Pairings | Jambon persillé
Which wines pair best with pork?
As with most foods, the best wine pairing with pork depends how the pork is cooked, and what it’s served with.
Technically it's regarded as a white meat but ‘whiteness’ somehow seems to suggest lack of flavour. Although that’s still true of much mass-produced pork there’s far more rare breed pork around these days which has a great deal of character.
It’s certainly substantial enough to carry a red, on the other hand it is often accompanied by ingredients - such as apples or fennel - that point in the direction of a white. And it does have chicken’s chameleon-like ability to take on other flavours which means you often have to think of pairing the sauce rather than the meat. It can also be quite fatty which calls for a wine - white or red - with some freshness and acidity to cut through.
It’s not a ‘noble meat’ - I don’t often think of pork and Cabernet or pork and Barolo in the same breath but it can be a fine one, well worth bringing out a good bottle for.
Here are my favourite wine pairings for different ways of cooking pork:
The best wine for roast pork
To tell the truth white wine is a better match than red with most roast pork dishes but psychologically one tends to expect a red with a roast, even one cooked, Italian-style with fennel, lemon and garlic. I personally enjoy Northern Rhône and Italian reds with pork: something like a decent Crozes-Hermitage or a Chianti Classico (particularly with the latter dish) though I know many pork fans prefer a Pinot Noir.
With a more traditional dish of roast pork and apple sauce a decent Côtes du Rhône Villages will do the trick. Even with more delicate roast suckling pig a light to medium-bodied red can work well. I recently enjoyed a Portuguese Bairrada, a Casa de Saima with this dish which hit the spot perfectly.
If you can move outside your comfort zone you will find many whites will match well with roast pork, especially when it’s served cold. Old vine Chenin Blanc is a very enjoyable match for cold roast pork while an off-dry German Riesling makes a delicious match for roast belly pork (though watch the accompanying vegetables. Tomato-based dishes won’t help the pairing).
See also Six of the best pairings for roast pork
Wine pairing with pork chops
Similar recommendations to the above, depending on the saucing (if creamy, follow the recommendations below). You might well be thinking of accompanying it with something more Italianate like a salsa verde, in which case a dry Italian white or a decent Valpolicella or Chianti would be a good choice.
Pork in a creamy sauce - with mushrooms or mustard
Both red and white burgundy work well (unsurprisingly) with this classic French bistro dish which is often made with pork tenderloin. Other cool climate unoaked or subtly oaked Chardonnay or Pinot Noir should work too as would a dry Alsace Riesling or Pinot Gris or a Vouvray.
Pork casserole or pie with cider or apples
Cider is actually by far the best match here but if you want to drink wine I’d again suggest a good Chenin, Chardonnay or easy-going inexpensive southern French red that’s relatively modest in alcohol. Like Côtes du Rhône again.
Barbecued/char siu pork
The combination of spice and sweetness tends to strip the fruit out of whites so I’d pick a robust jammy red with either of these dishes. A mid-weight Shiraz or Australian Cabernet-Shiraz, a Chilean Merlot or Carmenère, a Pinotage, a Zinfandel - you get the picture. Gutsy wine, sweet fruit.
Pulled pork
Pulled pork is suggesting beer to me (a good IPA for preference) but pinot noir proved a surprisingly good wine pairing recently. If its more about the barbecue sauce follow the suggestions above
Sweet and sour pork
More often than not combined with other dishes that may affect the pairing but a fruity new world rosé especially a Merlot rosé should take it in its stride. Better than the often-recommended match of Riesling, I find. A very fruity white such as a Colombard or Semillon-Chardonnay can also work
Goulash
The paprika is always more important than the pork to me and suggests a rustic red. You could try the Hungarian Kékfrankos (Austrian Blaufrankisch) if you wanted a regional pairing, otherwise I suggest a Rioja or similar Spanish red.
