Best Value
Plus & Minus Pinot Noir NV
SA
$13.67per bottle
$164.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Food & wine pairing
Best wine with duck
Pinot Noir is the classic, with savoury Italian reds a close second.
How are you cooking it?
Peking or plum sauce: Sweet sauce suits softer, fruit-forward Pinot or Grenache.
Pinot Noir
Cherry fruit and fresh acidity balance rich duck fat, especially with a plum or cherry sauce.
- Lighter than the dish: best with a lighter version of it
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Pete's Pure Pinot Noir 2025
Murray Darling, NSW
$13.67per bottle
$164.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Deakin Estate Pinot Noir 2025
South East Australia
$13.83per bottle
$83.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Tempus Two Silver Series Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV
South Eastern Australia
$14.67per bottle
$176.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Grenache
Soft and spicy. Lovely with five-spice and roast duck.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Angove ESTD 1886 SMG Shiraz Mourvèdre Grenache 2024
Riverland, SA
$16.67per bottle
$100.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Mr Mick Grenache 2024
Clare Valley, SA
$18.17per bottle
$109.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Ulithorne Dona Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2020
McLaren Vale, SA
$19.58per bottle
$235.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Gardner's Vineyard Grenache 2014
Eyre Peninsula, SA
$19.00per bottle
$114.00 for 6 × 750ml
Cellars
Nebbiolo & Barolo
Rose-scented and firm. A special-occasion match for duck breast or confit.
- Same weight as the dish, so neither drowns the other
- Fresh acidity lifts the flavours and cleans up each bite
- Firm tannin is softened by the fat and protein
Why it works Dish Wine
Weightrichness vs body
Aciditytang vs freshness
Fat / tanninfat softens grip
Sweetnessdish vs wine
Best Value
Trentham The Family Nebbiolo 2024
Murray Darling, NSW
$17.17per bottle
$206.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Tumblong Hills Table of Plenty Nebbiolo Rosé 2023
Gundagai, NSW
$20.83per bottle
$250.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Chrismont Nebbiolo 2024
King Valley, VIC
$26.83per bottle
$322.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Best Value
Liquid Rock'n Roll Notorious Nebbiolo 2019
Heathcote, VIC
$28.08per bottle
$337.00 for 12 × 750ml
Cellars
Tip
Peking duck with hoisin? Pinot Noir every time.
Best avoided
Very oaky, heavy reds that bury the meat.
About duck and wine
Today’s picks run from $13.67 to $28.08 a bottle, chosen for value from 218 matching wines across the Australian retailers we compare. Six-packs and dozens are shown as a price per bottle.
Questions
What wine goes best with duck?
Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo & Barolo and Grenache are the best matches for duck. Cherry fruit and fresh acidity balance rich duck fat, especially with a plum or cherry sauce.
What’s a good cheap wine with duck?
Plus & Minus Pinot Noir NV is the cheapest of today’s picks at $13.67 a bottle from Cellars. Prices are checked every 4 hours.
What wine should I avoid with duck?
Very oaky, heavy reds that bury the meat.
