What Wine Goes with Pork?

The perfect wine for every pork cut and accompanying sauce!

  • Pork is fatty meat with subtle hints of sweetness.
  • The pork cut, the way it cooked, and the garnishing sauces will determine the wine pairing.
  • Think juicy reds and rich whites!

Pork is one meat that has oodles of fat! Plus, no matter how you cook it – it could be grilled, barbecued, pork chops, pulled pork, pork pie, or sausages – there are hints or underlying notes of sweetness. It may not look like it, but the flavors are very subtle and light as well.

Given how much fat content it has, you need a wine with some acidity in it so it can cut through the plate and lend some refreshment to the mouth, getting it ready for more pork to follow! As a general rule of thumb, remember that cooler regions produce more acidic wines.

Whites high in acidities like Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Riesling and earthy reds like Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir are pretty great choices for pork.

Now that you have an idea of what to look out for when you pair pork with a wine, let us get into the specifics of each pork dish, and discover the wines that best match with those!

Wine with Ham

Ham is rich with sweet and salty flavors. For a wine to go with ham, it has to have plenty of acidic and rich fruity notes along with underlying notes of sweetness. The best wines for ham include Zinfandel, Grenache, Riesling, and Moscato. 

Wine with Pork Belly

Pork belly is a very fatty dish. So what wine do you think works best? If you thought of a high acidic one like White German Riesling, then you can give yourself a pat on the back, and perhaps a glass of wine to go with!?

Or you could try the Arroyo Seco, California Riesling from Aurelia Cellars to lend a nice freshness to your mouth to stand up to the fat content and strong flavor of belly pork.

Wine with Roast Pork

For roast pork, look for acidity, along with richness and complexity, whether you are going for white or red wine. Pinot Noir is one choice. 

In whites, Chardonnay from warmer regions, with its lovely peach, stone fruit, and citrus flavors, work wonderfully well with pork roast. Look out for oak-matured ones for that creamy and caramel finish. Chardonnays from cooler regions will have more intense peach flavors and higher acidity for a refreshing palate. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris are also delightful options for pork roast. For cold pork roast, though, Chenin Blanc is a wonderfully delectable option. 

If you are concerned at the moment, because you are fonder of your reds, do not worry! There are some options for you, as well. Go for medium-bodied wines. The aromatic and spicy Pinot Noir, Spanish Grenache, or the zippy Italian Sangiovese or Chianti are all enjoyable when had with roast pork. Avoid heavy reds like Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Malbet.

Wine with Pulled Pork

Pulled pork is rich, spicy, and flavorful. So white or red, you need a bold wine with plenty of freshness and even fruity flavors.

For whites, those with enough acidity and fresh fruit to cut through the fat and flavors include Sauvignon Blends and Riesling.

In reds, wines with fresh and vibrant fruit flavors like Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, and Merlot are enjoyable with pulled pork.

Wine with BBQ Pork

Red wines rich in fruit flavors with notes of sweetness are lovely with BBQ pork ribs. Think of those jammy reds! Pork BBQ is usually seasoned with sweet, spicy, and smoky flavors and sauces to go with it. 

Medium to full-bodied wines with smoky-spicy flavors to balance out the grilled pork’s smoke sweet and spice notes are the way to go. Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinotage…there are options aplenty. If you have to have whites with barbeque pork ribs, I would recommend Pinot Noir, Riesling, or cool-climate Chardonnay.

Wine with Pork Chops

Pork Chops is a super healthy and versatile dish. Just have it with the right wine, and you can elevate your dining experience to another level altogether.

Pork chops with apple sauce are best paired with Dry Italian White, Chianti, or Chardonnay from the colder regions.

For pork chops with creamy sauces like mushroom or mustard, unoaked or subtly oaked Chardonnay from cooler regions, Pinot Noir, a dry Alsace Riesling, and Pinot Gris would work as would Sauvignon Blanc. The latter makes an interesting and fun pairing! 

Wine with Pork sausages

It cannot get less frivolous, easy, and delicious than pork sausages! Interesting and uncomplicated, you can pair it with quite a few reds and whites. Zippy whites and light-bodied acidic reds to cut through the fat is ideal.

When it comes to reds, Pinot Noir is an obvious choice. Moving beyond this varietal though light Italian but highly acidic red like Barbera is good for sausages just off the grill. A nice juicy Beaujolais will also do the trick for you!

For spicy and heavily topped sausages, Zinfandel or Spanish Grenache is perfect!

With whites, you cannot go wrong with crisp, aromatic notes of Riesling and Pinot Grigio.

Wine with Pork Pies

Pork Pies are slow-cooked and have herbs and spice seasoning, and for a wine pair, something fairly acidic to cut through is something that pork pies will respond well to.

Fresh and racy Riesling white wine or a Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend is a stunning combination. You will also find that fuller-bodied whites like oaked Chardonnay will appease your palate.

Considering the reds, Loire Cabernet Franc is refreshing, light-bodied, and slightly acidic. It will pair splendidly with a pork pie.

Wine with Spicy Pork

For spicy pork, or for dishes in a spicy Thai-style with chili and basil, turn to sweeter Rieslings and spicy-sweet Gewürztraminer wine. Similar flavor profiles make it a brilliant pairing.

Final juicy wrap!

Pork, the other white meat, can take on so many flavor profiles. The wine to pair with it will also vary based on the pork cut, sauces used for seasoning, and pork type.

Remember, you can cut through the fats of the pork with tannins or acidity. Oaked whites will serve will with pork having creamy sauces. For spicy pork, similarly spicy wines with hints of sweetness are perfect. Red wines are the best for red sauce glazed pork.

 Earthy wines work great with mushroom cream slathered pork. Spicy and rich pulled pork requires bold, fresh, and fruity wines. Rieslings are delightful for sausages and pork belly for the acidity cuts through the fattiness and richness.

Hopefully, the next time you prepare pork, I have given you something to pair it with besides beer! 

Not much of a pork lover, I had to do some research to figure out the best pairings so that the only work you have to do is determine the pork cut. The fine to match it can be referred to right here. So make sure to bookmark this site!

 Plus, in my research, I came across this new-age winery that sources wines from award-winning wineries, wine-makers, and vintners around the world and whips up stunning blends that are unique and distinctly Vinesse! You can check out the collection of wines categorized by price, varietal, type, and wine club. For more information on membership and offers, check out https://www.vinesse.com/

Happy drinking and dining!