We’ve seen it on menus, heard it across the grapevine and seen the pictures on social media. Cheese and wine have known to be great friends and is a true blue French classic. But did you know that not all cheese goes well with a particular wine? Different cheeses pair with different wines, so here are some insights of the different categories:
1) Soft cheeses with a natural rind - Example: Camembert, Brie
Depending on the degrees of maturity, it goes well with quite a few wines. Young cheese is still pretty dry and hard so it goes well with light whites like Chenin Blanc or a dry Riesling. With some age, the cheese becomes stronger with a more ‘runny’ texture, and goes well with light to medium body reds, like Pinot Noir.
2) Soft cheeses with a washed rind – Example: Reblochon, Munster, Epoisses
With a washed rind, the small molding doesn’t develop and the cheese has a rich flavor that gets stronger with age, especially with the Epoisses cheese. Pair this with a richer red wine like Chianti, Sancerre or a young Bordeaux.
3) Goat Cheese – Example: Crottin de Chavignol, St Marcellin
Goat cheeses are usually very soft and delicate, developing great flavors with some ageing – I love them with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
4) Pressed Cheeses – Example: Emmental, Comte
Most of those cheeses comes from the Alps Mountains, and develop superb nutty aromas with age. I especially love them with a rich Chardonnay or try a Beaujolais if you prefer reds.
5) Pressed and Cooked Cheese – Example: Gruyere, Tomme de Savoie
Those are fairly similar than the pressed cheese, just that they are cooked for an hour after the pressing. These cheeses are usually denser with more intense flavors, so go with something a tad richer, like a Cotes du Rhone, white or red.
6) Bleu Cheese – Example: Roquefort, Fourme d’Ambert
When it comes to bleu cheese, there’s no halfway path; you either love it or hate it! I think Bleu cheese is an acquired taste and it helps if you grew up eating it as that’s the best way to be acquainted with its exquisite taste. Aged in humid, underground caves that help develop the soft molding, this cheese is a classic match that might seem a bit bizzare. Believe it or not, this goes well with a with a sweet wines like Ste Croix du Mont, Muscat or even Port.
If you are having a nice cheese platter, it would be pretty tough to have a bottle for each individual cheese. The best thing to do would be to pick a wine that appeals to your personal palette, be it red or white. Just make sure that it’s not too strong of a taste that overwhelms your spread. Bon Appetit’!
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