Baked ham dinner party

[Randy Caparoso]

I hate to bust in on this party, but baked ham, to me, almost always means one wine: A light, zesty, slightly sweet German Riesling (Halbtrocken or Kabinett level). Why?

1. Baked hams are intrinsically salty. Slight sweetness always balances saltiness, and thus slightly sweet white wines always help you eat MORE ham, I daresay.

2. Why do you think most people slather honey and/or pineapple on hams? Natural sugar, my friend. But the sugar, however, can be filling in itself. A touch of sweetness in a wine like Riesling also helps balance out the sugar in the typical ham sauce -- making it so it doesn't taste so sweet (a proven gastronomic theory of "relativity").

3. German Rieslings in particular are also zesty with acidity. Acid not only helps to liven up the palate, it also does a great job of cutting through ham fat. Why do you think there are so many jolly, rolly poly Germans out there? (It's not just the lager!).