The best pairings of cheese and wine. Pairing wine and cheese

Probably, many people like to eat cheese with wine and, indeed, this is one of the most successful flavor combinations. We are also his admirers and at one time we were happy to chew lamber along with Isabella of the Anapa Razliv (purchased directly in Anapa). However, a panacea this species snacks is not: you can’t, for example, serve the first cheese that comes across with any wine - the one you like. Even in such a seemingly simple matter - to choose cheese for certain brand wine - there are rules, which we will tell you about now.

General rules for pairing cheese and wine

When choosing cheese for a particular wine, follow these simple rules:
1. Mature cheese is suitable for aged wine.
2. White wine can be paired with spicy, savory cheeses and cheeses with a pronounced taste, red - with soft taste, delicate.
3. The sharper and more pronounced the taste of the cheese, the stronger the wine should be.

4. Long-aged wine in wooden barrels should not be served with cheese.
5. It is believed that wine and cheese from one region successfully complement each other, but they can also make a harmonious pair of products produced in another region.
Organizing festive feast, which will have several types of wines, include a cheese plate with different varieties cheese, given the brands of drinks offered.

What cheese goes with this wine?

And now we bring to your attention the most popular combinations of specific types of cheese with wine:
1) Boiled pressed cheeses such as Beaufort, Parmesan, Comte, etc. it is recommended to serve with calm white and fruity red wines. For example, red Beaujolais, white Chablis, Meursault, red and white Macon.
2) Unboiled pressed cheeses such as Cheddar, Edamer, Gouda, etc. are usually served with red wines: Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Merlot. Also, if desired, white wine of equal taste can be matched with unboiled pressed cheeses.
3) Cheeses made from sheep and goat milk, such as Chevre, St. Maur, etc., are combined depending on the consistency: delicate, fresh cheeses are served with light red fruit wines, and dry cheeses with white and rosé wines with fresh taste. For example: Sauvignon. Goat cheeses are very good with sparkling wines and champagne.

4) Fresh, creamy or curd cheeses- Ricotta, Mozzarella, Feta - recommended for light white and rosé wines. It is also possible to combine them with young red wines without astringent taste.
5) Blue cheeses with mold - Roquefort, Bleu de Cos, Danablou, etc. good with dessert wines, dry white wines with a pronounced taste and with fortified, strong red wines. For example: Porto Vintage, Sauternes, Chataneuf-du-Pape, etc.
6) Soft cheeses with a moldy crust, such as Brie and Camembert, are paired with both white and red wines. Light red wine is suitable for young cheese, stronger wine is suitable for mature cheese. So, together with Brie they serve: red Beaujolais Village and Chinon, white Puligny-Montrachet. Camembert is combined with Corbier and Bandol.

7) Soft cheeses with washed edges - Marual, Limburg, Epoisse, etc. suitable for strong red and dessert white wines. For example: Corton, Pauillac, Macon, etc.

How to make a cheese plate

A cheese plate is a plate or board with a cheese platter laid out on it. There may be several options for its design, for example:
1 - Cheese is laid out in order from tender to spicy varieties clockwise. By the way, cheeses should be tasted in the same sequence.
2 - Soft cheeses are placed in the center of the plate, and hard ones - along its edges.

When making cheese plate adhere to the following rules:
- before slicing, the cheese should be taken out of the refrigerator and left unpacked at room temperature for about an hour;
- you can cut the cheese into segments, so that each of the pieces has a core, crust and edge of the product, or you can in small pieces into which skewers are stuck;
- hard cheeses are cut with massive knives with double handles, and blue - special knife with fishing line;
- to separate contrasting varieties of cheese, pieces of fruit, nuts (almonds and walnuts) or a sprig of greens (for example, mint) are placed on a plate. From fruits, you should choose pineapple and kiwi for hard cheeses, grapes for blue cheeses, pears for blue cheeses.

Cheese platter should be served with several knives for shifting cheese from a common plate to portioned ones: it is advisable to have at least two knives - separately for sharp and delicate cheeses, so as not to mix their tastes. On each plate, it is desirable to have six basic cheese flavors: delicate (goat or sheep cheese), fresh ( white cheese), neutral (reblochon), pronounced (brie and camembert), sharp (hard aged cheeses) and savory, very sharp (blue cheese). However, you can form assorted, based on your taste preferences.

Cheese platter recipe:
- 50 g maasdam;
- 50 g camembert;
- 50 g of gouda;
- 50 g of cravasal;
- 50 g dor blue;
- 50 g of grapes for decoration;
- 10 g small crackers for decoration.
Cut gouda into small layers, the rest of the cheeses into triangles and arrange the cuts on a plate. Garnish with grapes and crackers.

