Bacon and Wine Matching – DO NOT read this if you’re on a diet!

It dawned on me recently when Mr. Spittoon and I were cooking up a cheese toastie wrapped in bacon aka ‘the delicious heart attack’ (good call KL!), that a food which is known as the hero of all foods – bacon – has not yet been given the wine recognition it deserves. I dedicate this post to my inspiration – Mr. Spittoon!

As I was eating the ‘delicious heart attack’ I couldn’t help but think about wine matches and I realised the topic well and truly deserved a blog post. I mean who doesn’t love bacon and wine? If you don’t love bacon, leave this page right now. I’m sure the boys from Epic Mealtime would agree with me.

Bacon despite being technically a white meat has an immense hearty flavour that could be confused with the rich flavours in red meat. For me this says it can work well with both red and white. How totally convenient is that *evil grin*.

So here are my ultimate bacon and wine pairings for you to divulge in:

Breakfast Bacon & Champagne

There is nothing better when you’re suffering from a bit of wine flu than chowing down on a plate full of salty bacon. And we all know the ultimate breakfast wine is Champagne and Sparkling Wine right?

The freshness, spritz and acidity will cut through the bacon goodness with ease. Champagne is a great contender for cutting through the fattiness of bacon and heck the pure beauty of Champas just adds to the sexiness of bacon right?

Bacon Butty’s & Chenin Blanc/Sparkling Red

I remember when I was growing up we would sometimes have ‘Bacon Butty’s’. Basically they’re a bacon sandwich on buttered bread. Being the tomato sauce fiend that I am, I replace the butter with sauce and my oh my it is so good! Therefore for the butter version I would opt for a crisp yet rounded white wine with perhaps a touch of sweetness like a Chenin Blanc.

For the saucy bacon sammie I would love it with a fresh Beaujolais Nouveau or a light style red. I may even lean toward a sparkling red, this Lambrusco from LaVigna would be an absolute treat with a T-sauce bacon butty!

Bacon & Egg Pie and Sauvignon Blanc

The classic! For me there is no better match than Sauvignon Blanc with a bacon & egg pie. The flavours of the meal and the flavours of the wine totally contrast but when they come together in your mouth they sing sweet harmonies. The zippy flavours cut through all that pastry, egg and bacon yet don’t destroy those delightful flavours.

In my opinion a young Chardonnay made in stainless steel tanks would also go well with this classic pie.

Creamy Bacon Pasta & Burgundy (Pinot/Chardy)

Think Burgundian varieties, Pinot Noir if you’re in the mood for red or Chardonnay if you’re in the mood for white. These wines have the acidity and oomph to cut through all that glorious creaminess. Or why not go full Italian for the night and marry up your bowl of pasta goodness with a nice Chianti or a bubbly Prosecco would also work wonders. Droooooooool….

Bacon Burgers & Red

Bacon is like the cherry on top of a burger. If you’re into your fully stacked (aka the messiest possible burger to eat) then your options are rather wide in terms of pairing. For me a GSM, Shiraz or Malbec are favourite wine matches for burgers. The tannins and acidity in the wines help to counteract the fattiness of the burger. However say I was going for a bacon double cheeseburger, I may opt for a Merlot or French Syrah/Grenache (think Cotes du Rhone) as I find they go so well with plentiful cheddar.

Sweet Bacon & Moscato

Now I’m not talking about gay bacon strips here (however I am a big fun of demi-sec Champagnes and off-dry sparkling wines with candies!), I am talking about pancakes with maple syrup and bacon or candied bacon cupcakes. You want something uncomplicated, a bit sweet and tastes like AO-juice. For me, Moscato would do the trick and compliment the sweeter side of bacon.

At the end of the day you can match your bacon with ANY type of wine you want. It’s all up to your taste buds and I suggest you do a lot of experimenting and research then report back here stat about your findings! Here’s to the bacon & wine revolution!