money The Best Red And White Wine To Pair With Pulled Pork
Barbecue and wine are an unlikely duo. A more traditional barbecue beverage might be something like a glass of iced tea, lemonade, or perhaps a beer or whisky. But wine can be an incredible pairing for all kinds of barbecued favorites. Wine and barbecue both pack big flavors, though, so finding the right pairing for your smoked, grilled, and slathered-in-sauce meats is crucial. You don't want those big flavors to be fighting for the spotlight on your palate, but rather dancing together in perfect cohesion.
Pulled pork is fantastic for pairing with wine. It has a rich, robust flavor while still feeling lighter than beef. It also absorbs the flavors around it well, meaning whatever delectable sauce you're dousing it in will be the star of the show. With that being said, when it comes to this particular combo, look to the sauce when pairing wine with barbecue pork. We consulted master sommelier and wine expert, Gillian Ballance, for her recommendations on pulled pork wine pairings so you can skip the trial and error and get advice direct from an expert.
Read more: The 10 Best BBQ Sauces For Pork
The Best Red Wines To Pair With Pulled Pork
If you're drawn to pairing a red wine with pulled pork, Gillian Ballance suggests, "You can select something with subtle tannins and abundant red fruit, such as a pinot noir." Tannins play a crucial role in red wine as the compounds that give it that astringent, sometimes bitter flavor — and a mouthfeel that almost sucks the moisture out of your jaw. Ballance explained why a dry pinot noir might pair nicely with pulled pork in particular, adding, "The earthy side of a pinot also can complement pulled pork's rich and savory flavors."
Ballance even went so far as to recommend the 2020 Etude pinot noir from Fiddlestix Vineyard. She shared, "[It] has a lively backbone of fresh acidity [that] runs throughout, and a balanced, long, and lengthy finish. The acidity of the wine refreshes the palate and pairs well with the vinegar in barbecue sauces." A lot of the flavors that make a savory barbecue sauce so delicious also lend a great glass of red wine its sparkle, too. Tart and jammy notes and the acidic bitterness of some red wines wash down a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce masterfully. So, next time you've got a hankering for your pick of crowd-pleasing pulled pork recipes, pour yourself a glass of dry pinot noir, too.
The Best White Wines To Drink With Pulled Pork
For some reason, pulled pork and white wine seems less out of place than a red wine and pulled pork combo. Perhaps that's because so many varieties of white wine appear during warmer months, with barbecues serving as quintessential summer feasts. When asked what kind of white wine she might recommend for pulled pork, Gillian Ballance explained, "Pulled pork goes nicely with a pinot gris as its acidity cuts through the richness of the meat." As for a specific pinot gris to sip alongside the dish, Ballance recommends, "The Etude 2023 pinot gris which has bright acidity, honeydew melon, and Meyer lemon flavors." The word "pinot" in both pinot gris and pinot noir refers to the family of grape, which grows in pinecone-shaped bundles.
All in all, it's safe to say that barbecued pork provides yet another reason to open a nice bottle of wine for dinner. (As if there's anything that doesn't go with good wine.)
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
