How to Pair Wine and Cheese: 3 Expert Strategies You Need to Know
Raise your hand if you're just slightly obsessed with wine and cheese!
Today I am giving you 3 ways to execute the most incredible pairings that will blow your mind. Believe it or not, there is a 'wrong' way to do it... but if you follow this primer you will be winning every single time.
Before you hit the ‘fancy cheese’ aisle, a couple of notes:
Set up your cheese display with cheeses in sequence from light, creamy, and delicate ranging up through dense, intense hard cheeses. We start with lighter-bodied cheeses and wines and then move into fuller, heartier flavors and textures to avoid what I call 'palate overwhelm.' Remember it's a marathon, not a sprint! I like to organize left to right, but clockwise is ok if you prefer a circular platter. And trust me--- you will want to save the blue cheeses for the grand finale.
Label your cheeses! One casual way to do this is to throw a roll of butcher paper down on your table and write the cheeses' names right on there with a Sharpie. Cheese markers like these are cute too!
Set your cheeses out at least 45 minutes before you plan to serve them to let them come up to room temperature for max enjoyment.
Dare to go naked: while it's smart to have some crackers or plain baguette slices on hand, if you're aiming for a focused exploration of the geekier nature, the cheeses are best tasted on their own. So forego the olive oils, jams, and other condiments- the wines are the only accompaniments you'll need.
Now that you're set up, here are my 3 secrets to creating mind-blowing pairings:
Pairing Secret #1: Texture Match
I believe the single most crucial factor in creating a successful pairing is pairing cheese and wines in the same weight class. Because we're striving for balance, pairing a light and creamy goat cheese with a massive, dense red wine would be a serious fail. Instead, try these harmony pairings that I have matched for their compatible textures:
Young, fresh soft goats milk cheese with a delicate and aromatic white like Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling
Semisoft cows milk cheese with a medium-bodied white like Chardonnay
Funky washed-rind cheese (like Talleggio) with a rich, floral and honeyed white such as Roussane or Viognier
Alpine-style cheeses like Gruyere, Emmenthaler, or Comte with a fresh and fruity red like Pinot Noir, Barbera or Gamay (the grape of Beaujolais)
Hard sheep’s-milk cheese with a rich and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Grenache/Syrah blends
Pairing Secret #2: Opposites Attract
On the flip side, sometimes a contrast pairing is also delicious. You can stick to the 'texture match' rules but play around a little bit with flavor. Maybe a rosemary-crusted cheese would be delightful when contrasted with a citrus-driven wine like Picpoul. Rosemary and lemon, one of my favorite combinations in food- and you can create this same kind of flavor contrast in your wine pairing. Another style of contrast pairing that is ALWAYS a home run is pairing nutty, savory cheese with a vibrant and fruity wine. I call it a "peanut butter and jelly pairing" because you get that same sweet and salty sensation. Think of it as PB&J for grownups!
Pairing Secret #3: What Grows Together, Goes Together
Wines and cheeses from the same region are brilliant pairings because they share a natural harmony. Think of tangy goat cheese from the Loire Valley paired with a beautiful Sancerre from that same region--- heaven! Even if you can't find wine and cheese from the exact same place, you can fake it if you follow the general concept. For example, I had Corsican rosé wine made from the Aleatico grape that I wanted to pair. It was bursting with the floral and herbal aromas known in Corsica as maquis (those 'Herbs De Provence' scents like rosemary, thyme, lavender, and sage). Corsica makes a sheep's milk cheese called 'Fleur de Maquis' by coating the wheels with herbs before aging, but I couldn't find it here. It turns out that Murray's, one of my favorite cheese sources, made their own local version called Hudson Flower, taking fresh cheese from Upstate NY and coating it with our own local herbs. Even though it wasn't technically a regional pairing, it was conceptually! And it was perfect.