Cured meats, when combined with cheeses, are an excellent choice for creating a quick and satisfying dish that pairs beautifully with wine.
Cured Meat Selection for Wine
There are two main categories of cured meats: those consumed raw and those that are cooked. Cured meats also differ according to the type of meat used, the meat-to-fat ratio, the cut, and the method of preservation. Key elements that determine how cured meats pair with different styles of wine include salt, fat content, smoking, and the spices used.
As a result, there are some general guidelines that help define which types of cured meats pair best with specific styles of wine.
Raw cured meats, such as aged pork ham, air-dried salami, louza, pastourma, chorizo, prosciutto, jamón, copa, and lomo, are among the most intriguing styles. Thanks to dehydration and fermentation during aging—combined with the use of salt and spices—they develop greater aromatic depth and flavor complexity.
However, these types of cured meats are often challenging to pair with wine. In many cases, they are better enjoyed with a high-quality tsikoudia, or, in more extreme pairings, with a powerful, barrel-aged white wine with high acidity—such as a barrel-fermented Vidiano, like Aspros Lagos White by Douloufakis.