Both are part of the French way of life. Both are envied around the world… A winning duo? Our tips for making the best wine and cheese pairings.
What wine to serve with cheese?
It is customary to serve cheese with red wine, however, most specialists agree that it is not the color of wine that best suits cheeses! In effect, tannins in red wine would not go well with the acid notes of the cheeses and might even give them a bitter taste! Obviously, there are exceptions but, most often and/or in case of doubt, it is better to choose a white wine!
Among the simplest solutions? Refer to a well-known tip for cooks who know that pairing products from the same region is often a good idea. And that also applies in the present case. The good idea? Choose a wine from the same region as the cheese. Chaource and Chablis, both originating from Yonne, Camembert and a local wine from Calvados, etc.
Which wine for which cheese?
When we talk regarding cheese, we generally distinguish 8 large families according to their textures and their particularities. For each, we tell you which is the most suitable wine:
- What wine with fresh cheese?
In this family, we find cheeses with a high water content and a creamy texture. In terms of taste, they are rather sweet and barely acidic. This is the case with cottage cheese… and let’s face it, it’s not really the type of cheese with which we plan to drink a glass of wine!
- What wine with a soft cheese with a bloomy rind?
Covered with a light whitish down (due to the development of a fungus), they are very creamy, unctuous, and melt in the mouth. In this family, we find, among others, Brie de Meaux, Brillat Savarin, Coulommiers, Neufchâtel, Norman Camembert… Soft, rich, these cheeses need to be served with a wine capable of creating a contrast. We opt for a wine whose acidity will reduce the fat of triple cream cheeses. The right choices? A dry white wine (vin de Savoie, Chablis, Givry, etc.) and, why not, champagne!
- What wine with a soft, washed-rind cheese?
What are the particularities of the cheeses of this family? A cream-colored paste and a soft, orange crust and, above all, a strong smell! It is in this family that Livarot, Maroilles, Munster, Pont-l’évêque, Époisses, Mont d’Or are classified… To accompany them? Choose a sweet or syrupy wine.
- What wine with a cooked pressed cheese?
This is the family in which we find Gruyère, Beaufort, Abondance, Comté, Parmesan… What do they have in common? They are bulky and have a little fruity taste even if their texture can be both moldy and firm. With it, we choose a wine with fruity notes like a white Burgundy.
- What wine with an uncooked pressed cheese?
Their secret? Their rind (whose thickness varies according to the ripening period) and which gives all their flavor to the cheeses of this family. In this family? We find the cantal, the mimolette, the ossau-iraty, the raclette fermière, the saint-nectaire, the saint-paulin, the reblochon, the tomme de Savoie. With their softness and smoothness, uncooked pressed cheeses need acidity and fruity notes. Pinot noir, Jura wines, most white Burgundies go very well with this type of cheese…
- Which wine with blue-veined cheese?
Blue cheeses? They exhibit blue-green mold due to their manufacturing process. Gorgonzola, Bleu des Causses, Bleu d’Auvergne, Fourme d’Ambert, Roquefort… Their best allies when it comes to wine? Sweet, light wines, to create an agreement with these characterful cheeses! We choose an Sauternes, un Gewurztraminer, un Banyuls…
- What wine with goat cheese?
Regardless of their shape, their appearance, the duration of their ripening… all these cheeses are made from goat’s milk! Like bichonnet, chabichou, crottin de Chavignol… With goat’s cheese, opt for the acidity of a semi-dry white wine or the roundness and fruity notes of a sweet wine (Vouvray, Loupiac, Pinot blanc, Sancerre blanc, Sauvignon blanc…)
- What wine with melted cheese ?
Cooked and runny, processed cheeses are made from a mixture of dough or a mixture of cheese and butter/milk/cream. In this family we find the cancoillotte – aka the least caloric cheese -!
What red wine to serve with cheese?
serve red wine with cheese ? For many it is heresy or, at best, too much audacity! But serving a good bottle of red with the cheese platter isn’t necessarily a bad idea! Indeed, some pressed cheeses can go very well with this type of wine, especially when the red wine is a little mineral or has notes of red fruits… With Cantal, Reblochon, Beaufort, Saint-Nectaire … We dare red Bordeaux, red Saint-Emilion … The choice being already audacious, we rather recommend opting for a young red winenot very tannic and rather light.
Read also:
-
The French and cheese
-
Why cheese is good for your health
