The first is fillet of venison with a simple venison sauce, the second a more intense and challenging (for wine) version supplemented by a beetroot fondant & choux farcie with a cherry, rhubarb and venison sauce. The two wines chosen to do battle (or accompany beautifully) were an elegant Hermit Ram Pinot Noir 2019 from North Canterbury in New Zealand and a youthful aromatic Syrah from 120-year-old vineyard, Hervé Souhaut’s Saint-Joseph Rouge Saint-Epine 2023. Both wines shine on the day, but which is the better match with each dish? The final match/contest features two ribeye beef dishes, one with an aubergine gratin and simple beef sauce, the other elaborated with addition of stuffed Padron peppers and an elderberry and eucalyptus sauce, paired with two very different wines – a deliciously digestible 2021 Los Pasitos from Suertes del Marques in Tenerife and Geoff Merrill’s bold 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon from a blend of Coonawarra and Mclaren Vale fruit. Who won this battle? Just Another Wine Podcast extends its thanks to the team at The Terrace Rooms and Wines at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight.