Cheese and wine bliss

"Buy on apples, sell on cheese" is an enduring adage of the wine trade. It's rooted in the simple fact that the acidity of fresh, raw apples makes most wines taste lean and metallic while the fatty, creamy texture of cheese buffs the edges and fills out the flesh of sharper, slighter wines. If a wine tastes good "on apples" it must be pretty serious, while lesser plonk gains gravitas when partnered with cheese.

 

But which cheese? Cheese and wine are inextricably linked, but one cannot match all wines with all cheeses. "The rule of red wine with cheese is as revered as the one dictating no wine with breakfast," wrote American wine buff Frank Prial, citing a challenge to the norm emanating from Germany's Schloss Vollrads in the Eighties. Diners may nurture their last drops of fine red awaiting the cheese, but sommeliers and top producers are privately known to favour full whites for that course.

As with all successful food and wine matching, understanding the components of the anticipated marriage eases the selection. Fruit, acid, tannin and wood in wine will all influence the outcome, as will the saltiness, fat content, moisture (hardness) and inoculated cultures used in cheese making. Protein amino acids are designed to break down as hard cheeses mature, gaining strength and piquancy. The fat of soft cheeses is encouraged by lipases to develop a seamless, creamy "mouthfeel" with ageing. But few hosts can or wish to serve a different wine with each cheese, so are there any wines which show versatility with the cheeseboard, and if so, are they white or red? And are there any definite "no-no's" when it comes to the match?

WINE set out to experiment. Five sets of distinct cheese classes were paired with three wines per flight. Wines were chosen to either echo or contrast with the predominant character of the cheese, with a wild card thrown in for good measure. And a group of discerning enthusiasts – interested enough to tackle palate fatigue but not (yet) tethered by dictum – were put to the task.

Fresh cheeses were represented by Mascarpone, literally solidified cream, and commercial Cream Cheese in both natural and sun-dried tomato flavoured forms. Villiera Chenin Blanc '99 took the laurels. Its freshness tempered the fat, the fruit matched that of the cheese and, if there was any doubt, then robust alcohol was in the wings. A fruity red (WhaleHaven Baleine Noir '98), served lightly cooled, was surprisingly harmonious but its structure – albeit soft – led to a tannic clang. An ordinary Blanc de Noir emerged immeasurably more so and the sundried tomato made life difficult.

Goats milk cheese is firmly Sauvignon Blanc territory. Feta and Chabris (unadulterated and herb-rolled versions), hand-crafted from Saanen milk by the Beaumonts of Canton Garden on Brushwoods outside Grahamstown, had their sharp saltiness focused by the compact steeliness of Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc '98 which carried extra breadth from time in the bottle. A light, unwooded white was overwhelmed and, as good as it was, the Bellingham '97 Pinotage suggested that both serious wines and Pinotage are probably best enjoyed away from cheese. Again, the herb flavouring detracted from the cheese-and-wine marriage.

The panel was still synchronised with "common wisdom" – but far from red wine with all cheese – when it came to a selection of soft/semi-soft white rind cheeses. Genuine Reblochon de Savoie (courtesy Au Jardin restaurant) oozed a plump, golden paste alongside local Camembert and tomato and basil flavoured Brie on the board. A delicate, floral Weisser Riesling was not up to the tangy fruitiness of the delicious cheeses, and that earthy glint of an otherwise excellent Genesis '97 Shiraz masked their ample fruit. The lemony suppleness and wood enhancement of Eikendal '98 Chardonnay ensured victory by several furlong. After three rounds, the whites were far ahead, flavourings – as with salted biscuits, pickles and savoury garnishes – were jagged icebergs in an otherwise lapping sea and good reds seemed better alone.

Red wine eventually showed its paces with mature, hard cheese. Plaisir de Merle '96 Cabernet Sauvignon's muscularity matched the nutty piquancy woven into the crumbly, grainy paste of both the high quality Franschhoek Truckles one-year mature Cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano (the real thing). Wooded Chardonnay was not far behind however. The Eikendal again had the fruit and structure to serve as a palette for the perfect cheese. A full, spicy Côtes-du-Rhône – often touted as the sole wine for a whole cheeseboard – disappointed (too full, too obvious) as did the 6-month mature commercial Cheddar that was waxy, rubbery and tasteless. If you have decent wine to throw at the cheese, don't waste it on lesser fare.

