A word on pairing wine and cheese

Our whole mysterious world of food and wine pairing is made crystal clear once one explores how these two interact.  Grasp a few guidelines and a well matched cheese and wine soar to new heights far greater than each on their own.  Truth is: it is very hard to ruin a wine you love with your favorite cheese –most cheeses are much more forgiving than one might think.  There are some basic considerations however that will spin into synergy where these reach harmony rather than remaining a sip of this and then a bite of that.

Weight! Weight!  Don’t tell me!

Make a match by first pairing the weight of the cheese with the weight of the wine.  Your favorite combinations already prove this rule: mild, soft ripened cheeses go so well with lighter fruity reds and crisp whites whereas full flavored and older cheeses are just right with fuller bodied reds and heavier, richer textured whites.  Next we consider the intensity of the flavors because a little-accented cheese is muted by a flavorsome red just as the pungent cheese completely overpowers of a soft spoken wine.  Acidity also plays a role: a cheese like Chèvre is best served with a bright acidic white like Sauvignon Blanc because wines with less snap will taste less vibrant.

Occasionally sweetness steps into the equation as in the case of a round of cheese drizzled with honey or a fruit laden cheesecake.  Where dry wines are perceived as over-acidic, sharp or thin, you might try Muscat based or late-harvested wines.  With their sweet, charming character, these wines also work well with salty cheeses.  Just think of the traditional pairings Stilton and Port, Roquefort and Sauternes –a little sweetness is a balm to the pungent tang of a salty cheese.  Unlike such ambrosial whites that bring a luscious sweetness of their own, highly tannic dry reds will read as harsh and bitter against especially salty cheeses but enough about what not to do… why not read about the inimitable Burrata as a case in point>>>