Wines with pork and bean stews e.g. Cassoulet, Feijoada, Fabada
These tend to be quite filling so you don’t want a wine that’s too high in alcohol. A simple medium bodied red, even carafe wine works with Cassoulet. Go for a slightly fuller fruitier wine - maybe an inexpensive Navarra or other Spanish red or a Malbec if the stew is a touch spicier.
See also six of the best wine pairings with cassoulet
Charcuterie
Pork is what classic French charcuterie is all about so it seems apt to pair a French wine with it. With its bright fruit Beaujolais works particularly well with preparations like terrines, jambon persillé and rillettes - chose a Beaujolais Villages or cru Beaujolais (Morgon particularly appeals). You could also try a rustic Marcillac or a dry rosé
Top food matches for Beaujolais (and other gamay)
Beaujolais - by which I mean red Beaujolais - is the most French of wines, the perfect wine pairing for a picnic or bistro meal.
It’s generally thought of as light and fruity, though it can also be quite full-bodied. In this post I’ll cover my favourite food pairings for specific types of Beaujolais (and other gamay). You’ll find it an enormously versatile wine.
Food-wise, it pairs with much the same ingredients and dishes as pinot noir, though gamay (the grape Beaujolais is made from) doesn’t have the best pinots’ complexity or silky, sensuous texture.
Beaujolais is almost always a winner with French charcuterie such as patés, terrines, rillettes, and saucisson sec and with white-rinded cheeses such as Brie and Camembert (provided they’re not overripe) but it’s a highly versatile wine that can easily take you through a meal where people are ordering different things.
Lighter styles of Beaujolais such as Beaujolais Nouveau, inexpensive Beaujolais, Beaujolais Villages, and lighter ‘cru’ (top level village) Beaujolais such as Fleurie or Chiroubles. (These wines can happily be served lightly chilled)
*Cold ham, especially the French jambon persillé (jellied ham and parsley)
*Cold turkey and chicken (Beaujolais is brilliant with Thanksgiving or Christmas Day leftovers)
*Salads, especially with chicken or bacon (think frisée with lardons) with pomegranate seeds, with berries like dried cherries or cranberries, or with goats cheese
*Seared tuna and salmon
*Fish stews like this cod pot au feu
*Sushi, if you like a red with it
*Strawberries (delicious with a young fruity Beaujolais poured over them)
More Full-bodied or More Mature Beaujolais
From riper vintages e.g. 2018, 2020 or weightier crus such as Morgon, Julienas, and Moulin à Vent
*Simply roast chicken, guineafowl, duck, or partridge
*Seared duck breast, especially with fruit like cherries or figs
*Classic French dishes in a creamy sauce like chicken with tarragon or kidneys with mustard sauce or even a retro boeuf stroganoff
*Simply grilled pork, lamb, or veal
*Toulouse or other garlicky sausages and lentils. (See also this quirky match with Toulouse sausage and prawn dumplings!)
*Steak tartare, as you can see from this post
*Bavette or hanger steak - the classic ‘steak frites’
*Confit duck
*Coq au vin or oeufs en meurette (Beaujolais makes a good red wine sauce)
*Fruity tagines like this lamb tagine with dates, prunes, and apricots
*Vegetarian dishes with butternut squash or sweet potato
See also What to Pair with Beaujolais Nouveau
There’s a more extensive list on the Beaujolais website
Photo ©jackmac34 at Pixabay.
Pairing food and Chablis
Chablis, with its crisp acidity and flinty minerality, is a dream wine for food. From fresh Petit Chablis to complex Grand Cru, each style offers unique food pairing opportunities. Whether you’re a fan of oysters, creamy sauces, or even roast chicken, there’s a Chablis pairing waiting to be discovered.
In this guide, I’ll dive into the nuances of Chablis food pairing, exploring how factors like the age of the wine, the vintage, and oak influence come into play. I’ll cover everything from everyday Chablis to more indulgent bottles, providing you with the best pairings for each. I’ll break down specific pairings for various types of Chablis, including those that complement the wine’s vibrant citrus notes, its richer, more honeyed flavours, and everything in between. Whether you’re looking to impress guests or simply enjoy a better glass at home, this guide has you covered.
