Everyone knows that some wines are better suited for certain meals than others, but it can be difficult pairing them up due to the huge range of flavors and textures.
So, you will probably need the help of an expert – and this is the guide for you!
Here we are going to be discussing wine and which ones work best with pork, so you can pair the right wine with your pork dinner.
Check out the information below to find the right wine for you and your guests!
Pairing Pork And Wine: What To Keep In Mind
Before you start pulling out the bottles of wine to pair with your meal, you should first consider pork.
Pork has two main elements which make up its unmistakable taste and texture – the high amount of fat, and the high amount of salt.
Pork is a salty, fatty meat which not only makes it delicious and tender but very specific in terms of taste.
Even if you are trying to cook your pork in a way to reduce the levels of fat, it is still a fatty meat when compared to the likes of seafood or chicken.
The high amount of fats means that you should really pair up your meal with a full or medium bodied wine.
Full and medium bodied wines are higher in tannins, and tannins help cleanse your palate after fatty meats. Plus, the fats help tackle the tannins and its high acidity – making the two a perfect match for one another.
So, acidic wines are a great choice for a pork dinner. You can easily find a range of acidic wines that are red or white to suit your own personal tastes – but which ones hit all the marks?
Let’s take a closer look at which wines you should consider pairing with your meal!
Pork And Red Wine
Pork works great with red wine as it tends to be more acidic and full bodied, however it’s also very easy to choose a wine that is too powerful in these areas.
This will result in your wine washing out the flavors of pork completely and creating an imbalance meal – so check out the below options to find the best red wine to pair with your pork.
Our first choice is a Malbec. Malbec is a full bodied red wine that mostly originates from the vineyards of Argentina.
It’s best known for its dark, fruity flavors (many claim to taste notes of plum or blackberry) that are also responsible for its deep purple hue. As a result, it’s a very rich wine that is dry and comes with a slightly smoky finish – making it perfect for pairing with pork.
Malbec wine is not known for its abundance of tannins, making it a more fruity wine that will certainly help sweeten your pork dish. So, it won’t overpower your food and instead complement it with fruity flavors.
Another great red wine to choose is a Pinotage. Pinotages are a red wine from South Africa, and is widely considered to be a full bodied cross between a pinot noir and a cinsault.
This makes it a very powerful red wine, with intense fruity flavors and strong smoky notes that pairs it beautifully with grilled meats.
So, if you are serving up grilled pork, a bottle of Pinotage should also be on the menu. The tannins will help harmonize the fatty elements of the pork without drowning out the flavors – so try out a bottle of Pinotage with your pork.
And finally, our last red wine to pair with pork is Port. Port wine is a classic and you will surely be able to find a bottle to serve with your pork.
It’s bright and sweet, making it perfect to complement the saltiness of pork, while still containing enough tannins to make a full bodied wine capable of cleansing those fatty elements.
Pork And White Wine
If red wine is not to your taste then let’s take a look at some amazing white wines you can try instead. It’s important to maintain a high acidity to help complement the fat and salt of the pork, so let’s take a look at what’s on offer.
Our first choice for a white wine to pair with pork is a classic Pinot Grigio. It’s smooth and light which makes it a perfect all-rounder to be paired with most meals. It’s dryness and high acidity also makes it especially suitable for pork.
If you want to really pair your Pinot Grigio perfectly with your pork, then it works best when serving a citrus-based sauce with your meal.
Pinot Grigio has a zesty, floral profile with notes of citrus itself -meaning that it works great with lemon and fruity sauces used to serve with pork.
Another great white wine you can serve up is Albarino. Albarino is a Spanish white wine best known for its high acidity, making it great for breaking down fatty components and leaving you with a delicious aftertaste.
Like with Pinot Grigio, Albarino has a fruity taste that leans heavily on citrus fruits such as grapefruit and lemon. This makes it super refreshing and zesty!
So, if you are enjoying a super fatty part of the pig for your dinner, then a wine like an Albarino is the perfect choice. Not only is it suitable in flavor but it has the right balance of tannins to help you digest and enjoy your pork with ease.
Final Thoughts
Pork is a popular meat eaten all around the world, which means that there are also plenty of wines you can pair with a pork dinner.
Due to the natural high levels of fat and salt in pork, the best wines to pair with it include full or medium bodied wines with high acidity.
This is because the more tannins your wine has, the easier the fat in the pork will break down and be enjoyed.
You can easily find both red and white wines that do the trick, so check out your options above and enjoy!
Hi, I’m Rachel Edwards and I enjoy a glass of wine as much as the rest of them. Well, maybe slightly more.
My parents own a vineyard in Napa Valley and were constantly making new wines for the locals to try. Their brand was one of the most popular across the US at one point. My sister and I loved running up and down the vines, picking the grapes for our parents, and even helping with the ideas.
Since moving out of the family home, my love for wine has not waivered - in fact, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur. I’m always the one to bring the wine to our girly gatherings, family meals, and picnics - let me know what we’re doing, and I’ll supply the goods.
