What Kind Of Wine To Serve With Smoked Pork? Let Your Palette Be The Final Judge

By Author: Linda Williams
Total Articles: 6
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Whether it’s a dinner party, fine dining or just a sit-down meal with your family, smoked pork is a main dish that most people love. A very large variety of vegetables, rice, potatoes and other side dishes compliment it well. As does wine. What stumps some people is trying to figure out the ideal wine to serve with a dish like smoked pork.

We’ll look at a few ideas here, but remember what many consider the best answer to what kind of wine to drink with specific foods: Drink the wine you like. If you don’t like it, there’s no point in drinking it.

But to narrow it down a little, a general rule to follow is, the stronger the food, the stronger the wine, and vice-versa. For example, if you’re serving a delicate piece of baked fish with little seasoning, a light white wine would probably be most complimentary. Where robust and flavorful smoked pork is concerned, a light wine might get lost in the shuffle. Here, a heavier red wine is in order.

To perfectly pair wines with foods, one needs to be familiar with quite a number of different wines. What most ...
... wine connoisseurs suggest is trying to match not just the strength of the food to the wine but also the overall flavor and power of the taste.

If you’re not a wine connoisseur, don’t put all of your faith into any of the pairing rules. Just because one person would never drink anything but a Cabernet Sauvignon with a smoked pork meal doesn’t mean you won’t absolutely love a calm Pinot Grigo with this heavily flavored meat. The key is to experiment, and the heavy/heavy, light/light guideline is just a place to start.

Another factor that could affect which type of wine to drink with pork is what else is being served with it. Wine should compliment as well as possible the entire meal, not just the main dish. For example, if the menu calls for smoked pork surrounded by a number of bland side dishes, the strongest wine might not suit every palette. But if your sides include things like barbecue beans, German potato pancakes and other heavy foods, a stronger wine will probably compliment best.

In summary, there’s a lot to learn about pairing wine with food, and most people don’t have the time or inclination to learn all of it. For these people, the guideline of stronger wines with stronger food tastes and lighter wines with lighter food tastes is a good starting point. In the long run, however, your own individual palette is the best judge.

Linda Williams is a freelance writer interested in Smoked Foods, an online retailer of smoked pork, smoked fowl, smoked seafood and other fine meats. Learn more about smoked food recipes and various other recipes including smoked pork loin recipe by visiting SmokedFoods.com.