Palate fatigue – the phenomenon of sensory adaptation when sensitivity to a flavour diminishes with exposure – threatened as the blue-veined cheeses arrived. Aromatic Gorgonzola sourced from Truckles and imported Blue Stilton put an end to that. Their velvety, creamy texture, apparent sweetness and tangy lift in the mouth demanded wines of substance: wines with fruit, residual sugar and, perhaps, more alcohol. None of which were offered by even an opulent Cabernet. While IV Spears Noble Late Harvest '96 approximated the rule of Sauterne-style wine with blues, the stunning Die Krans '97 Vintage Reserve Port was in a league of its own with Stilton and it also carried the Gorgonzola without a sigh.

As the panel headed for a simple salad to freshen up, several pointers had emerged. No single wine can match a wide variety of cheeses, and if there is one, it's not red. Goats milk cheese demands Sauvignon Blanc, ripe semi-soft cheese wooded Chardonnay, mature hard offerings robust red and blue-veined varieties sweet or fortified bottlings. If there is one wine likely to do the trick it is lightly-wooded Chardonnay, and a thoughtful host may add a fruity, lighter red to the cheeseboard. Beware the maxim "the stronger the cheese, the bolder the wine" and save your precious bottle to drink on its own. If the wine is any good, don't waste it on (sadly ubiquitous) lesser cheese – head for the boutiques. Cheese flavourings and savoury garnishes are a minefield and, as confirmed by re-tastings, Pinotage is out of place in the dairy. Give it a try.

Winning matches

•  Fresh or cream cheeses: lighter, fruity whites
•  Goats milk cheese: Sauvignon Blanc
•  Soft/semi-soft white or washed rind cheese: wooded Chardonnay
•  Mature, hard cheese: bold red or wooded Chardonnay
•  Blue-veined cheeses: sweet or fortified wines

Do

• Select a wine style to match a specific type of cheese
• Whites are generally more versatile than reds: choose a judiciously wooded Chardonnay for a mixed cheeseboard; add a full, fruity red if you can
• Go the extra mile to find boutique cheeses to do justice to your carefully selected wine

Don't

• Risk your precious, delicately mature wine on cheese – enjoy it on its own
• Expect harmony if cheese flavourings, pickles or savoury garnishes dominate
• Contemplate Pinotage with cheese, it (sadly) just doesn't go

A safe and simple platter

CHEESE 

• Fresh cream cheese, served on a neutral base, or heightened with flecks of smoked Franschhoek trout for interest
• Ripe Camembert or Brie
• Undemanding semi-hard cheese such as Gouda
• Moderately mature Cheddar

WINES 

• Lightly-wooded Chardonnay
• Full, fruity red, not too serious

An extended platter

CHEESE 

• Fresh cream cheese
• Goats milk cheese
• Ripe Camembert, Brie or washed rind cheese
• Mature Cheddar
• Blue-veined cheese

WINES 

• Fruity, unwooded Sauvignon Blanc
• Wooded Chardonnay
• Full, robust red, not too old
• Sweet white or Tawny Port 

Over 400 cheeses to choose from

A first in South Africa, the National Cheese Festival at Agusta in Franschhoek from 14 to 16 April will provide a veritable feast for those passionate about cheese. Over 400 cheeses will be available for tasting from producers big and small – there are up to 200 cheese-makers nationwide. And with some of the smaller boutique cheeseries achieving outstanding quality, those in-the-know believe South Africa is finally on a par with the best internationally when it comes to goats cheeses, Port Salut type cheeses, some Brie and Camembert, Mature Cheddars and Ayrshire milk cheeses from Natal.

But, like wine, not every farmhouse can boast the same good standard. Some include herbs for the wrong reason – to mask the flavour instead of enhancing it – and some of the mass-produced products include colourants and flavourants. The Festival gives everybody an opportunity to experience the difference.

Of course, the festival would not be the same without the inclusion of wines from the area. Franschhoek wineries taking part include Stonybrook, Mont Rochelle, Rickety Bridge, Agusta and Jean Daneel. What's more, some of Franschhoek's top chefs will be preparing their favourite cheese dishes at the Festival.

Cheese shops of note

La Fromagerie at La Grange – Franschhoek (021) 876 2155

Truckles Traditional Cheese – Franschhoek 082 3377 393

The Mousetrap – Kenilworth (021) 671 1793

Fairview – Paarl (021) 863 2450

Melissa's – Cape Town (021) 424 5540

La Masseria – Stellenbosch (021) 880 0266

Glen Carlou – Klapmuts (021) 875 5596

Crèmalat Cheese – Johannesburg (011) 614 0278

Caesare Cremona & Sons – Roodepoort (011) 413 1027

Cheese Valley – Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal (039) 833 9060