Wine With Pork Ribs: The Only 4 Red Wines You Need

Enjoying wine with pro ribs is a great way to enjoy this meaty dish. The best wine with pork ribs pairings is red wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Zinfandel.

wine with pork ribs pairing suggestions

Cabernet Sauvignon With Pork Ribs

A glass of Cabernet Sauvignon works well as a pairing for BBQ Pork. Cabernet Sauvignon is a favorite wine of many meat lovers because the wine has a rich flavor, substantial alcohol content, and the complexity of keeping up with sauces.

Top Cabernet Sauvignon Picks

The following bottles offer a great combination of flavor and price to enjoy with your next wine with pork ribs meal.

Corliss Cabernet Sauvignon ($90 and up)

Produced in the Columbia Valley, this Washington State wine is full-bodied with a high alcohol content of over 14%. The wine’s flavor profile includes mocha, licorice, and dark berries.

My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon ($40+)

This bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon is well-regarded by wine critics, with an average score of 94 out of 100. The flavor profile includes a combination of baking spices, blackberry, and woody notes. Produced by Booker Wines, this bottle of wine typically has an alcohol by volume of 14.4%.

Syrah/Shiraz Wine With Pork Ribs

You might prefer your pork ribs with a strong tangy sauce. In that case, a Syrah wine from France may be a good choice. These wines offer a rich flavor, combining raspberry, blueberry, and spicy notes. With pork as your base meat, the following Syrah wines are a good pick

E. Guigal Saint-Joseph Vignes de L’Hospice ($100 and up)
This French wine has earned an average wine critic score of 94. The wine’s flavor profile combines vanilla, floral notes, blackberry, and mocha. The spice notes in the wine will pair well with black pepper on pork chops or ribs.

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz ($50)

Produced in South Australia, the wine has received excellent scores and reviews from wine experts like Wine Enthusiast and Jancis Robinson. The wine shows a strong oak influence to keep up with a rich mushroom sauce. The blend of Cabernet and Shiraz in your glass also pairs well with roasted vegetables.

Pinot Noir Wines And Ribs

Pinot Noir is a flavorful wine that can pair effectively with pork ribs. Pinot Noir wines vary considerably by region. I recommend starting with a Pinot Noir from Burgundy if you can afford it. Otherwise, a New World Pinot Noir from Ontario, Washington State, or Oregon works well.

4 Zinfandel Wine Pairing With Ribs

When you’re making BBQ pork, sometimes you want a contrasting wine. Pouring a glass of California Zinfandel wine is just the answer. The balance of fruit in this type of wine makes it a fantastic choice for pork dishes.

The following Zinfandel bottles offer the right level of acidity and fruity notes to your wine with pork ribs meal.

Caymus Vineyards Zinfandel ($60-$120)

This Napa Valley wine is a hit with professional wine critics. It has earned an average score of 91 from experts. The wine offers a complex flavor profile with licorice, blueberry, cassis, and black cherry. Caymus Vineyards has been making wines for over one hundred years.

Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch Zinfandel (average price $43)

This organic wine also boasts an average score of 91 from wine critics. First impressions of this wine are striking: wild sage and earth notes. When you take a sip, the flavors include raspberry and blueberry. Produced in California’s Sonoma County, this wine is a blend of three varieties: Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, and Petite Sirah.

Prefer Beef Instead of Pork?

Pork ribs are not your only option. Other types of meat, like beef ribs, can work well with various wines. The good news is that beef and pork ribs have the same red wine pairings. That’s because of the rich sauces typically used on these meat dishes. Beef ribs pair with wines like Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pork Ribs Recipe

Making pork ribs at home is easy when you have a fantastic recipe to follow. The following wonderful recipe has received rave reviews. The recipe has a long cooking time (2 and a half hours), so plan if you make this dish.

Ingredients:

  • Pork Ribs. Baby back ribs are your best bet.
  • BBQ Sauce Mixture: You can buy barbecue sauce from the store or make your own. Homemade BBQ sauce includes molasses, ketchup, cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.

For side dishes, there are a few options. For a traditional Southern experience, go with cornbread or potato salad. Assorted vegetables also make an excellent choice to balance the meat.

If you don’t mind increasing your cooking time, you might want to make a salad like German cucumber salad.

What About White Wine With Pork Ribs?

White wines usually are not recommended to pair with pork ribs. There are some exceptions. The subtle sweetness of off-dry wines like semi-sweet Riesling sometimes works well. You might even experiment more widely with a bottle of Chenin Blanc.

The better way to enjoy pork flavors with white wine, try something different. See this post for wine that pairs with ham to get some ideas.

Wine With Pork Ribs: The Only 4 Red Wines You Need
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