Red Wine Paired With Bacon

Hopefully that title will generate some interest. This pairing was accidental but was so interesting it warranted a quick write-up.

Last year we went in on half a pig with friends and were overjoyed when the bacon turned out to be juicy and lean, light on salt and had a nice smoky flavor. We have enjoyed it many times, but sadly the supply is dwindling.

Last night Margot cooked up a breakfast plate that featured some of the tasty bacon, scrambled eggs and some pan fried potatoes actually made by our friend who we shared the pig with. The potatoes were on the menu on Sunday and we scurried away some leftovers for last night.

I wanted to finish the bottle of Petit Verdot I opened on the weekend lest it oxidize and have to be poured out. This was one of two bottles that I corked when I was transferring the homemade batch from a larger glass tank to a smaller one earlier in the year. The wine was made from an award winning limited edition kit produced by the WinExpert company. The wine is young, and I wanted to see how the early bottle tasted before I consider what to do with the rest of the batch that is aging in the basement.

We'll I sat down and tore into a piece of bacon and immediately went for my wine glass out of habit. The pairing was amazing. The gamey, smoky taste of the bacon melded perfectly with the earthy, dark fruit flavors in the wine. Margot tried it and agreed. I kept trying it to enjoy the surprise. This pairing wasn't revolutionary for me, we tried deli roast beef with Pinot Noir a few years back for a big wow, but it wasn't planned and REALLY tasted good. I'd recommend trying such a pairing with real country smoked bacon and an earthy wine like Bordeaux or a Rhone blend.

Cheers!

--Jason