In these challenging times I’m all for a bit of bartering. In the last few weeks I have been paid in eggs for lifts to the railway station and received horse care in return for grooming services.

It was all going swimmingly until my chum from down the road proposed that I paid him in wine for a brace or two from his day’s shooting.

As has been mentioned before in this column, I am a little short on space for my wines. So, the thought of having to give up the odd bottle is tough.

It would be an absolute crime to tuck into a tasty bit of game without a glass of something lovely and that will be harder still if I have given it all away.

So, we have struck a deal. He and his missus will provide the birds (oven-ready!) and I’ll cook them and throw in the wine to boot.

Seems like a fair deal to me. The question is, what wine for which game?

Pheasants are two-a-penny round these parts and I’ll be eating more of them than chicken in the coming weeks.

Quite a lot of pheasant dishes tend to be rich but surprisingly delicate in flavour. When it comes to picking the wine, I’ll be looking for something reasonably full-bodied but with the finesse and subtlety that, hopefully, comes with a bit of bottle age.

I’m utterly rubbish at cooking pigeon but I love it. Its rich, wild flavours are so comforting in the short, cold winter days. Contentious as it may be, I’ll probably choose a full-bodied Aussie Shiraz which should carry the flavours well and complete the comfort factor.

On a trawl through the BBC Good Food website I came across a recipe for partridge with red wine and cinnamon. It’s a lovely combination of flavours that works well with the reasonably intense partridge character.

A wine with a bit of spice and decent body works well here. I’d pick a red from the Southern Rhône or perhaps even a mature Côtes du Roussillon.

When it’s bitterly cold, grey and miserable I will resort to one of my all-time favourite meals.

Inspired by Nigel Slater, it involves roasting duck on a bed of sliced potatoes, onions and pancetta.

The fat from the duck is soaked up by the potatoes and the result is, for me, the ultimate winter meal. It’s gutsy and full of flavour.

I’m straight to a bottle of cabernet sauvignon here. The richness of the dish commands the weight and tannins that cabernet can provide.

I’ve done my fair share of experimenting and it seems to me that venison and Barolo are a cracking — if slightly indulgent — match. I don’t imagine that there will be any venison appearing on the doorstep as a result of my little deal but I’m hoping.

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