Cheese and wine are popular partners and, in many ways, they have much in common: both depend on the local conditions and traditions in the place they are made and both vary according to how the underlying product – milk on the one hand, grapes on the other – is treated. And both can vary enormously, not just in taste but in texture, too.
So, a recent cheese tasting at local specialist shop, the grandly named ‘L’Affinage du Fromage’ was a perfect opportunity to learn more. And, although the accompanying wines were limited to a crisp, fresh white and a soft, fruity red, I inevitably started thinking about the wines I would serve to match each cheese sample.
We began with an artisan-made Brie and a similar soft, creamy cheese from Suffolk and my thoughts turned to a dry, quite rich white: perhaps a Mâcon-Villages or a white Rhône. A pair of ‘washed-rind’ English cheeses followed – the Oxford ISIS, washed in mead giving it a subtle sweetness, was particularly challenging. It might be interesting to try with an off-dry Vouvray but that’s just a guess!
The next cheese, a pungent Emmental, would need a wine with plenty of personality if it wasn’t to be blown away – and I’d leave any special bottles on the shelf as they wouldn’t show at their best. A simple Chianti or a full red from the south of France or Portugal might fit the bill.
And finally, onto a pair of blue cheeses, although both were quite restrained so the ‘port and stilton’ pairing wouldn’t work – the port would be too assertive. Instead, I would choose a delicately sweet white like a Coteaux de Layon or a Botrytis Semillon.
All in all, it was a fascinating tasting made special by Leo, the co-owner, whose knowledge and passion for his subject shone through with every cheese we tasted.
Wine talks and tastings 