Different types of cheeses go well with wine. At the same time, certain types form a more natural combination, since they either come from the same region or perfectly match the taste.
Wine Spectator suggests using the following list of combinations.

Cheese with a glass of wine is a delight, worthy of kings. It so happens that many of those who love cheese also love wine. Both of these products are very ancient history in addition, both products have many flavor options, which allows you to achieve the brightest, most unusual flavor combinations. It's safe to say that the pairing of wine and cheese is one of the most appealing in food culture. This explains the fact that countries known for their high culture of winemaking are most often famous and good cheeses(for example, France).

Cheeses are often said to have a “bouquet”, and many adjectives are used in relation to them, which also determine the properties of wine: aged, full-bodied, strong, sharp, fruity, delicious, herbal or grassy, ​​smelly or odorous, or flowery . Cheese odors range from the sweet aroma of fresh pasture to the sharp and acrid smell of rot, and as a rule, the most intimidating odors correspond to the most subtle and most delicate taste cheeses.

For their part, wines can be powerful, huge, muscular, thick. They can be tart or flexible, bouncy or calm, fruity, thirst-quenching, simple or rough. It is true that cheese can overpower some delicate, brittle old wines, but most wines pair well with cheeses, as long as the selected cheeses correspond to the nature of the individual wine.

Red wine with domineering, strong character and tart taste goes well with the taste of most aristocratic cheeses - Camembert, Cheddar, Parmesan, Gorgonzola, aged goat cheese.

To delicate cheeses (Saint Maur, Chavrou, Ram Brie) should be served with delicate aged red wines such as Graves from the Bordeaux region. Thin white wines without sourness are also suitable for such cheeses. It can be assumed that the wine can be the more acidic, the more intense the taste of the cheese. For example, smoked cheese can completely overwhelm the taste of delicate red wine, but a light Riesling with a distinct sourness is fully consistent with the dominant taste. this cheese.

Absolutely exquisite combination- noble blue cheese mold (for example, Trautenfelier from sheep's milk) - with heavily chilled fine wines from the declared grapes - Sauternes Alexis Lichine - in which, however, acid must be present.

The same wine, but with a higher residual grape content sugar is only suitable for extremely spicy cheeses made from goat's or sheep's milk. In France, in the Bordeaux region, Sauternes is traditionally served with Roquefort, a combination called "fortress and sweetness".

For example, soft cheeses with a white crust - Camembert, Ram Brie, White Prince are best in harmony with strongaged white wines Pouilly Fumé, Chablis Premier Cru, Bon Sant Vinh Chateau Meursault, Bourgogne Chardonnay Hospice DijonPatriarch, Sancerre, as well as with young red wines with a low content of tannin: Beaujolais Patriarch, Brouilly Patriarch, Bourgogne Pipot Noir Hospice Dijon Patriarch. At the same time, cheeses in the production of which red cultures took part - Austrian Moosbacher Saint Severin are good in combination with young white wine - powerful, rich, but not too elegant - Chenan, White Anjou, White Burgundy, Petit Chablis Patriarch, Toronto Etchart ( Argentina) or ordinary red wines of Beaujolais, as well as rich strong red wines - Cabernet Sauvignon, Côtes du Rum Pere Patriarchs, Chateauneuf dk Pape, Chateau Timberley Robert Giraud, Chateau O'Bayan Grave, Chateau Moulin de Bel Air.

Chavroux goat cheese is good with stronger rosé and white wines that have a more pronounced taste and with sufficient acidity - rosé wines of Roses d "Anjou and Tavel, but it can also be accompanied by red wines with a small amount of tannin - a substance that gives the wine astringency and astringent taste. Semi-hard cheeses such as Tilsiter and hard cheeses can be successfully served with a strong Riesling, or with a good white Burgundy wine (Pouilly Fusset, Meursault). Red wines with fresh fruit flavors are also acceptable (Beaujolais Village, Cabernet Sauvignon Remy Panier, Medoc wines). With very hard cheeses, Parmesan, Cheddar, Edam pleasant union form red wines with more high content extractive substances Chateau Tunnel Fronsac Robert Giraud, Chateau Côte du Ron Robert Giraud, Chateau Pelerin Robert Giraud. From cheeses with blue mold Roquefort, Ostekron, Alpen Bleu remains on the tongue light sweet taste, therefore, wines should also be taken sweet, such as French selected wine Chateau Timberley, Sauternes Alexis Lishim, Chateau Côte Bel Robert Giraud semi-sweet, as well as extractive white wines - Pouilly Fumé, Meursault, Vouvray.

The following statement is true - it is not necessary to serve wine with cheese well-known brand. Anyone who travels a lot may notice that cheese and wine from the same region tend to complement each other in the best possible way. For example, Georgian sheep cheese goes well with Georgian wines.

