Wine and Cheese Pairing by David Cragg

When a memorable tasty wine and cheese pairing, the only thing you have to know is: If it tastes good, do it! I’m sure you’ve heard all the best known chefs explaining about what cheese works with which wine; however, when you make your decision, 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 best recommendation is for you to be in a mood experimenting. Choose several cheeses and several wines. You will find one pairing that is best for you and another for someone else. You can't go wrong. wine and cheese pairing will create conversation. It will be interesting. It will be divine. And it will be amusing.

Cheese and wine are quite similar, and they have been enjoyed together since ancient times. Both result from fermentation. Both may be consumed while fresh, simple, and young or in their more complex forms when they are mature.

When joined, 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 apparently, if you’re researching this subject, you’re a snob like the rest of us, and with snobs, there’s no worry about faux pas in wine and cheese pairings — say like dining on Cheese Whiz while sipping boxed Franzia.

There are no hard and fast rules as to which wines should always be served with a distinct} cheeses. There is a general guideline that cheeses of a certain region are best paired with wines of the same region. But, just as one bottle of pinot noir from the Napa Valley is not like that of another vintage or another producer, neither is one quesco cotija exactly like another. Both are living and constantly changing. This is what makes pairing cheese and wine interesting as well as fun.

Even though it comes down to personal taste, certain guidelines have been approved by a majority of enthusiasts. Here are some of those general rules:

• White wines pairs favorably with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.
• Red wines pairs favorably with hard cheeses and milder flavors.
• Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines pairs favorably with a broader range of cheeses.
• The more tangy the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.
• Accord should always exist between the cheese and the wine. They should have similar intensities. There should always be a balance - strong and powerful cheeses should be paired with similar wines and light cheeses should be paired with lighter wines.
• A complete list of well paired wine and cheese groupings can be found at temecula-wine.net.

When offering many cheese choices in a wine and cheese pairing spread, white wines are better than reds. That’s because several cheeses, particularly soft and creamy ones, leave a taste of fat on your tongue that interferes with the flavor in reds, rendering them monotonous and bland.

Just the opposite, most of those sweeter whites pair with a full range of cheeses. The “sparkle” in a sparkling wine or champagne can help clean the fat in heavier cheeses.Therefore, the spicy zing of a Gewürztraminer or the peachy zip of a Riesling is a good choice if you’re going for wide-reaching appeal.

If you’re an adventurist and willing to try the stinkiest of cheese, pick a big wine to back it up. Try a French Bordeaux or a buxom California Cab. Ports and dessert wines are your best choice if you like mold-donned or blue-veined cheeses.

When serving several wines, choose Parmigiano or Romano cheeses. They go with most wines.

A Wine and Cheese Pairing Party to Remember

Here are several ideas for setting up a memorable and fun wine and cheese pairing party for your family:

• Purchase your cheeses in big wedges for an ideal arrangement.
• Cheeses should be presented at room temperature. Pull them out of the refridgerator a couple hours prior to your party.
• Serve most wines cool — whites between 50-55 degrees and reds between 60-65 degrees.
• Reds need to breath 15 to 20 minutes before you server them.
• Create handwritten name cards for all your cheeses.
• Display cheese on a pretty china platter a wood cheese board, or even a slab of marble .

Ultimately, the perfect wine and cheese pairing is not a rule. It is a match made on the palates of each person individually. Start with some basics and then try the new pairings. You may be surprised which couple will eventually be your choice.

About The Author

David Cragg is an SEO expert for the Temecula Valley with over 30 years of work with the biggest high tech companies. His work started with IBM and then was supported by Microsoft. Today he is retired and offers his assistence to winery managment to help with their SEO to help expand their businesses. You can read more about his work for Temecula wineries at http://temecula-wineries.net/AboutUs.html.