Wine and Cheese Party: Part 2
ask an expert: wine pairing advicecanada
(Feb.16.10)
Don't miss our how-to on creating a cheese board!
In this two part series, Erin Rosar gives us wine pairing suggestions for our gourmet cheese board (instructions courtesy of Leslieville Cheese Market!)
Blue Cheeses: Blue cheeses can be tricky to pair with wines, as their mold veins give them very distinct flavours that can overpower most wines. For classic pairing with blue cheese, pair them with sweet wines, especially the wines from the region of Sauternes, in Bordeaux, France. These wines are created from a special mold called Botrytis that dehydrates the grapes and leaves behind pure liquid sugar for the wine makers to turn into wine. For a wine at a great value (and similar to the ones from Sauternes) try: De Bortoli, Noble One, Botrytis Semillon, Australia, $29– $35.
Hard: Pair hard cheeses with dry wine styles and remember this hint of pairing regional wines and cheeses together for matches that will always work well. Parmigiana Reggiano and your favourite Chianti Classico is a fabulous pairing. Aged Gruyere can take on a bit of a nutty flavour as it ages, so a full bodied, oaky chardonnay can work very well or for a different flavour profile, try a Riesling from Alsace, France.
Semi-Firm: Try semi-firm cheeses with a Pinot Noir or Zinfandel for a tasty pairing. These cheeses tend to be very smooth and soft in their flavours so choose wines that are low in tannin (mouth drying sensation) and more fruit forward to show them at their best. Pinot Gris can also work well as a white wine option.
Soft: Rich, creamy cheeses pair best with wines that share their same textures and a buttery chardonnay or chenin blanc both pair beautifully with these velvety cheeses. (Chenin blanc will be labeled as Vouvray when it comes from the Loire Valley in France - so look for that as well.)
Goat/Sheep's Milk: The naturally high acidity in goat cheese finds its perfect match when paired with the sauvignon blanc grape. These two together create one of the most classic wine and cheese pairings. When shopping for a wine, choose one from the Sancerre region in France or New Zealand, Chile or California.
Don't miss our how-to on creating a cheese board from Leslieville Cheese Market!
Renowned as Western Canada's favourite sommelier and fast-becoming a national name, Erin Rosar is the creator of 'Wine in the Kitchen' and founder of WG Wines based in Calgary, where she goes by the alter ego of Wine Girl (WG). She is also an instructor with the International Sommelier Guild and is a recognized sommelier with the Court of Masters Sommeliers out of London, England. Learn more about Wine Girl at www.wgwines.com.
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