CUISINE
ENTERTAIN LIKE AN EXPERT WITH A
GOOD MISSOURI WINE PAIRING
Cheese is a popular and delicious pairing for wine. But with the wide variety
of cheeses and Missouri wines available, how do you know what goes best
with what?
The good news is that there are no laws in the food and wine pairing department.
Part of the fun is trying your own pairings to see what complements your palate
the best. While experimentation is great, there are a few tasty recommendations
and guidelines that can help steer you in the right direction.
As a general rule, red wines typically pair well with mild to sharp cheeses,
and strongly flavored cheeses, like bleu or gorgonzola, go well with port and
a late harvest (sweet) wine. It might help to think of cheese in four different
categories by texture: soft, semi-soft, semi-hard and hard.
Some examples of soft cheeses are Brie, feta, goat, mascarpone, Muenster
and Neufchatel. The crisp, clean Seyval and the dry, full-bodied Chardonel are
great wines to pair with the softer cheeses. Missouri sparkling wine is also a
good match because the creamy textured cheeses tend to coat the mouth. The
bubbles act as an excellent palate cleanser.
Semi-soft cheeses have a texture that is just slightly harder than the soft
cheeses. The most common examples are Baby Swiss, Colby, Fontina, Havarti
and Morbier. Try a semi-sweet to sweet wine like Catawba with the Baby
Swiss. Stick with the drier Chardonel for the Havarti. These are great snacking
cheeses. Havarti is often made with chilies or other intense spices. If you’re
having a spicy cheese, try a slightly more complex wine like Chambourcin.
Semi-hard cheeses are less delicate than the others in the cheese family. As
they age, they become more pungent. Some common semi-hard cheeses include
Cheddar, Chesire, Colby-Jack, Gouda, Monterey Jack, Provolone, Roquefort and
Stilton. One of the most popular pairings in the wine world is the rich Stilton
with a sweet Port. The fruity white wine, Vignoles, is also a good match with
these types of cheeses. Other great options are medium-bodied wines like the
earthy Chambourcin and the dry, white Seyval.
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And finally, we arrive at the hard cheeses, which are some of the most intense
in the bunch. At times affectionately deemed “stinky cheeses,” Asiago, Gruyere,
Parmesan, Reggiano, Romano and Swiss fall into the hard cheese category.
These strong cheeses go great with the more tannic red wines like Norton and
Chambourcin. They will also pair nicely with the dry, white wine, Vignoles.
Again, this is only a guide. As you have seen, there are many Missouri wines
that pair nicely with various types of cheeses. The best way to find out what
you like is to try new combinations. Host your own wine and cheese party.
You’re bound to learn something new. The possibilities are endless.
Courtesy of Missouri Wines. For more tips and information, visit missouriwine.org.
GAZELLE STL