Pork Wine Pairing

When cooked right, pork meat is juicy and fork-tender, and its lean flavour makes it compatible with a wide range of sauces and cooking methods. Barbecued, roasted, grilled or stewed. Pork is undoubtedly crowd-pleasing, and it’s not picky when it comes to wine pairings.

Pork’s lean meat means you need not pair it with robust, structured red wines, reserved for fatty cuts of meat. A mild, fruit-forward red wine is enough to complement pork without stealing the spotlight. A glass of red wine will enhance pork’s flavours just like a soy sauce glaze or cranberry sauce livens its taste.

Gamay, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Mouvedre and Pinot Noir are splendid examples of red wine that won’t overwhelm pork. If the pork is grilled, roasted or smoked, a more robust red wine will prove more suitable, including Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

White wine is compatible with pork as well, but it must be full-bodied and structurally compatible. Your best bet is to find a bottle of white Rhône wine made with Marsanne or a bold Burgundy.