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Photographs by Katherine Bish and Kevin A. Roberts
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Cheese is the natural bedfellow of wine’s acidity and tannins. It’s no coincidence that some of the best cheeses in the world are produced near or within some of the most renowned wine regions. The phrase “What grows together goes together” could not be more apropos. Much like the wide range of wine styles, cheese, too, has variations that require different wines to make them shine. It has been my personal experience that sweet and/or off-dry styles of white wine tend to pair better with cheese than heavy, tannic red wines. That said, here are a few factors to consider the next time you shop for that wonderful milky love we call cheese.
Consider regional wines first. So often, the wines that come from the same region as the cheese pair with it the best. There is a reason why chèvre, a tangy goat cheese from France’s Loire Valley, goes so well with crisp, unoaked sauvignon blanc from the same area.
The type of milk used determines how much body the paired wine needs to have. Sheep’s milk can be quite assertive, requiring hearty, earthy red wines like a red Rioja or a Ribera del Duero. Cow’s milk can be milder, and works best with a milder red wine, such as cabernet franc, Sangiovese, or aged red Bordeaux. The tanginess of goat’s milk tends to work best with high-acid white wines like sauvignon blanc, Albariño, and dry Riesling.
Determine if the cheese is a washed-rind style or not. Cheeses with a rind that is periodically washed as it ages tend to be assertive and work better with off-dry styles of wine like Alsace’s pinot gris and muscat. Also consider thin-skinned reds and Grenache-based wines.
Next, consider the texture of the cheese. Semisoft, semihard, double-crème, and hard cheeses all demand different styles of wine. For styles from semisoft to triple-crème, seek out dessert wines with a luscious sweetness to complement the lush texture of the cheese. In the case of semihard to hard cheeses, I have found that spicy, hearty red wines work best, as the denseness of the cheese works well with the tannins in those wines.
Last but not least, buy your cheese at a local wine shop. The selection, quality, and the level of expertise available is unmatched by any other source. You will walk out with some wine, some cheese, and plenty of reasons to return again.
The wines pictured—selected by The Wine Merchant in Clayton based on Hoel’s general suggestions—are (from top to bottom):
• 2005 Le Tertre du Lys d’Or
Sauternes ($19.99)
• 2008 Langhe Nebbiolo
($22.99)
• 2009 Domaine Beauregard
Muscadet ($12.99)
• 2005 Torre Muga Rioja
($89.99).
