Port wine + Clove
A good pairing. Cooks put them together in 914 recipes, and they share 61 flavor molecules: the top 12% of all ingredient pairs.
Do port wine and clove go together?
Yes. 914 recipes in our collection combine them, and they share 61 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 12% of every ingredient pair we score.
Why they work
They overlap on 61 flavor molecules: 36% of port wine's 168. Among the shared key aromas are ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic) and ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
What each one brings
port wine
The fruit. Fruity notes make up 35% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 17% for clove. It carries 107 molecules clove doesn't have.
clove
The herbal side. Herbal notes make up 11% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 1% for port wine. It carries 250 molecules port wine doesn't have.
Add a third ingredient
- Allspice: the best fit for both, top 16% of pairs with port wine, top 1% with clove.
- Cinnamon: top 17% of pairs with port wine, top 1% with clove.
- Fig: top 6% of pairs with port wine, top 6% with clove.
- Nutmeg: top 17% of pairs with port wine, top 1% with clove.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with port wine and clove
Mostly mains: 19 of the 31 recipes with a course label are mains.
Can you swap one for the other?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: port wine has 107 molecules clove doesn't, and clove has 250 that port wine doesn't. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
All 61 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 107 only in port wine and the 250 only in clove.
Port wine and clove questions
Do port wine and clove go together?
A good pairing. Cooks put them together in 914 recipes, and they share 61 flavor molecules: the top 12% of all ingredient pairs.
Why do port wine and clove taste good together?
They overlap on 61 flavor molecules: 36% of port wine's 168. Among the shared key aromas are ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic) and ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
What goes with port wine and clove?
Allspice is the best third ingredient: top 16% of pairs with port wine and top 1% with clove. Cinnamon and fig also fit both.
What can you make with port wine and clove?
Mostly mains: 19 of the 31 recipes with a course label are mains. Common dishes include Port Wine Sauce for Game, Ox-tail Soup, Bajan Black Cake, Beef à la Mode.
Can I use clove instead of port wine?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: port wine has 107 molecules clove doesn't, and clove has 250 that port wine doesn't. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
Compare other ingredients
Ranks compare this pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. Molecule counts are what the studies and databases we aggregate have reported for each ingredient: a measure of coverage, not a full census. How we score pairs
Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). Compound similarity analysis: Port Wine vs Clove. https://compkitchen.com/compare/port-wine-vs-clove. Accessed 2026-11-06.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_port_wine_vs_clove_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Port Wine vs Clove},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/port-wine-vs-clove},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-06}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.