One of the great pleasures of drinking wine is matching it with equally mouth-watering food.
Traditionally, red wine with meat and white with fish are no longer flexible enough to accommodate the multi-cultural taste influences that modern cuisine reflects. Common sense dictates that every wine experience should start with taste. When pairing food and wine, you should keep in mind that you are trying to find balance and harmony – balance between flavours, textures, intensity and taste. To increase your chances of a successful match, consider how the food was prepared, seasoned, the texture and also any accompaniments. Food and wine has its own flavour and texture, so too does every palate. So please use this tool as a guide only. There are no hard and fast rules, rights or wrongs. Just experiment to find your matching ideas.
Simple Basic
A straightforward Pork dish requires a straightforward wine which matches the food’s simplicity, while adding some flair. Beaujolais is light enough to go well with pork while adding a nice touch of strawberry to help add interest to the dining experience.
If a white wine is called for, then a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay (not Bold/Oaky type) will work.
If a red wine is called for, then go for a Beaujolais, or look towards the Loire Valley in France, that would work well.
Pork Roast
Roast pork served on its own is ideal with full – flavoured low tannin reds; moderately peppery Shiraz a rich Pinot Noir or a savoury Grenache blend. A good quality rich white Chardonnay works well here. Add apple sauce to the plate then an inexpensive Riesling will do the trick. Roast pork with a herb crust is tasty with non – tannic Shiraz, Shiraz Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon or lighter Cabernet Shiraz blends. Cold roast pork is good with a Riesling, a light Pinot Noir, or an elegant non Oaked Chardonnay.
Pork Chops
A vibrant, youthful Cabernet Shiraz will partner pork chops grilled with a herb and mustard crust. A herb and garlic crust requires a more mature minty Cabernet Sauvignon, or a more French style Cabernet / Shiraz. The Shiraz Cabernet needs some Cabernet blends with some bottle – aged.
Pork Casserole
Shiraz and Shiraz Cabernet ( or French Syrah and Cabernet ) blends are good options with casseroles that include root vegetables, tomatoes, red wine, herbs, beans. Pork and apple in cider is best served with a Riesling, or simple high acidity white Blends that won’t get in the way.
Pork Hams/Charcuterie
Whether hams, the fattier cured varieties, or rich terrines, young fruity low – tannin reds with good acidity will partner them well. Steer away from oak. A light Syrah alone, or a Shiraz Cabernet blend. Semillon Chardonnay blends are good, especially with the spicier, peppery salamis.
Pork Acidic Ingredients/Sides
If the Pork dish is acidic, such as a dish containing sauerkraut, then look to match the acids in the food with the wine such as Sauvignon Blanc.
A German Riesling could also work since foods go well with the wines they grew up with.
Pork Cream Sauce
Pork in cream sauces usually tend to have some kind of dried fruit included, such as apricots or prunes, adding sweetness to the dish. Stick to simple unoaked white Blends ( combinations of Chardonnay, Semillon, Colombard ) that have plenty of acidity and fruit flavour.
Pork Sausages
Tasty pork sausages, simply plain or with sage, are good with lightly Oaked Chardonnays, fruity Merlot or Pinot Noir. See roast pork section for other herb flavourings.
Pork BBQ
If the Pork dish is BBQ’d, then look towards an off-dry white wine which has enough sugar to offset the spiceness of the food (off-dry Riesling)
An off-dry Pinot Gris or Beaujolais could also work well here.
Pork Eastern Style (China/India)
Eastern foods can be difficult to pair with wine. They often use very distinct, spicy flavours which clash with the wine. If your taste buds are set on having wine, here are a few ideas.
An off-dry Gewurztrtaminer/Riesling would be a good match for spicy or highly flavoured dishes. The sugars in these wines help smooth out the spices. The Gewurztraminer has a spicy-raciness that would match any Asian dishes.