I’m sure there have been plenty of times when you have thrown a holiday party and been in charge of figuring out what wine to serve with ham. The traditional “red with red, white with white” may apply to most cases, but when it comes to ham, there are special details to consider, such as what kind of glaze is used, if there is fruit involved, and what seasonings are added.
Each of these details can weigh heavily on your decision, but don’t worry! Although you have many options in front of you, you only need to settle on one to make your meal spectacular.
The Sweeter Side of Glaze
Most of the time, hams are glazed with some sort of honey or brown sugar mix, bringing out sweet and tangy flavours that need to be compensated for. For this reason, many red wines are too rich with too subtle of aromas to be paired with ham.
In the case of these sweet glazes, you may want to try a crisp and chilled white wine, such as a Riesling. These tend to pull strong essences of sweets from foods and will do wonders for your ham dinner.
You need a wine that is slightly tart and sugary to meld with the sweetness of your honey-glazed ham, one that bites through the grease but leaves the tangy tastes of the ham in your mouth.
You will find that a Pinot Noir is a refreshing compliment to a sweet-glazed ham. Pinot Noirs tend to offer sweet aromas in the strawberry or raspberry realm, and spices like rosemary, cinnamon, and peppermint.
Some Sugar, Some Spice
Hams don’t always need to be glazed in simply sweet sauces. If you come across a ham doused in a delicious mixture of spices with just a bit of sweetness, try a spicy Gewurztraminer to balance the textures and tastes. Beware of the floral aromas of Gewurztraminers, though. They have been known to be off-putting.
Certain smoked or cured hams balance well with some Rosé wines. When it comes to the smoky-sweet flavour often found in cured hams, you absolutely cannot go wrong with a light rosé wine.
On the other hand, a light Zinfandel will also work wonders to bring out the blends of seasonings in a cured ham.
In general, when considering what wine to serve with ham, you should try to stick to with dry wines rather than sweet ones. Since your ham will be overflowing with juices and flavours on its own, it is best to compliment it with a wine that will either balance out salty and smoky or sweet and tart.
And if you are ever in doubt of which wine to choose, simply go with the Riesling and you will be impressed.
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