Don’t know what wines to pair with your holiday meal? In part II of our holiday wine pick series, we show you wines that go well with the beloved ham that is often glazed and poked with cloves. If you would rather not eat ham and instead choose another holiday favorite, you are in luck. Check out our Holiday Wine Guide for Turkey.
Easter dinner is all about ham – glazed, baked, or spiral-cut. Finding the ideal wine pairing can elevate your holiday meal from delicious to extraordinary. With so many diverse ham preparations from savory to sweet, the possibilities for complementary wines are endless.
In this article, I’ll recommend my top wine pairings for Easter ham, with specifics on the flavors and why the wines work so well. Whether you prefer white, red, or sparkling, you’ll find the perfect wine match for your ham recipe. Read on for 9 wines sure to make your Easter dinner a celebratory success!
Dry Riesling
For savory baked or smoked holiday hams, dry Riesling is an excellent choice. Its bright acidity cuts through the saltiness of the ham beautifully. Dry Riesling like those from Germany and Alsace have aromas of lime, green apple, white peach and flint. These complement the earthy, smoky notes in the ham. The stone fruit flavors pair nicely with baked ham’s caramelized edges. Salty Virginia ham or a smoked spiral-cut ham would be heavenly with a steely dry Riesling.
Gewürztraminer
Another white wine that’s tailor-made for holiday ham is Gewürztraminer. Its signature lychee, rose and ginger spice aromas complement a ham glazed with cloves or studded with fruit Gewürztraminer’s low acidity doesn’t overpower a sweet glaze Often with a touch of residual sugar, it complements the salty-sweet ham flavors. Try an Alsatian Gewürztraminer with your clove-studded baked ham or pineapple-glazed holiday spiral.
Pinot Noir
When I want a red wine with holiday ham, Pinot Noir is my top choice. Good Pinot has medium body, bright cherry flavors, subtle earthiness and gentle tannins. These characteristics pair beautifully with salty baked ham or those with a sweet fruit glaze. The fruitiness in the wine complements the caramelized ham flavors. Excellent regions for Pinot include Oregon, California and Burgundy. Splurge on a premier bottle or select an affordable option like Erath or La Crema.
Zinfandel
Another red variety that’s fantastic with holiday ham is Zinfandel. While Zinfandel can be quite bold and jammy, many examples offer juicy blueberry and blackberry flavors along with a hint of spice. These marry wonderfully with a brown sugar baked ham or one glazed with berry preserves. The spiciness can also complement cloves and mustard-based ham glazes. Recommended brands include Ravenswood, Seghesio, and Francis Ford Coppola.
Grenache
For a change from Pinot Noir try Grenache from California or France’s Southern Rhone region. At its best Grenache shows notes of raspberry, cherry, white pepper and baking spices. These flavors complement both the meatiness and sweetness of holiday ham. The soft tannins don’t overpower the ham. Splurge on a Châteauneuf-du-Pape or pick up an affordable French or California Grenache from Trader Joe’s or your local wine shop.
Beaujolais
Beaujolais is a light, fruit-forward red wine that’s an excellent choice for Easter. Made from Gamay grapes in eastern France’s Beaujolais region, these wines have aromas of freshly crushed cherries and strawberries along with a subtle earthiness. Their juicy flavors and low tannins pair wonderfully with salty baked hams or those with mustards or sweet fruit glazes. Louis Jadot’s basic Beaujolais Villages is an affordable crowd-pleaser.
Rosé Sparkling Wine
Add some festive bubbles to your Easter table with a dry rosé sparkling wine. Look for affordable yet high quality options from Spain (Cava), Italy (Trento DOC), or France (Crémant). Dry rosé bubblies like Raventós i Blanc show flavors of red berries, citrus, minerality and biscuit notes. These complement Easter ham’s saltiness and sweet glazes beautifully. The bubbles cut through the ham’s richness for a refreshing palate cleanser.
Dry Lambrusco
Dry Lambrusco is an underrated Italian sparkling red wine that’s fantastic with holiday ham. The best examples offer juicy wild berry, violet and earthy flavors along with lip-smacking tartness. Cleto Chiarli’s widely available Vecchia Modena Premium is a great pick. With its berry flavors, earthiness and bright bubbles, dry Lambrusco balances salty, savory ham and cuts through sweet glazes delightfully. It’s an exciting left-field choice.
Amontillado Sherry
For an unexpected pairing, try Amontillado sherry with your Easter ham. Dry Amontillado sherry has nutty, toasted flavors that complement salty, savory ham brilliantly. Its mellow intensity stands up to the meat’s richness. And Amontillado’s touch of oxidative character pairs wonderfully with baked ham’s caramelized edges and spices. Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado offers complexity and finesse at a reasonable price. Give this savory-meets-savory combo a try!
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Savory or Smoked Ham:
It can be hard to find a wine that goes well with smoked or baked holiday hams because they have strong smoked or salty flavors that are great. One of our favorite types of wine to pair with a smoked or baked ham is Pinot Noir or Syrah. Spices and earthy tones in both can go well with the smoky, salty taste of the ham.
Rieslings are also a good choice for a smoked ham, as well as Viognier and Gewurztraminer. The sweetness of the wine complements the smoky and salty flavor of the ham.
- Pinot Noir
- Syrah
- Semi or Sweet Rieslings
- Viognier
- Gewurztraminer
What Wines to Pair Ham
Ham is a traditional choice for many homes during the holidays, especially for Christmas and Easter. A little more difficult to pair with wine is ham. That’s why the staff at We Spek Wine is here to help you.
During the holidays, ham is often cooked in more than one way, so we’ve broken things down even more to help you find the best pairing.
Honey, pineapple or other citrus flavors are a very popular method of preparing the holiday ham. The sweet flavor of the glaze compliments the salty ham (mouth watering already?). This sweet/salty combination is often paired with sweet wines surprisingly. Moscatos and Gewurztraminer can go really well with Ham. White wines that are dry or slightly sweet, like Dry Rieslings, Chenin Blanc, or Pinot Gris, will make the meal more interesting and balanced.
- Moscato
- Dry Rieslings
- Gewurztraminer
- Chenin Blanc
- Pinot Gris
What wine goes with ham Easter dinner?
FAQ
Do you serve red or white wine with ham?
What Italian wine goes with ham?
What wine goes with Easter brunch?
What wine goes well with Easter ham?
Rose, pepper, lychee, and guava are rounded out by funky, distinctive terroir. Trimbach is a terrific melony, honey-forward Gewurztraminer that would pair beautifully with a Springtime Easter ham ($26.99, via Wine.com). If red wine is more your style, the best variety for pairing with ham is Nebbiolo.
What wine goes well with ham?
• Our advice expert, Dr. Vinny, suggests Grenache and Pinot Noir as good red wine matches for ham, and Gewürztraminer as another aromatic white alternative to Riesling. Sparkling wine is also a great choice! • For additional pairings similar to Zinfandel and Riesling in body and flavor profile, we have a list of wines by weight here.
What wine goes with a Sammie ham & cheese?
Beaujolais is an excellent choice here. This French wine is made from the Gamay grape. It’s light, fruity, and often has flavors of raspberry, cherry, and cranberry. The high acidity works well with the fattiness in the ham and cheese. The crus of Fleurie or Brouilly make light, perfumed wines that pair well with this style of sammie.
What wine goes well with eggs?
Why it works: Eggs are notoriously difficult to pair with wine but they don’t have to be. Look for something that’s either bubbly, high in acid or fruity to balance out the creamy yolk. Mt. Beautiful 2016 Riesling (North Canterbury); $22, 91 points.