines. When not aged in barrels, they give off aromas of wild berries, red berries and sometimes a little kirsch. A Bourgogne Pinot-Noir, for example, would be very good. Then, for lovers of old wines, fine old Bordeaux wines such as Margaux, Saint-Emilion or even Pomerol will be perfect. They need to be at least 10-15 years old to become interesting. The same goes for Burgundy, or appellations like Chambolle-Musigny, Nuits-Saint-Georges or even Volnay will be perfect.

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