Wine With Ham: What to Pour With Every Glaze

The best wine with ham is an off-dry Riesling: its hint of sweetness matches the glaze, and its high acidity cuts through the salt and fat. If you’d rather drink red, pick a soft, fruity, low-tannin one such as Pinot Noir, Grenache or Zinfandel, and skip the big Cabernet. This guide goes glaze by glaze, from honey and brown sugar to pineapple and smoked ham, with three critic-rated bottles under $20.

Why ham is tricky, and what works

Wine Folly sums up ham as “sweet-and-salty richness,” and suggests wines with some sweetness, plenty of acidity and bold fruit. Each of those does a job:

• Sweetness. Wine Spectator warns that “sweetness on the plate can make a dry wine taste sour.” A glazed ham is sweet, so a wine with a little sugar of its own keeps its fruit. Off-dry means slightly sweet.
• Acidity. The mouthwatering tang in wine refreshes the palate between salty, fatty bites. Wine Spectator singles out German Rieslings and demi-sec Champagnes as sweeter wines with enough natural acidity to stay balanced.
• Low tannin. Tannin is the drying, grippy feel of many red wines. Wine Spectator notes that very salty food increases the perception of tannin, and ham is salty, so firm reds can taste harsh.

Wine Spectator’s Dr. Vinny suggests Riesling and Gewürztraminer for whites, soft and fruity Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Grenache for reds, and bubbly, which “goes with just about everything.” For the basic rules behind these choices, see our wine and food pairing guide.

Wine with ham at a glance

Ham or glaze	Wine styles to try	Why it works
Honey-glazed, spiral-cut	Off-dry Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Moscato	Sweetness matches the glaze; acidity cuts salt
Brown sugar or maple glaze	Off-dry Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Zinfandel	Riper fruit and spice stand up to caramel flavors
Pineapple glaze	Off-dry Riesling, dry rosé, sparkling wine	Fresh acidity echoes the fruit
Clove or spice glaze	Zinfandel, Grenache blends	Warm spice notes in the wine bridge to the glaze
Smoked or country ham	Grenache blends, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, dry Lambrusco	Fruity, medium-bodied reds handle smoke
Dry-cured (prosciutto, Serrano)	Sparkling wine, dry rosé, dry Sherry	Bubbles and acidity against salt

Sources for the styles: Wine Folly’s ham guide and holiday guide, and Wine Spectator’s Dr. Vinny.

Honey-glazed and spiral-cut ham

Wine Folly’s rule for sweet-and-salty hams such as honey baked or glazed ham is that “the best way to pair with foods that have sweetness is to have a wine with sweetness too.” On the drier side it lists Riesling and Chenin Blanc; on the sweeter side, Moscato, Brachetto d’Acqui and White Port.

Our pick: an off-dry Riesling from Washington or Germany’s Mosel. It has the sweetness for the glaze and the acidity for the salt.

Brown sugar, maple and clove glazes

Brown sugar and maple glazes are darker and more caramel-like than honey, and many recipes add cloves, mustard or bourbon. Wine Folly suggests a few richer reds for sweet-and-salty hams: Australian Shiraz, South African Pinotage and American Petite Sirah. In our view a ripe Zinfandel is the friendliest of these, because its soft tannin and spice fit a clove-studded ham without fighting the salt. Off-dry Riesling and Gewürztraminer, a spicy, aromatic white, still work if you prefer white.

Pineapple-glazed ham

Pineapple adds tang as well as sugar. The wine needs to match both, and a crisp, slightly sweet white does that best. Wine Folly pairs Canadian bacon and pineapple on pizza with Lambrusco, a fizzy red from northern Italy that comes in dry (secco) and sweeter styles. For a holiday roast we’d reach for an off-dry Riesling or a dry rosé, with sparkling wine as a backup that also suits the appetizers.

Smoked, savory and country ham

Hams that are more smoky than sweet, such as Black Forest or country-cured ham, are juicier and less salty, according to Wine Folly. Here a red makes sense: Wine Folly recommends a “medium-bodied fruity red with moderate acidity,” including Grenache-based blends (often labeled GSM, for Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre), Zinfandel, New World Pinot Noir, Valpolicella, deeply colored rosé and dry Lambrusco.

Wine Folly’s Thanksgiving guide also names Pinot Noir for ham, for its light body, high acidity, and cherry and cranberry notes. Its holiday guide adds dry Provence rosé for ham under $20, and Grenache or a Côtes du Rhône blend between $20 and $30.

Dry-cured ham on the appetizer board

Prosciutto, Serrano and Jamón Ibérico are saltier and drier than a baked ham. Wine Folly points to sparkling wine, sparkling rosé, still rosé, crisp whites, and dry Fino or Manzanilla Sherry. Its classic regional matches: Jamón Ibérico with dry Sherry, prosciutto with Moscato d’Asti, and speck with Rheingau Riesling.

Tip: If ham is the main course and turkey is on the table too, an off-dry Riesling and a Pinot Noir cover both. Our best wine for Thanksgiving guide has the full spread.

Three bottles to try with ham

We don’t taste the wines ourselves. Each bottle below has a published professional score for the vintage named and a US price checked at two or more retailers in October 2026, judged against our Blue Book Value method: 90 to 92 points is a Great Value at $20 or less.

Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling 2024

• Score: 92 points, Wine Review Online (Lucia Capretti, June 17, 2026), the only professional score we could confirm for this vintage.
• Price: about $16 to $22, checked October 2026 ($15.94 at Saratoga Wine, $19.95 at BuyWinesOnline, $22 at Blackwell’s Wines). At $22 it would be a Good Value.
• Verdict: Great Value.

The reviewer found peach, honey, apple, lemon pith and white flowers, with bright acidity and residual sugar in balance. Our pick for honey, brown sugar or pineapple glazes.

Mark West Pinot Noir 2024

• Score: 90 points, Wine Enthusiast (Tonya Pitts, October 2026 issue), the only professional score we found.
• Price: about $13 to $16, checked October 2026 ($12.95 regular price at BuyWinesOnline, $15.95 regular price at Wine On Sale).
• Verdict: Great Value.

The reviewer describes Bing cherry, plum, citrus peel and sweet oak, with a generous palate and well-integrated tannins. Our choice for smoked ham or a ham-and-turkey table.

Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2022

• Score: 91 points, Wine Enthusiast (Elaine Chukan Brown, April 2026 issue), the only Wine Enthusiast score for this vintage. Retailers also quote a 91 from James Suckling.
• Price: about $18, checked October 2026 ($17.99 regular price at PJ Wine for the 2022, and $17.99 at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits).
• Verdict: Great Value.

A Spanish Garnacha (Grenache) from Campo de Borja. The reviewer describes cherry, mixed berries, tobacco and vanilla with integrated tannins and lively acidity. At 14.5% alcohol it is the fullest wine here, so save it for a smoked or clove-glazed ham.

For more bottles under $20, see our best wine under $20 list.

Wine is for adults of legal drinking age (21 in the US). Please drink responsibly.