There isn't a single wine pairing with pork. Because pork can take on so many flavor profiles, the wines you pair with it will vary according to the preparation and type of pork you use.
Pair Pinot Noir With Simple Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin has relatively mild flavors, so you'll want a light to medium bodied red wine such as Pinot Noir.
- Try an aromatic Burgundy such Bouchard Pere & Fils Reserve Bourgogne.
- Opt for a more powerful Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley such as Alchemist Pinot Noir Willamette Valley.
Try Sangiovese for Pork With Sweet Sauces
Pork tenderloin with a sweet sauce, such as maple or honey, will pair well with Sangiovese and its Italian counterparts. The tannins in the wine will balance the sweet and fat in the pork.
- Try a Chianti such as Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva.
- Opt for an Italian Brunello such as Renieri Brunello do Montalcino.
Enjoy Moscato d'Asti With Pork With Mustard
If you like to make your pork with a mustard-based sauce, then lightly sweet, fizzy Moscato d'Asti is a delightful pairing. The sweetness, aromatics, and bubbles in the wine balance the spicy bite of the mustard with neither element overpowering the other. Try the Rivata Moscato d'Asti.
Combine Chardonnay With Pork and Apples
Chardonnay is a chameleon with food, and it pairs especially well with pork tenderloin made with apples.
- Try a toasty Chardonnay from Napa Valley or Sonoma County such as Sonoma-Cutrer The Cutrer Chardonnay.
- Opt for a white Burgundy with tropical fruit notes from Montrachet such as Domaine Bellande Chassagne Montrachet.
Enjoy Riesling With Asian Pork
For pork dishes cooked with spicier or Asian flavor profiles, enjoy a crisp German Riesling Kabinett wine. German Kabinett Rieslings are dry with racy acidity to balance the spices in the pork. Try Dr. Heidemanns Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett.
Pair Sauvignon Blanc With Herbed Pork
Pork roasted with herbs is delicious with herbaceous and dry Sauvignon Blanc. The herbs in the dish will harmonize with the wine's grassy character while the acidity in the wine will balance the fattiness. Try a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in New Zealand, such as Dog Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.
Drink Grenache With Grilled Pork
With its smoky yet sweetly earthy character, grilled pork pairs well with wines that have a similar flavor profile.
- Try a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Southern Rhône in France such as Famille Perrin Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Sinards.
- Opt for a smoky Grenache, or Spanish Pirorat such as Buil and Gine Priorat Gine Gine.
- Enjoy an Australian and American GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre) such as Tenet GSM Blend from the Columbia Valley region of Washington State.
Try Pinot Grigio for Grilled or Smoked Pork Shoulder
With lively crisp acidity, Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris works especially well for grilled pork shoulder. The wine's acidity will cut through the fattiness of the pork shoulder while the aromas mix well with the smoky, earthy flavors of the pork. Try Schiopetto Pinot Grigio from Friuli, Italy.
Enjoy Zinfandel or Primitivo With Pulled Pork
Pulled pork, with its smoky, barbecued flavor works well with a zippy wine. or Primitivo from Italy. The spiciness of the Zinfandel enhances the spicy flavors in the barbecue sauce.
- Try a Zinfandel from Sonoma County in California such as Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel.
- Opt for an Italian Primitivo such as such Tormaresca Torcicoda Primitivo.
Rhône Style Blends Pair With Barbecued Pork Chops
Wine blends from France's Rhône region that contain Syrah and Grenache have a nice spiciness that will blend well with barbecued pork chops.
- Try a Côtes-du-Rhône such as Guigal Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge.
- Opt for an American or Australian GSM blend such as Torbreck The Steading GSM.
Enjoy Rosé Wine With Smoked or Grilled Pork Chops
Pair a summer wine with a summer activity. If you've grilled up a batch of pork chops, then a crisp, light rosé is a great accompaniment. Choose a medium-pink rosé from Provence, France to balance your grilled pork chops perfectly such as Château Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé.
Try Chenin Blanc With Ham, Bacon, or Cured Pork
Ham and bacon tend to have sweet, salty, and smoky flavors that hold up well to the crisp acidity of Chenin Blanc. The acidity will also cut through the fat, while citrus and apple flavors balance the smoke and pork. Try a Chenin Blanc from South Africa such as deMorgenzon Chenin Blanc Reserve.
Drink Malbec With Pork Sausage
Inky, deeply flavored Malbec is the perfect foil for spicy pork sausage. The deep, mysterious flavors of the Malbec won't overpower or be overpowered by the spiciness of the sausage. Try a Malbec from Argentina such as Wapisa Malbec.
Pair Pinotage With Spicy Pork Sausage
South African Pinotage, such as Kanonkop Pinotage from Stellenbosch, is a surprisingly delicious pairing with pork dishes made with spicy pork sausage, such as Italian sausage or chorizo. The wine is robust and complex, making it the perfect foil for the spices in the spices in the sausage.
Guidelines for Pork and Wine Pairing
As a rule of thumb in wine and food pairing, you want to match like flavors and heaviness in both the food and the wine, so that neither overwhelms the other. If you make other pork dishes, use the following guidelines to help you pair a wine.
- Cut fattiness with tannins or acidity. So for a very fatty piece of meat, choose a tannic red like a Cabernet Sauvignon or an acidic white such as a Sauvignon Blanc.
- Serve oaked white wines with pork that has creamy sauces.
- For spice, pair pork with a similarly spicy wine, such as a Zinfandel or a Gewürztraminer. Alternatively cut the spice with a sweeter wine like a Riesling or a jammy wine such as a Shiraz.
- Pair a red wine with a red sauce.
- Pair mushroom based dishes with earthy wines such as Pinot Noir.
Enjoyable Wine and Pork Pairings
While there are many suggestions for pairing wine and pork, the best advice experts typically offer is this: choose a wine you love and pair it with a food you love. There are no absolute rules when pairing food and wine. What ultimately matters is your enjoyment of that pairing. Give the above pairings a try for a really enjoyable pork dinner.
