Marcia Abramson
This phenomenon started in Europe and spread to Napa Valley, California on the American West Coast, the Finger Lake region of New York State, South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. I particularly remember going off to inspect the Hungarian wine cellars outside of Budapest, and finding rows upon rows of one story bungalows defined as “wine cellars” and presided over by wine masters who served healthy samples from gourd shaped funnels. And of course America’s Francis Ford Coppola the famous motion picture director’s vineyards that produce Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Tempanillo, Pinot Grigio Bronze, and Riesling.
I learned a great deal about “Wine and Cheese” at Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, WaterColor, the celebrated coastal resort with a Southern simplicity and grace. with classic Southern homesteads on more than 499 acres of planned neighborhoods, parks and trails, situated between the Gulf of Mexico and a natural 220-acre coastal dune lake and a super above ground win ‘cellar’. A classic pairing is cheese and wine=like truffle and egg or lamb and mint. The two have been eaten together for thousands of years. In fact, I understand that the ancient Greeks used to grate cheese directly into their wine goblets. Both are products of fermentation and may be consumed while fresh, simple, and young in their complex forms when they are aged and mature.
Additionally, I found that there are no hard and fast rules as to which wines should be served with hard and soft cheeses, but harmony should always exist between the cheese and the wine. They should have similar intensities with a balance of strong and powerful cheeses paired with similar wines and more delicate cheeses with lighter wines.
For instance:
Young, mild, and milky cheeses such as fresh goat cheese with light, fruity delicate wines such as Sauvignon, Blanc and Beaujolais.
Assertive, strong-flavored cheeses such as Provolone, with young, robust red wines such as Chianti and Chianti and Syrah.
Aged, mellow cheeses such as Parmigiano and Gouda with old, robust wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.
Strong, pungent cheeses such as Pont l’Eveque or Taleggio with young, full-bodied wine such as Merlot, or sweet desert wines such as late-harvest Reislings and Sauternes.
Soft-ripened cheeses like Brie and Camembert with full favored Chardonnays or Champagne.
Tangy, strong goat cheeses such as Crottin di Chavignol with Burgundies.
Blue Cheeses such as Roquefort and Stilton with sweet dessert wine like Port or Sauternes.
Soft, rich cheeses without overpowering flavors are best with fine, older wines according to many sommeliers.
Here are some additional wine and cheese pairings guidelines suggested by many wine aficionados: [BULLET THESE PLEASE]
White wines match best with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.
Red wines match best with hard cheeses and milder flavors.
Fruity and sweet wines (not dry) and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses.
The more pungent the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.
I also learned from wine enthusiasts that the more cheese choices in a wine and cheese pairing spread, white wines fair better than reds. The reason being that several cheeses, particularly soft and creamy ones, leave a layer of fat on the palate that interferes with the flavor in reds, rendering them monotonous and bland. Quite the opposite of whites, most of them complement a full range of cheeses.
Lastly, if you’re a cheese adventurer, and go for the stinkiest of cheeses, a big wine like a French Bordeaux or a buxom California Cab.
Fondues first were recorded in Homer’s Iliad. Its ingredients consisted wine, grated goat’s cheese and white flour. Then many centuries later Swiss communal fondue appeared on the scene as a food preservation method. The Swiss food staple bread, raciette-like cheese made in summer and fall to last through the winter months. However the bread aged, dried out and became so tough that only an axe could chop it up. The solution was to heat up the hard cheese, the wine and dip the bread into the wine and melted cheese sauce. Fondues became very popular in the United States in the 1960s. They are made from a plethora of artisan cheeses that include brie, classic Alpine Swiss, cheddar, Wisconsin Tri cheese and are great for noshing,, full meals and chocolate dipping desserts. Imagine delicious Fondues made from Brie, parve kosher bacon, wine; Spinach, Artichoke Cheese; and Cheddar with Newcastle Ale, Chives and Paprika.
We can hardly forget he iconic Cheeses Cake made from cream cheese that dates back to the Greeks nearly 3000 years ago. As a matter of fact Marco Polo returned from his travels and reported that the Mongols simply left skimmed milk out in the sun to dry or that buttermilk or skimmed milk was reduced by boiling and made into a cheese, a procedure still in use today. Philadelphia Cream Cheese made by the Kraft Company is considered the Basis for the only real Cheese Cake made in New York. This dessert calls for the bubbly Champagne.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
wines and cheeses from the same geographic region.