Of course, five or six types of different wines are not served simultaneously with an assortment of different types of cheese (cheese plate). In this case, the following rule applies: better wine, the more harmoniously it will be combined with any kind of cheese.

It is determined by a number of simple, in general, rules:

• combination aroma intensity: Full, intense wines pair well with strong flavored cheeses, while light, fruity wines are more suited to creamy, soft cheeses.

• it is important to use either similarity of tastes, or taste contrast. For example, classic combination fresh goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc because both have high levels of acidity and pair well. Another classic example is Chablis and Comté: the earthy, nutty flavor pairs well with the tannic flavors of some Chardonnays.

• cheese affects the taste of wine to a much greater extent than wine affects the taste of cheese: strong cheeses not to be paired with light wines

• creamy structure softens the tannin from the wine: Cabernet or tannic wines pair well with creamy cheeses

• hard cheese is best washed down with red wine

• soft creamy cheeses are best washed down with white wine

• if in doubt combine wine and cheese from one. This is not always the optimal strategy, but as a general trend it works well.

• White Chardonnay Best paired with young creamy cheeses. The creamier the cheese, the less oaky notes the wine should have. fit Chevre, Bel Paese.

• goes well with fatty cheeses, due to the fact that the brightness of the bubbles and carbonation penetrate well through any fatty layer in the mouth. Cheeses like Brie, Chevre, Gruyere, Provolone.

• Sauvignon Blanc goes well with Gruyere, fresh mozzarella. Suitable also goat cheese from Ile de France, which will well set off the wine with its saltiness.

• White wines from the Jura have a nutty flavor and go well with creamy soft cheeses such as Camembert.

• goes well with hard cheeses, for example with Etorki— with its velvet texture and its nutty, almost caramel flavor.

• They go well with cheeses due to their fruity flavor, balancing the taste of the cheese.

• well balance the salinity of strong spicy cheeses. The most antagonistic tastes are selected. Wine type Sauternes go well with Mascarpone, Brie, Roquefort and blue cheeses.

• Strong red wines require an intense taste of cheeses, while soft Pinot Noir and Merlot pairs well with medium cheeses, although they can be used with older cheeses too.

• Guilt Cabernet combined with Camembert, d blue cheeses, aged Gouda, parmigiano and gorgonzola.

• Merlot combined with camembert, romano, parmesan, gouda and gorgonzola.

• Pinot Noir combined with feta, gruyère, edamer.

• With port and mulled wine match well blue cheeses. Thanks to their noticeably sweeter taste, they perfectly complement the strong aromas of spicy blue cheeses such as St. Agur.

• Rose wines- get their color using the same technology as red ones - from contact with grape skins, but just for more a short time. These wines pair well with cream cheeses. Ile de France goat cheese goes well with Chateauumeillant rosés, Brie goes well with Orleans rosé, Roquefort goes well with extra dry rosé.

• Soft cheeses Roquefort or Saint-Agur pairs well with summer fruits such as peaches due to their naturally salty flavor. The resulting contrast is interesting in taste and refreshing. The combination of blue cheeses with strawberries has become a classic. Although it may be strange at first.

• Sheep cheese, type Etorki, thanks to its velvety structure and nutty flavor, it combines with juicy, bright taste summer fruit, for example, with melon.

The combination of wine and cheese in the form of a table:

Cheese and wine are one of the most harmonious duets in gastronomy. But all cheeses and wines are different, so how to combine them correctly is not an easy task.

For example, what wine is best for blue cheese? Usually the harmony between these two products is achieved in two different ways.

So that they complement each other, like goat cheese and sauvignon blanc - both products hyperacidity, or contrasted like sweet dessert wine and spicy blue cheese.

Ideally, tastes should be revealed on the tongue, and not interrupt each other. There are several basic principles match wine to blue cheese, which will help set the path in search of the best combinations.

Not all red wines go well with cheese. It is best to choose light fruity, simple wines like merlot or pinot noir. They are ideal for soft blue cheeses - camembert, brie.

The taste and aroma of these cheeses is notable for its considerable diversity, and therefore the wines combined with them are just as diverse.

They can be served with light red wines, with more mature cheeses of this type - stronger reds. White wines also pair well with these cheeses.

For example, red wines such as Alsace Pinot Noir, Beaujolais Villages, Chinon, Saint Emilion, Anjou Villages, Pomerol can be served with Brie. Among the white wines paired with Brie is Puligny Montrachet. Lighter wines go well with young cheeses, while strong wines go well with aged ones. The sharper the cheese, the brighter the aroma of the wine should be.

Red wines such as Corbieres, Bandol, Pauillac are suitable for Camembert cheese. Soft cheeses with a white rind are in harmony with strong white wine and young red.

