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Wine with Cheese |
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Wine and cheese events ar every popular, but the two are very hard to match succsessfully - the strong flavour and texture of cheese can overpower most wines. If serving cheese at the end of a meal, choose just one good cheese, and one delicious wine to go with it
Wine and cheese events ar every popular, but the two are very hard to match succsessfully - the strong flavour and texture of cheese can overpower most wines. If serving cheese at the end of a meal, choose just one good cheese, and one delicious wine to go with it.
Cream and soft cheese
Brie, camembert and cream cheese are difficult to marry with wine because of their mouth-coating textures. Sparkling wines have a palate-cleansing effect that works well with these cheeses.
Champagne: The tangy taste of soft cheese works well with a yeasty Champagne. The bubbles cut through the creamy mouth feel.
Chardonnay: A mature bottle tempers the lactic acid in cheese, enhancing the creamy textures.
Goat's cheese
It can be difficult to find wine to complement the notable, attractive acidity of goat's cheese. Serve with salad leaves, apple and fenel to temper the cheese, and offer a fruity wine that has low acidity.
Grenache: This spicy, fruity red is an ideal companion.
Sancerre: A classic match with goat's cheese - the crisp wine complements the creamy, rich cheese.
Blue cheese
Strong-flavoured blue cheeses have a very distinctive flavour. Choose a rich dessert or fortified wine for an incredible, rich, mouthfeel.
Port: Serve vintage or tawny port to contrast with a firm, flavoursome blue cheese, to temper its pungency
Hermitage: This robust, rich red will stand up to strong-flavoured cheese.
Semi-hard cheese
Cheddar and other semi-hard cheeses require a mature wine to bring out the flavours in both. An aged semillon suits most semi-hard cheeses. Dry oloroso sherry is also a good choice.
Semillon: The aromas of butter and toast in this wine enhance the creamy texture of semi-hard cheeses.
Port: This is the classic accompaniment to most cheese, and goes particularly well with strongly flavoured ones.
Hard cheese
Parmesan, Pecorino and Sapsago are all strong-flavoured, hard cheeses, used mostly for shaving and grating. They are best matched with robust red wines. If this type of cheese is being used as a garnish, it may be more appropriate to match the wine to the main ingredient of the dish.
Italian Red Wine : Take your lead from the makers of the finest hard cheeses in the world, and serve with robust Barolos and Chiantis
Smoked cheese
The salty, bacon taste of smoked cheese is so distinctive that it is very difficult to find a wine that can live up to it, without altering the flavour of the wine for the worse.
Shiraz : Try an Australian Shiraz, which is sweeter and richer than the Syrah of the Rhone.
Saunternes : You need a sweet dessert wine to withstand the smoky flavour.
With permission from R&R Publications
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