Perfect match
There are many versions of English pork pie but it's essentially jellied pork baked in a sturdy crust. Apart from the usual salt and pepper, the pork can be seasoned with many other spices. The best wines with pork pie, which is usually eaten cold, need freshness and subtle tones that can interact with the spices. The wine also should be able to handle the occasional bursts from the meat jelly, while the pastry requires fine palate-scrubbing tannins to bring balance.
Esporao Reserva Branco 2006, Alentejo, Portugal
This is just one of many excellent whites from the sun-drenched region just south of Lisbon. Winemaker David Baverstock applies Australian fruit preservation techniques to shape this complex, fruit-driven wine, made from local Portuguese grapes. The savoury and rich fruit works well with pork pie spices, especially nutmeg. There is plenty of rich depth to handle and partner with the tasty, sticky pork jelly. The nicely layered wine's slight oak links with the pastry's lardiness, cutting excess heaviness. To complete the match, add a little English mustard.
Available for HK$260 from Sinolink (tel: 2408 9338)
Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling 2007, Eden Valley, South Australia
Wolf Blass has won many accolades for his winemaking talents; he's also been awarded an Order of Australia for his tireless efforts promoting Australian wine. Riesling is one of his favourite grapes, perhaps due to his German heritage. This Gold Label Riesling is not sugary sweet but it's very fruity. It's a perfect match with pork pie. The new world ripe fruitiness offers compatible strength to the pie; the bright and sunny fruit sets a nice platform for the sweet pork jelly to melt. The citrus, white flower-like riesling fruit gives the pie a lot of lift. Go easy on the pickles or the wine will be flattened beyond recognition.
Available for HK$179 from Maxxium (tel: 2845 5995)
Cape Mentelle Trinders Cabernet Merlot 2005, Margaret River, Western Australia
This is the softer of the two Cape Mentelle Cabernets. It has plenty of soft, palate-cleansing tannins. There are similar tones of spices in the pork pie as in this cabernet-merlot. These spices form a nice link between the food and wine. The lush, dark berry cabernet fruit highlights the rich sweetness of the pork but in a different direction to the whites. This silky red can handle the tangy pickles.
Available for HK$245 from Moet Hennessy Diageo (tel: 2976 1888)
