71 pairings
Tempranillo
Iberico ham (jamon iberico) with Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial: Silky cured fat and nutty complexity complement the wine's tobacco and cedar tones.
The short answer
Across 409 ham pairings on 408 of our bottle pages, the grapes our editors pour most often are Tempranillo (71), Albariño (49), Xarel-lo (44) and Macabeo (42). For example, Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial from Ribera del Duero with iberico ham (jamon iberico): Silky cured fat and nutty complexity complement the wine's tobacco and cedar tones.
By style: white 139, red 121, sparkling 83, fortified 37, rosé 19 of the 409 pairings.
The wines that turn up most: DOCa Rioja, DO Rías Baixas, Corpinnat, DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, DOC Collio, DOC Friuli Colli Orientali.
The best grapes for ham
49 pairings
Albariño
Aged Portuguese cured ham with Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas: Salted granite finish meets the cured pork's umami and fat; classic Iberian white-and-charcuterie pairing.
44 pairings
Xarel-lo
Aged Iberian Bellota ham 5J with Enoteca Brut Nature: The wine's honeyed-nut depth echoes the highest-grade Iberian ham's complex salty-sweet finish.
42 pairings
Macabeo
Aged Iberian ham with Reserva Particular Brut Nature: The wine's salt-cured nut register echoes Bellota-aged ham's salty-sweet richness; saline drive matches umami.
37 pairings
Palomino Fino
Jamón ibérico de bellota with Inocente Fino: The wine's almond and mineral depth mirrors the sweet nuttiness of acorn-fed Iberian ham.
35 pairings
Friulano
San Daniele ham with figs with Schiopetto Mario Schiopetto Friulano: Friulano's bitter almond core pairs with the cured ham; saline minerality lifts the fig sweetness.
33 pairings
Parellada
Aged Iberian ham 5J with Kripta Brut Nature: Long-lees Brut Nature with honeyed-nut depth echoes the highest-grade Iberian ham's complex salty-sweet finish.
22 pairings
Chardonnay
Iberian ham with Claror Cava de Paraje Calificado: Salt-cured pork and saline-lift Paraje Calificado are a classic Catalan luxury match.
Bottles to pour with ham
The best-rated pairings, one per producer and no more than two from any one region, so the list travels.
Aged Iberian Bellota ham 5J
The wine's honeyed-nut depth echoes the highest-grade Iberian ham's complex salty-sweet finish.
Aged Iberian ham
Mineral depth and intensity complement the complexity of cured Iberian pork.
Iberian Bellota ham 5J
The wine's nutty-honeyed register echoes the highest-grade Iberian ham's complex salty-sweet finish.
Iberico ham (jamon iberico)
Silky cured fat and nutty complexity complement the wine's tobacco and cedar tones.
Jamon iberico de bellota
Acorn-fed ham's nutty fat lifts the wine's walnut and cured-meat savour.
Jamón ibérico de bellota
The wine's almond and mineral depth mirrors the sweet nuttiness of acorn-fed Iberian ham.
Roasted almonds and ibérico ham
Traditional tapas context for fine aged Amontillado in Cádiz.
Aged Portuguese cured ham
Salted granite finish meets the cured pork's umami and fat; classic Iberian white-and-charcuterie pairing.
Prosciutto di San Daniele
Friulian air-cured ham finds a peer in the wine's saline edge and tea tannin; the regional pairing.
San Daniele ham with figs
Friulano's bitter almond core pairs with the cured ham; saline minerality lifts the fig sweetness.
Vieiras a la gallega (baked scallops with breadcrumbs and ham)
The lees-aged texture wraps the sweet scallop, and the wine's acidity cleans the ham fat between bites.
White asparagus with Parma ham
A classic Wachau pairing; the wine's acidity cuts through the ham fat while its mineral notes lift the asparagus.
Taste the pairing: food and wine in Rioja
Food and wine tastings you can book in Rioja, one of the regions whose bottles our editors pour with ham.
Private La Rioja Day: Visit 2 Premium Wineries with lunch.
Explore La Rioja wine region, where we'll visit two wineries. Indulge in tastings of 8 selected wines and savor lunch in a medieval village with a wine connoisseur. Li...
Logroño: guided visit + tasting of 3 wines at Viña Ijalba
Discover Viña Ijalba, a pioneer in organic viticulture in Rioja. Just five minutes from the center, enjoy a tour with a tasting of three premium wines, accompanied by ...
La Rioja Biosphere Organic Pig Farm and Ham and Wine Tasting
Discover the heart of La Rioja! Visit our certified organic farm in the Biosphere Reserve, meet our free-range Duroc pigs, and end with a guided gourmet tasting of org...
Food and wine tastings in Rioja (5) · Wine tastings and winery visits in Rioja (14) · Wine tours and day trips in Rioja (13) · All wine and food experiences
pairings by region
- Rioja: 61 pairings, Rioja food and wine pairing
- Penedes: 59 pairings, Penedes food and wine pairing
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia: 52 pairings, Friuli-Venezia Giulia food and wine pairing
- Rías Baixas: 48 pairings, Rías Baixas food and wine pairing
- Jerez & Sherry: 37 pairings, Jerez & Sherry food and wine pairing
- Alto Adige: 33 pairings, Alto Adige food and wine pairing
- Brda: 15 pairings, Brda food and wine pairing
- Dão: 13 pairings, Dão food and wine pairing
- Ribera del Duero: 11 pairings, Ribera del Duero food and wine pairing
- Bierzo: 10 pairings, Bierzo food and wine pairing
- Beaujolais: 7 pairings, Beaujolais food and wine pairing
- Istria: 7 pairings, Istria food and wine pairing
Wine with ham, FAQ
What wine goes with ham?
Across 409 ham pairings on 408 of our bottle pages, the grapes our editors pour most often are Tempranillo (71), Albariño (49), Xarel-lo (44) and Macabeo (42). For example, Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial from Ribera del Duero with iberico ham (jamon iberico): Silky cured fat and nutty complexity complement the wine's tobacco and cedar tones.
Red or white wine with ham?
Most often white: of the 407 ham pairings, the split by style is white 34%, red 30%, sparkling 20% and fortified 9%. The bottles below show which of each work and why.
Which wine regions are best with ham?
The regions with the most ham pairings on our bottle pages are Rioja, Penedes and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.