If you prefer rich taste, then you'll love dense red wines with high tannins (which create an astringent sensation on the tongue) paired with spicy epuas, mature Camembert or even Roquefort.

Wine to blue cheese(Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Danablou, Fourmes d'Amber, Bleu d'Auvergne, Bleu de Cos, Bleu de Bres) are best chosen among dessert wines, as well as fortified and strong red wines, or rich dry whites.

Roquefort traditionally with sweet Sauternes is a French white dessert wine from the Graves, Bordeaux region, made from Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc and Muscadel grapes naturally exposed to the so-called "noble mold" botrytis.

Wines such as Sauternes, Barsac, Banyuls, Porto Vintage, red Gevrey Chambertin, Chateauneuf du Pape are also recommended for this cheese. Strong red wines such as Madrian, Gigiondas are suitable for Gorgonzola cheese. To Dor Blue - white and spicy wine.

And in general, all blue cheeses are known to be attracted to sweet wines, both white and red. They leave a special sweet aftertaste on the tongue and require the same sweetish wines (Chateau Timberley, Chateau Côte Bel Robert Giraud, Meursault, Vouvray).

Choice good wine to a cheese plate is not an easy task, because it usually includes 5-7 completely different types. In this case, it is recommended to either reduce their number to 3, complementing each other, or serve two types of wine.

White wines, unlike red ones, can be combined with almost any cheese. Red wine has a rich taste, and cheese leaves a greasy film on the tongue, which does not allow you to feel all its shades and frankly spoils the whole bouquet.

It is believed that white wines, especially spicy and sour ones, manage to reveal their taste better when paired with cheese. It is no longer fashionable to serve only Bordeaux red with Camembert. Now it is being tried paired with rich citrus notes of Pinot Gris from Alsace.

Everyone knows that wine and cheese harmonize well, complement taste qualities and each other's dignity. A selection of wines that go well with certain types cheese, revealing its taste facets as much as possible is a whole art.
At the same time, an incorrect choice can completely spoil the taste sensations from a good wine and expensive cheese. That is why, for harmonious combination it is necessary not only to know a lot about cheeses, but also to be well versed in wines. But first of all, you need to remember the basic rules and principles in choosing cheese, and we will start with them.

Here are some simple rules:

1. To the stronger and sharp species cheeses are better suited to stronger wines.
2. It is better not to serve wines with cheese that have been aged in natural wooden barrels.
3. Aged wines go well with neutral cheeses.
4. Wine and cheese from the same geographical area are in perfect harmony with each other.

All cheeses can be conditionally divided into hard and soft

As a rule, hard cheeses have yellow and have a dense texture. During production, such varieties of cheese are placed in large containers in which they ripen from one to twelve months. During this time, cheeses acquire a rich aroma and bright taste.

Soft cheeses are varieties that have a soft and creamy texture. Such cheeses are produced without final processing. They may have a crust, which may or may not be of natural or moldy origin.

Consider the most popular wine pairings with various varieties cheese.
Red wine goes well with hard varieties cheese. Red wine contains tannins, which harmonize perfectly with the bright and salty taste of hard cheese.
The most suitable wines for hard cheeses include Merlot, Pinot noir, Chianti and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gouda cheese goes well with red wine Merlot, Bordeaux and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The piquant taste of cheddar will be in perfect harmony with wine from Italy Barollo. Chic combination - cheddar cheese with red wine Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wine from the French region of Bordeaux or Spanish Rioja is perfect for hard cheese Manchego, which has a long exposure of at least two years.

Parmesan cheese is in harmony with Italian classic wine- Chianti. This thick wine will perfectly counter the saltiness of this cheese.

For soft varieties cheese also has its best wine pairings.
The taste of soft Camembert is known for its particular difference, so the wines that go with this type of cheese can also be very different. Pinot noir, Bogele, Chinon have proven themselves well.

For Gorgonzola, Danablo, Roquefort, Gevrey-Chambertin, Châteauneuf-du-Pape can be recommended in the best way.
For cheese made from goat milk(Saint Maur or Chevre) Valpolicello Classic or Pinot Noir is served.

Concerning processed cheese, then such cheese, as a rule, is not served with wine. But, if you still decide on such an experiment, fresh red wines will be the most suitable and harmonious.

Let's say a few words about serving cheese with wine. The main and main rule when forming a cheese plate will be the following - you need to form slices from a younger and fresh cheese, to more sustained. Snacks may include nuts, croutons, onion marmalade, and fresh fruit.

But it should be remembered that you should not dwell on the rules and recommendations outlined, because in gastronomy, as in everything else and everywhere, there is a place for experiments and innovations. Try new combinations and surprise yourself and your friends with new flavors and fresh ideas!