The Best Food to Match with Chablis
Despite the emphasis that winemakers place on the different crus or terroirs of Chablis, three factors seem to me to influence a food match more than any other for most of the Chablis you’ll taste - the age of the wine, the vintage, and the degree of oak influence, if any.
There are exceptions to this - Chablis styles that are particularly fruity or ones that have more vegetal notes - but in general, I think you’ll find most wines fall into one of the following five groups.
Inexpensive Young Petit Chablis and Chablis, and Very Young Premier Cru Chablis
- Gougères and other crisp, cheesy nibbles
- All kinds of raw shellfish, especially oysters
- Simply cooked shellfish dishes such as spaghetti alla vongole or moules marinières
- Fish and chips, goujons or other deep-fried fish
- Snails - or prawns - with garlic butter
- Charcuterie, especially jellied terrines like jambon persillé
- Seafood (e.g. crab or prawn) salads
- Vegetable terrines
- Andouillette (local Chablis sausage made with tripe and served with chips!)
- Lapin à la moutarde or other dishes with strong mustard-based sauces
2-3 Year Old Unoaked Premier Cru Chablis
(i.e. still lively and fresh-tasting but more intense)
- Smooth vegetable-based soups
- Simply grilled fish with butter and parsley
- Poached fish with creamy sauces
- Cold poached salmon with mayonnaise
- Oeufs en meurette Chablis-style (i.e. with a white wine rather than a red wine sauce)
- Simple fish stews such as pochouse (a creamy stew based on river fish with vegetables such as carrots, leeks, and potatoes) or waterzooi
- Fish pie
- Grilled Mediterranean fish such as rouget or sea bass with olive oil or tapenade
- Seafood or spring vegetable risotto
- Sushi and sashimi
- Goats cheeses
- Chaource (light, moussey Burgundian cow’s cheese)
Chablis or Premier Cru Chablis Made in a Richer Style
(e.g. vieilles vignes Chablis, Chablis with more pronounced oak character, more mature Chablis or wines from a warmer vintage such as 2018)
- Rich seafood such as seared scallops or baked crab
- Fine fish such as Dover sole, turbot, and halibut
- Salmon with a beurre blanc or other butter-based sauce or salmon in pastry
- Jambon à la Chablisienne (ham in a Chablis-based sauce with tomato and cream)
- Simply grilled veal or pork chops, especially with mushrooms
- Roast chicken, guinea fowl or pheasant (provided the latter is not too gamey in flavour)
- Washed-rind cheeses such as Epoisses and Soumaintrain
Grand Cru Chablis and the Best Premier Cru Chablis
Similar dishes to the above but using more luxurious or intensely flavoured ingredients:
- Grilled or steamed lobster
- Poulet de Bresse, especially with truffles
- Roast veal fillet, veal kidneys, sweetbreads, very rare fillet steak
- An underrated match for foie gras (the acidity can make a more refreshing match and a more congenial start to a meal than a sweet wine)
- Washed-rind cheeses, provided they’re not too mature (so not quite running over the cheeseboard . . . )
Very Old Chablis
(i.e. Chablis that has acquired a deep golden colour and rich, honeyed notes)
There’s an argument for serving such a rarity on its own but it can also be matched with very simply prepared dishes with pronounced umami flavours, such as roast chicken with a crispy skin, ceps, and Vieux Comté or old Gouda cheese.
Of course, there will inevitably be some cross-over between the categories I’ve identified. For example, almost all Chablis will go with chicken in a white wine sauce but with an inexpensive wine, you might add a touch of curry to the sauce whereas with a grand cru Chablis wine you might be more inclined to serve a poulet de Bresse and morels. So it’s also a question of whether the style of the dish matches the price and the age of the wine.
* NB: none of these styles should be over-chilled. Serve them a degree or so warmer than you would normally serve a crisp, dry white wine.
Photo © Jean-Jacques Cordier at fotolia.com
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