Wine With…Cheese (part one)

Wine With Cheese (part one)

by Paul Lukacs and Marguerite Thomas    

Anthony and Cleopatra.  Gin and tonic.  Bride and groom.  Some things just fit so well together that it’s hard to think of one without the other.  Wine and cheese are just such a classic pair.  Remember the old saying: ‘Buy wine on apples, sell on cheese?’  The idea behind this truism is that the acid in apples can make a dubious wine taste even harsher, whereas the natural butterfat texture and flavors in cheese enhance wine.  But is this always true?  We asked ourselves this question a couple of weeks ago when we were fortunate to be dining with friends at the new Bernard Loiseau restaurant in Beaune (Burgundy).  As we often do (especially in France, where the fromage is so delicious) we’d ordered a diverse selection of cheeses in lieu of dessert.  But when it came time to decide on a wine, we were somewhat stumped.  According to ages-old custom, Sauvignon Blanc (notably from the Loire Valley) is best with goat cheese, Port goes with blues, and so on.  Hard to order a single bottle of wine, then, to make each cheese strut its stuff; ditto the wine.  A heated debate ensued around the table, resolved finally by each person ordering a separate glass, followed by lots of sharing.

This epicurean quandary got us thinking about the traditional pairings of wine and cheese.  Now, the fact of the matter is that most cheese and most wine fit perfectly well together-indeed, just about everyone we know (including the wine geeks in our circle) simply enjoy a selection of cheeses with whichever wine strikes their fancy the most.  But with the goal of discovering the best marriage possible between cheese and wine, we decided to put the two to a pseudo-scientific taste test.  Since all cheese is not created equal-any more than wine is-we’re going to concentrate on individual styles of cheese (hard, creamy, goat’s milk, blue, etc.), alternating these tastings over the next few months with our regular Wine With pairings.

We’re beginning with hard cheeses.  Our selection the other evening included Parmigiano Reggiano, a Spanish Manchego, an aged Gouda, a French Comté, and two Cheddars: a Cabot from Vermont, and a basic supermarket brand (which despite its ‘sharp’ labeling was very bland).  Our selection of wines included six white, six red, and one rosé. 

Let’s begin by discussing the cheeses.  The most challenging one was the Gouda which, because it was the most aged, was also the sharpest and most intensely flavored.  At the other end of the spectrum, the supermarket Cheddar neither clashed with any of the wines nor was improved by them: it remained simply bland and innocuous.  The two most versatile cheeses were the Parmigiano and the Cabot cheddar, both of which have complex flavors but are relatively low in acid.  The Comté and Manchego, both deliciously nutty and flavorful, fell in the middle. 

Now to the wines:  Virtually every cheese overwhelmed the light and refreshing ones, whether white or red (a pretty little Albariño, for example, turned tasteless, and a delicate Pinot Noir lost its charm).  By the same token, unbalanced brawn didn’t match up well with the cheese, as we discovered in the case of a too-sweet and alcoholic Zinfandel and a way over-oaked Chardonnay.  Reds fared better overall than whites, for the same reason that red wine works well with red meats (the fattiness in both meat and cheese soften the wine’s tannins).  But the most interesting thing we learned from this exercise is that quality counts.  If the wine was harmonious and well-made, it was usually a good companion to the cheese, and vice-versa.  Conversely, despite the old adage, the cheeses seemed to amplify a wine’s faults, making the oak in that Chardonnay even more bitter and the alcohol in that Zin even hotter.  We were sampling only current release wines, but by the end of the evening we were sorely tempted to go down to the cellar for a fine older red.

In Europe, the cheese course is traditionally served at the end of the meal.  Here in the US, many folks like to present cheese as a before-dinner appetizer.  Cheese and wine pairing parties have become popular, and are a great way to gather people together.  Of course these diverse factors will have a bearing on the pairing.  Our advice, though, is that if you’re serving hard cheeses, be sure to choose fairly full-flavored wines.  And whether white or red, don’t stint on quality. 

Selection

Approx. Price

Comments

Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley (Washington) Cabernet Sauvignon Cold Creek Vineyard 2004

  $26

This young so forceful Cabernet softened when sipped with the cheeses.  Its tannins and overt oak flavors faded into the background, allowing the wine to turn supple and harmonious. 

Clayhouse Estate, Paso Robles (California) Estate Cuvée 2004

 $28

A blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Petite Sirah, this muscular wine more than held its own with even the most pungent cheese, the aged Gouda.  While it seemed all brawn and bluster when sipped on its own, the cheese calmed it down, making it an agreeably pliant partner.

Grant Burge ‘Barossa Vines,’ Barossa (Australia) Shiraz 2005

(Imported by Wilson Daniels)

 $15

Another example of a youthful, brash red that seemed to soften and quiet down with the cheeses.  It has plenty of flavor so was never in danger of being overwhelmed, but also never seemed dominant to the point of distraction.

J. Lohr, Arroyo Seco (Monterey County, California) Chardonnay Arroyo Vista Vineyard 2005

  $25

A rich, slightly honeyed but nicely balanced Chardonnay, this wine’s buttery character meshed nicely with the cheeses, particularly the Parmigiano Reggiano and the Manchego.

Tangent, Edna Valley (California) Pinot Gris 2006

 $17

Though not quite up to the strong taste of the aged Gouda, this wine proved delicious with all the other cheeses.  Its autumnal fruit flavors (apples and especially pears) made for a very satisfying pairing, especially with the Vermont cheddar.