The tricks to cheese and wine pairing
Clichéd or iconic?
Considered by many to be perfect bedfellows, pairing cheese and wine is in fact a challenging task. Do they really bring out the best in each other?
No-one seems to know exactly when or how people became fixated on the idea of pairing wine and cheese. Truth be told, the idea of pairing tannin with cheese often sounds better than it tastes. As many wine and food pairing experts point out, cheese is one of the trickiest foods to match. The pungent flavours of most cheeses easily dominate subtle, delicate flavours of well-made wines.
According to Katinka van Niekerk, author of The Food & Wine Pairing Guide, factors that make most cheeses difficult to pair include strong taste and equally powerful aromas, high salt, fat and acid content, and their mouthcoating texture. As Katinka points out, cheeses also differ from cheese-maker to cheese-maker, so although there are general pairing rules that one can follow, an aged cheddar from one producer may pair very differently to a younger cheddar from another producer.
As a general rule, white, fresh cheese should be partnered with a crisp wine, while rich, soft cheeses can be paired with a bolder white wine, like an oaky Chardonnay or even a red. Although many believe that the harder and darker the cheese, the heavier and richer the style of wine, this is not always a successful pairing. “The theory of pairing a ‘big’ cheese with a ‘big’ wine flops more often than it succeeds,” says Katinka. Don’t waste your best wine on cheese. Although you might get lucky with the pairing, chances are that your blockbuster will be steamrolled by the flavours of most cheeses.
When pairing wine with cheese, there are a few critical things to look out for:
TANNIN
Tannin in wine can stifle the nutty richness of cheese. Too much tannin, when paired with a particularly mouth-coating cheese, can really leave the inside of your mouth feeling like fur. If you particularly want to drink a red with a hard cow’s milk cheese, look for wines with soft tannins (a Pinot Noir, for instance).
TEXTURE
When matching wine to a cheese, Katinka suggests that you either match or contrast the texture of the wine to the texture of the cheese. For instance, a flavoursome, veiny blue would pair well with a sweet, rich, full-bodied Noble Late Harvest, matching the richness of the cheese. Alternatively, a Cap Classique with bracing acidity will serve as a wonderful contrast – and palate cleanser!
ACIDITY
We know that wine has acidity, but did you know that cheese also has a natural acidity? Try to match an acidic cheese with an acidic wine – like a fresh, soft Chevin with a bright and crisp Chenin Blanc.
ASK THE EXPERTS
One of the few wine-cum-cheese farms is Fairview, which produces 65 tonnes of cheese a month. Since the team specialises in cheese as well as wine, there couldn’t be better people to ask about the art of matching cheese with wine.
According to Billie Lambrechts, Fairview communications manager, Sauvignon Blanc is hard to beat when it comes to choosing a wine to pair with cheese, particularly with Chevin (goat’s cheese). Riesling works well with creamy, softer cheeses such as camembert and brie, while sweet wines will pair well with just about any cheese – particularly a veiny blue.
When it comes to cheeses such as Chevin rolled in garlic and herbs, or cream cheese hand rolled in chakalaka, it’s no longer a cheese and wine pairing. “The moment you add an additional flavour to cheese it becomes a food and wine pairing,” says Billie. Cheddar is the only cheese that she would pair with something other than wine. She suggests pairing it with a Scotch whisky. For cheesery manager Louis Lourens, the ultimate pairing is Fairview’s Roydon camembert with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc “or a nice draft beer”. “Anything goes” when it comes to cheese and wine pairing says Louis. “That’s what makes it fun.”
PERFECT PAIRINGS
Clearly there is no perfect science behind cheese and wine pairing. So, the Wine team decided to put cheese and wine pairings through its paces at Caveau, a restaurant and wine bar at Josephine Mill in Cape Town (tel 021 685 5140). Here we tried a selection of varying flavour profiles and textures and through trial and error tried to find the perfect pairings.
LA PETIT CAMEMBERT
Made from cow’s milk, this cheese is matured over three months with intense flavours. Best pairing: Nicolas van der Merwe Sauvignon Blanc 2007
ASIAGO
A young cow’s milk cheese. Semi-firm with a slight spicy taste that also hints at berries. Best pairing: Marklew Chardonnay 2009
DRUNKEN PECORINO
A truly inspired name for a cheese! Four to six months matured then immersed in special wine must which permeates the cheese giving it a fermented tang. Then matured again for further six months. A powerful cheese with a distinct red rind. Best pairing: AA Badenhorst White Blend 2007
GORGONZOLA
A veined blue cheese. Also known as dolcelatte (a milder version of traditional gorgonzola), being sweet milk. Soft, full cream and rich taste. Best pairing: Vins D’Orrance Syrah Cuvee Ameena 2006
CUMIN GOUDA
Classic Dutch cheese made from unpasteurised milk. Matured for four months with cumin to provide a strong, distinctive flavour. Best pairing: Paradyskloof Pinot Noir 2008
HUGUENOT
A true South African cheese. Semi-hard. Made from cow’s milk matured for 12 months. Nutty characteristics. Best pairing: Hartenberg Pontac 1999
SWISSLAND GOAT’S BRIE
Saanen goat’s milk from KwaZulu-Natal at its purest and freshest. Mixture of goat’s milk from four farms. A powerful, runny cheese. Best pairing: Nicolas van der Merwe Sauvignon Blanc 2007
SAINTE MAURE
A classic, moulded Chevre made from Saanen goat’s milk. Soft and delicate flavour. Best pairing: AA Badenhorst White Blend 2007
FAIRVIEW’S LA BERYL
South Africa’s first washed rind cheese, made in a style similar to Pont-l’Évêque. Characteristic orange colour and, during the ripening process, it develops a unique and particularly pungent aroma and flavour. Named after winemaker Charles Back’s mother. Best pairing: Peter Bayly white Port
