Pork Tenderloin & Wine Pairing

Pork Tenderloin is cut from the most tender part of the pig, where there is very little fat or flavour.  Thus, you do not get that strong pork flavoured essence you find in bacon, ham or pork chops.    White wines with a touch of juiciness, such as Riesling, Chardonnay, or Pinot Blanc, work fantastic with Pork Tenderloin.  With red wines, you want lighter-bodied but juicy red wines to accompany your Pork Tenderloin, such as Beaujolais Villages, Zinfandel or Côtes du Rhône.

Best Wine with Pork Tenderloin

Chardonnay & Pork Tenderloin Pairing

An oaked Chardonnay has juicy flavours of pineapple and apple notes that are a natural complement to the subtle pork flavours of pork tenderloin. For example, think of the classic cartoon image of a pig on a platter with an apple in its mouth, or the constant debate of whether pineapple should be on Hawaiian pizza.

Furthermore, the crisp acidity of Chardonnay lifts the subtle pork flavours forward, while the round buttery flavours match the tender meaty flavours of your Pork Tenderloin.  Finally, due to fear of Trichinosis, people often overcook their meat to ensure they destroy this parasite.  Unfortunately, this often leads to Pork Tenderloin being dry. Fortunately, the round butter, vanilla and toasty notes of Chardonnay, along with its apple and tropical fruit flavours, resolve this issue with one sip.

Riesling & Chutney Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Pairing

To get around the dry issue of Pork Tenderloin, many restaurants and recipes call for the meat to be stuffed.  The stuffing helps keep the Pork Tenderloin moist, as well as additional flavour to the tender but subtle tasting meat. There are dozens of ingredients the pork tenderloin might be stuffed with, such as onion, rice, raisins, mushrooms, or an apple or apricot chutney.

Riesling is a crisp and acidic white wine that electrifies the subtle Pork Tenderloin flavours and makes the meat taste much more delicious.  On top of that, Riesling is incredibly food-friendly, so no matter what you stuff your Pork Tenderloin with, Riesling should never clash with it.  Anything stone fruit-based or citrusy in your stuffing will be further complemented by Riesling’s aromatic flavours of lime, lemon, melon, apricot, green apple, tangerine and pear.  You also find a petrol-like minerality to Riesling, along with a smoky kiss, blends in perfectly with each bite of Pork Tenderloin.

Riesling can range from bone dry to sugary sweet.  For stuffed Pork Tenderloin that contains stone fruit, we recommend an off-dry Riesling which has a hint of sweetness.  For an earthier stuffing, such as mushrooms or rice, and bone dry Riesling pairs up better.

Hard Cider & Pork Tenderloin Pairing

Hard cider is exceptional with Pork Tenderloin due to the crisp and refreshing apple flavours of the cider.  The apple flavours mesh perfectly with the silky Pork Tenderloin texture and creates an environment where all the delicious flavours bounce around in your mouth with glee. Furthermore, a hard cider’s flavour leans towards the neutral side, so it never interferes with the pork but instead brings the delicious flavours to the forefront.

Pinot Blanc & Pork Tenderloin Pairing

Alsace Pinot Blanc isn’t a popular white wine, however, it has a lovely creaminess to its body and green apple and pear scented flavours that makes it wonderful with Pork Tenderloin.  Simple and refreshing, Pinot Blanc has enough weight to hold up to the medium weight of the pork tenderloin while balancing the neutral flavours with its notes of peach, pear, green apple, apricot and honey.

German and Austrian Pinot Blanc (called Weissburgunder) has a quiet volume, while Alsace Pinot Blanc will feature a moderate level of flavour.  In Italy, Pinot Blanc is referred to as Pinot Bianco and delivers a quiet and crisp experience similar to Weissburgunder.  Both oaked Pinot Blanc from Alsace, and unoaked Pinot Blanc from Italy, Germany or other areas in the world will pair splendidly with Pork Tenderloin.  My preference, however, is for an oaked Pinot Blanc as I love how the creamy flavours match the tender texture of Pork Tenderloin.

If you’re serving up Pork Tenderloin at a banquet or wedding during the summer months, Pinot Blanc is the perfect white wine to serve.  Not only is the wine refreshing, it will impress your guests with how flawlessly the pear, apple and mineral flavours blend in with the delicious texture of your Pork Tenderloin.

Côtes du Rhône & Roasted Pork Tenderloin Pairing

Côtes du Rhône is a blended red wine from the Rhône valley in France that is medium-bodied with medium acidity and tannin.  Meant to be drunk young, Côtes du Rhône features fruity flavours of blackberry, raspberry and strawberry, along with spicy flavours of black pepper, herbs, smoke, and licorice.  While up to 23 different grapes are allowed in a  Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône typically contains Grenache blended with Carignan, Mourvèdre or Syrah.  Thus, you’ll find an incredible array of styles across this region’s wine.

As most Côtes du Rhônes are Grenache-based, you’ll often find refreshing flavours of fruit the enhance, rather than smother out, the silky flavours of Pork Tenderloin.  With its easy-drinking medium tannin, Côtes du Rhône also has enough grip to handle the high protein but low-fat content of your Pork Tenderloin.