Cheese and Wine Guide
Cheese and Wine, A Perfect Marriage
There's
strong affinity between cheese and wine. Both are fermented products
and require patience, care and a moderate temperature to mature
naturally.
Matching cheese and wine can be fun. Just as
every wine is unique so is every cheese. Like cheese, wine will also
mature resulting in changing flavour characteristics. Matching the two
requires a little experience and thought. To discover the perfect
cheese and wine matches you need to sample for yourself.
Follow the guidelines but also experiment, and enjoy!
- Cheese with acid like wines with acid.
- Fruity flavours like fruity wines.
- Balance the weight of the cheese with the weight of the wine.
- Sweetness in wine counter-balances and complements the acidity and saltiness of cheese.
- Visualise the taste and texture and experiment accordingly.
- The whiter and fresher the cheese, the whiter and crisper the wine.
- The darker and stronger the cheese, the darker and stronger the wine.
Cheese and Wine Matches - A Guide
Fresh Cheese
Responds
well to a fresh light crisp white wine or even a fruity Rosé as they
are mild with varying degrees of acidity. Fresh curd cheese or goats
cheese with its nutty sharpness and acidity match well with a wine with
a fruity acid such as a Sauvignon Blanc.
White Mould Cheese
Works
well with a sparkling wine as it cuts though the creaminess on the
palate. Aged Brie can carry a more full-bodied white wine such as a
Chardonnay, which brings out the buttery nature of both the cheese and
the wine. A medium bodied red, such as Pinot Noir may also be suitable,
or even sparkling white or red.
Washed Rind Cheese
The wine selection may vary due to cheese age and the depth of the full pungent aroma.
Choose
from a broad selection of wines. A specific cheese may work best with a
full-bodied Pinot, a dessert or fortified wine, a sparkling red or even
with beer!
Eye Cheese
The
elastic texture of this cheese marries well with oaked Chardonnay or
soft fruity reds such as Merlot. Dessert or fortified wines can
complement the flavours and texture of Eye Cheese.
Cheddar and Cheddar Styles
The
stronger the cheese, the bigger the wine. This is not to say that a
Chardonnay will not work with this style of cheese. Dessert and
fortified wines can also be a good match depending on the age and
texture of the cheese.
Hard Cheese
As
this cheese varies from mild to full flavoured, a number of wine
varieties may work. Consider a full-bodied white or red, a dessert or
fortified wine such as Sherry. Sparkling wines also may match as the
acidity contrasts with texture of the cheese.
Blue Cheese
The
saltiness and earthy aroma hold a wonderful affinity with sweet dessert
wines, Muscat or Botrytis. A good match will emphasise the sweetness of
the milk. The salt in the cheese often emphasises the wine's
astringency (its tannin and acidity), though some reds do work well
with milder Blues.
What about a beer with your selection of cheese?
The
varying flavour profiles of both cheese and beer create exciting taste
sensations you may not have thought about. The cleansing, effervescent
properties of beer, combined with its aroma, flavour, textures and
bitterness can provide the perfect accompaniment to any cheese. It's
simply a matter of experimentation!
Consider a rich, creamy Blue
with a complex, fruity Belgian beer or a delicately, smooth Camembert
with a rich, malty lager. The combinations challenge convention and
will reinvent the way you think about cheese pairing!
Click on the link above to read more about matching Australian Cheese varieties to the perfect wine! These include:
- Blue Cheese
- Cheddar and Cheddar Styles
- Eye Cheese
- Fresh Unripened Cheese
- Hard Cheese
- Stretched Curd Cheese
- Washed Rind Cheese
- White Mould Cheese