What wine with ham ?

%^)

On Sunday, most folks will be sitting down to some kind of Easter "feast" that will in all likelihood include some very fine wines ... think there are very few of these people that will have little or no problem trying to figure out which wine to serve with that prime rib, crown roast, lamb, pork roast, turkey, salmon, etc. ... but for those of us that will have to eat (in my case) our once-a-year ham, what wine to pair with the ham can be difficult ... and the wrong wine could go a long way toward actually ruining the "feast" ... perusing the net made for some interesting suggestions/reasonings about which wines would pair best ... the theme running through most of the discussions seemed to center on the saltiness of the ham using that "taste" as a reason why "big" reds, chardonnays, and most other dry white wines were out of the question ... a "consensus" seemed to revolve around -

Gewurztraminer
Kabinett-style or QBA (?) Rieslings or similarly styled "new world" Rieslings
Chenin blanc
Dry rose
Lighter-style pinot noir
Beaujolais
Fruit forward, medium bodied, lower alcohol zinfandel

For those of you out there that are either having ham or have had ham on another occasion, what wines, including the above, have you successfully paired with the meal ? And, yes, I would also assume you would need to take into consideration the side dishes but I guess I'm asking here more about the ham than anything else ...

Clink !

%^)

Beaujolais

Beaujolais

OOPS! Hit submit before writing my text. Actually, we're having my home made Gamay, which I will be bottling as soon as I get off the computer and finish my taxes.

Gewurztraminer
Kabinett-style or QBA (?) Rieslings or similarly styled "new world" Rieslings
Chenin blanc
Dry rose
Lighter-style pinot noir
Beaujolais
Fruit forward, medium bodied, lower alcohol zinfandel

Bill, of those above I would vote for the dry rose, mainly one from France, but id that is not available the rose from Randall Graham is tolerable, His Vin Gris trys to mimic a rose from Provence and IMO does a good job of it. See it here:

Vin Gris de Cigare

Bill, of those above I would vote for the dry rose, mainly one from France, but id that is not available the rose from Randall Graham is tolerable

It is more than tolerable. I find it very good. Their latest release is about as close to the SUD as you can get.

I'd throw a Spatlese-level Riesling on the table as well.

One year, I was asked for suggestions for a back label for Weinstock Contour (a kosher Chenin from a particularly good vineyard in Clarksburg). Besides the obligatory, "...goes well with chicken and pasta dishes..." required by BATF, my suggested pairing with ham was not taken with amusement. So much for my career in label-writing.

In any case, my pig-eatin' infidel friends seem to like the combination.

[Robin Garr]

Randall Graham ... Vin Gris

I reviewed it last week, Bob: Vin Gris de Cigare

I'm going to edit that long link of yours to embed it in a shorter hotlink, by the way ... it's stretching the message pane wide and hurting my eyes ...

We have friends who adore ham, so we often bake one when they visit. Since we enjoy experimenting, we've experimented with all of the wines you listed in conjunction with ham. We do one version of ham that Alton Brown calls "city ham" and it's coated with gingersnaps. That one definitely pairs best with Reisling or Gewurz, but for the most part, with plain baked ham, we prefer dry rose.

[David M. Bueker]

Riesling....'nuff said.

Another vote for the dry rose. Tavel or one of the other Southern Rhone roses from France, or Vin Gris de Cigare from Bonny Doon, or a rose of pinot noir such as Vincent Vin Gris from Saintsbury (assuming they still make it). Unfortunately, most white zinfandels are finished way too sweet.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Bill, I too avoid big reds with ham, and depending on the side dishes and treatment veer between dry roses and pinot noir. Ham is a very traditional Burgundian food.

Ham is a very traditional Burgundian food.

%^)

Going to our weekly wine tasting late this afternoon before church this evening ... I'll make sure to pick up a bottle of pinot noir to go along with the dry rose I'd already decided on ... my brother is bringing a reisling ... and Peachy Canyon's "Incredible Red" is a nice fruit forward, medium-bodied, low alcohol zin ... think the above will round us out pretty good with the ham ...

Clink !

%^)

I usually go for Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir.

Unfortunately, I am not picking the wine this year, so it's difficult to know what we're having at our community table.