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When putting together a tasty wine and cheese pairing, the only thing you have to know is: If it tastes yummy, do it! I'm sure you've heard all the most knowledgeable chefs explaining about what cheese works with your choice of wine; however, when you make your selection, it's all about personal taste. You may prefer one cheese with a particular wine while someone else may like an entirely different pairing. My recommendation is for you to be ready for for a fun afternoon. Choose several cheeses and several wines. each person will find what combination is best for themselves. You can't go wrong. It will create conversation. It will be a great time. It will be divine. And it will be enjoyable.
Cheese and wine are quite similar, and they have been enjoyed together since olden days. Both are products of fermentation. Both may be consumed while fresh, simple, and young or in their more abstuse forms when they are mature.
When put together, wine and cheese bring out the best in each other, and even the experts can't agree on any rules for the wine and cheese pairing game. Now obviously, if you're researching this subject, you're a highbrow like the rest of us, and with snobs, there's no worry about bloopers in wine and cheese pairings say like nibbling american cheese while sipping boxed Franzia.
There are no hard and fast rules as to which wines should typically be served with a precise cheese. There is a general guideline that cheeses of a certain geographic country are best enjoyed with wines of the same country. But, just as one bottle of zinfandel from the Temecula California is not like that of another vintage or another producer, neither is one goat cheese exactly like another. Both are living and constantly changing. This is what makes marriing cheese and wine interesting as well as fun.
Even though it comes down to personal taste, certain traditions have been supported by a majority of enthusiasts. Here are some of those general rules:
o White wines combines best with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.
o Red wines combines best with hard cheeses and milder flavors.
o Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines combines best with a broader selection of cheeses.
o The more snappy the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.
o Rapport should always exist between the cheese and the wine. They should have similar intensities. There should always be a correspondence - strong and powerful cheeses should be paired with similar wines and delicate cheeses should be paired with lighter wines.
o A complete list of well paired wine and cheese groupings can be found at temecula-wine.net.
When offering several cheese choices in a wine and cheese event, white wines are recieved better than reds. That's because several cheeses, particularly soft and creamy ones, leave a after taste of fat on your tongue that interferes with the taste of reds, making them monotonous and bland.
Quite the opposite, most of those sweeter whites nicely complement many of cheeses. The "sparkle" in a sparkling wine or champagne can help break through the fat in heavier cheeses.Therefore, the spicy zing of a GewÃrztraminer or the peachy zip of a Riesling is ideal if you're going for a wide appeal.
If you're willing to try new things, pick a big wine to back it up. Try a French Bordeaux or a buxom California Cab. Ports and dessert wines are your good combination if you like mold-donned or blue-veined cheeses.
For a safer bet when serving several wines, choose Parmigiano or Romano cheeses. They go with most wines.
A Wine and Cheese Pairing Party to Remember
Here are a few ideas for setting up a memorable and fun wine and cheese pairing gathering for your family:
o Purchase your cheeses in large blocks for a memorable arrangement.
o Cheeses should be presented at room temperature. Pull them out of the fridge a couble of hours prior to your gathering.
o Serve most wines fairly cool — whites between 50-55 degrees and reds between 60-65 degrees.
o Let your reds breathe 15-20 minutes after you open them.
o Make handwritten name cards for all your cheeses.
o Display cheese on a cheese tray, a wood cheese board, or even a nice piece of china.
Ultimately, the perfect wine and cheese pairing is not a guideline that professional chefs dictate. It is a match made on the taste buds of individuals of all tastes. Start with the basic guidelines above and then rebel with the unfamiliar. You will be surprised which pairings will be your choice pairings. |
