Sunday, November 05, 2006

Wine and Cheese

Here is a list of some wines pair very well (in my opinion) to some tasty cheeses.

First some basic guidelines when picking wines to go with your cheese:

-White wines generally pair better with soft cheeses and stronger flavours.
-Red wines are usually best with hard cheeses and milder flavours.
-Fruity, off dry and dessert wines pair with a wider range of cheeses.
-The stronger, and stinkier the cheese, the sweeter the wine should be.

It's generally better to pick white wines if you're having a wine and cheese party because a lot of cheeses leave a fatty taste on your palate that end up making red wines taste bland. White wines have more acidity that compliment this fatty aftertaste.

Some common pairings:

Brie and Camembert - Champagne or Sparkling wine

Mild Cheddar and Provolone - Chardonnay

Swiss and most German Cheeses - Gewurztraminer

Goat Cheese (Chevre) - Champagne, Gewurztraminer or Sauvignon Blanc

Gouda - Riesling

Sharp Cheddar - Shiraz

Blue Cheese - Cabernet Sauvignon

Stilton - Port

Feta - Beaujolais

Havarti - Red Bordeaux

Hope this helps anyone who is planning on hosting a wine and cheese party. Remember to taste the lighter bodied wines and milder cheeses first. Then move on to slightly stronger cheeses, and medium bodied wines, until you get to the strong stinky cheeses paired with full bodied, and dessert wines.

Bon Apetit

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I always learn something when I read your blog! Thanks. I'll refer to this during the holidays. It won't be long now! Lyn