Cheese and wine - a classic combination with a few
guidelines.
A lot has been written about cheese and wine pairings in wine literature. In
fact, so important is the subject of how one should go about do a good pairing
of these two naturally processed substances, that an unthinking
host who might have invested a lot in acquiring them can ruin a perfectly good
party by clubbing two incompatible cheese and wine together.
Expert after expert harps on a single, consistent theme when it comes to cheese
and wine pairing. The theme is - "Do not let the taste of the cheese dominate
that of the accompanying wine, and do not let the taste of the wine
dominate that of the accompanying cheese." Put another way, what this means is
that neither of them should be weaker or stronger than the other. If, for
example, you have cheese that has delicate taste, then it should have a light
wine for company; similarly, if the cheese has a strong aroma, you might go in
for an equally weighty wine.
Ideally, cheese and wines coming from the same geography are famously compatible
with each other - may be it has to do with the same soil and weather that both
identify with!So a french cheese will enjoy the company of a glass of wine that
has come from France, and so on.
A general rule of thumb - very general, mind you - that may be followed is to
pair red wines with hard cheese and white wine with soft cheese. The Brie and
Neufchatel cheeses form a perfect pair with the fruity light flavour of red
wines such as Beaujolais or Loire. Notable exceptions to this rule are the
Camembert and the strong cheddar, both of which are equally at home with red as
well as white wines. The Strong cheddar cheese is especially recommended with
the Cabernet, Rioja and the Sauvignon Blanc; while the Camembert goes down well
with the Cabernet and the Chenin Blanc. Such cheese and wine
brought together on the table are sure to warm the cockles of your guests.
The rind of the cheese also makes a difference to the pairing with wine.
Munster, Chaumes and Terroir, all cheeses with a washed rind, give a heavenly
taste with Bourgogne and Pomerol, both full-bodied red wines; as well as with
Muscat, which is a white. On the other hand, Crottin deChavignol, a natural
rinded cheese, works up quite a bit of passion with
white wines such as the Anjou and Sancerre.
Wine lovers give a thumbs-up to the fresh goat's cheese and wine combinationas
the best possible. This particular food has an exceptional pairing with
Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Chardonnay.
Blue cheese such as Roquefort, with its slightly salty zing, go along well with
wines such as Sauternes and Bergerac, and gives an other-world experience when
had with Pomerol, a red wine. Just whisper "Blue cheese and
wine" in a reluctant guest's ears, and see how the eyes liven up!
It might be borne in mind that in one serve, it is best to have a single variety
of cheese and wine on the table, rather than different varieties of cheese.
Also, a ripened cheese becomes stronger in flavour, and hence difficult to
match.
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