Ham hock

Ham hock

Assuming a ham hock terrine served cold with piccalilli or mustard and bread.

Ham hock is salty, gelatinous and gently smoky, and it is usually served with sharp piccalilli or mustard, so the wine needs high acidity and a touch of fruit to meet the sweet and sour relish. Firm tannin turns hard against the salt and vinegar. A light, fresh wine suits the plate better than a heavy one.

Pairs Perfectly. Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany, off dry. Searing acidity and a touch of sweetness answer the salt of the ham and the sweet, sharp piccalilli together, and at low alcohol it stays light beside a rich terrine. For a bone dry glass, the Chasselas below does a similar job.

Pairs Well. Fleurie, Beaujolais, France. Light, red fruited and fresh with almost no tannin, the red that sits most happily beside cold ham.

Pairs Well. Chasselas, Valais, Switzerland. Soft, dry and stony, drunk in the Alps with ham and cured meats.

Worth Seeking Out

Poulsard from the Jura, France. So pale it looks like a dark rosé, with red berry, a savoury edge and no real tannin, and at home with charcuterie.

Avoid

Tannic reds and oaked whites. Salt and vinegar turn tannin hard, and oak clashes with the sharp relish.

Failing That

An off dry Chenin Blanc from Vouvray, France.

If All Else Fails

Vermentino, Sardinia.

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