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Wine and cheese are friends from way back. Both are the product of fermentation and both can express terroir, or the taste of the place they come from. In the case of cheese, the taste of terroir emerges from the different milk-giving animals; which can range from cows, goats, sheep and even water buffalos – my favorite cheese of all times.
Wine & Cheese Pairing Tips:
The first rule of thumb is that white wines usually pair better with cheese than red wines do – sorry red wine lovers. White wine’s acidity cuts through cheese’s butterfat beautifully. The creamy and nutty flavors in cheese can also bring a white wine to life by contrast. Along those lines, some consider Sauvignon Blanc the overall cheese-friendliest wine. Among red wines, the easiest to pair with cheese are the light and fruity varieties. Terroir-inspired combinations, wine and cheese coming from the same region, are almost always winners.
Pairings that Please:
• White or bloomy rind cheeses such as Camembert and Brie are the trickiest to match; safe bets include soft, fruity reds such as Merlot, Pinot Noir or Beaujolais-Villages.
• Hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Parmesan and Manchego go with the widest range of wines; safe bets are medium to full bodied reds without too much tannin such as a softer style Bordeaux or good quality Cotes du Rhone-Villages. A buttery, medium bodied Chardonnay is a surprising star as well.
• Blue cheeses can be troublesome partners for any wine apart from the classic partnerships of Roquefort and Sauternes or port and Stilton. The salty with sweet principle prevails here.
• Strong, pungent cheese offers no safe bets. Sweet or fortified wines are likely to pair well or try an aromatic white such as the classic combination of Munster and Gewurztraminer.
• For Goat milk cheeses, Sauvignon Blanc is a good match especially with young soft cheeses; the more acid in the cheese the more acid the wine should have.
• Sheep milk cheese can handle a robust red made from Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache or Tempranillo grapes. Or try countering the cheese’s saltiness with a little sweetness in the wine.
Strategies for Harmony:
When planning a cheese platter, try adding walnut bread and a selection of dried fruits to create a more wine-friendly match. When serving a selection of cheeses, try to choose three or four which all pair well with a particular style of wine. Highly-oaked and super-tannic wines can be difficult to pair with cheese so be careful!
Pairing up cheese with wine can work like a charm. Just say cheese please and discover a delicious new dimension to your wine-drinking pleasure.
