Recently I was given the opportunity to pair up the wines for two different charity events going on in the same city, at the same time. Both parties handed me lovely menu’s that were catered by great chefs and wanted a theme to their evenings, a lovely challenge that I was happy to rise to the occasion for. A week after both events I had feedback from the attendees at both parties that they loved the food and wine pairings, that the wines were very well received and that they are excited to make plans for doing something similar next year (now if I can just get them to not plan the events on the same evening)!What were the hardest items to get a handle on, not the themes, the appetizers or the entrees, the hardest part for was for sure pairing up the desserts and the cheeses. We will save desserts for another time and concentrate this month on Cheese!
In preparation for writing this blog I dug out a great gift I got from my wedding, the book “Cheese & Wine” A guide to selection pairing and enjoying by Janet Fletcher. Desserts I feel confident to handle without a lot of extra advice, but with Cheese, there is a real art to finding wines that balance in a harmonious way without being overpowering.
Let’s separate the two and start with a bit about the world of Formaggio and Vino!
PS – I may be a bit biased towards Italian Cheeses at the moment because of my recent trip to Castello Di Gabiano in Italy where I was taken on a multiple day adventure into the culinary world of Italy, but I do not forget going to the local market in Nice, France and picking out some delicious Charcuterie and Cheeses for an afternoon snack! If anyone has trip plans that bring them to Piedmonte, contact me for a tour and treat of seeing our friends making Quattro Leoni!Two Great “Dry Cheese” and Wine Pairings
Parmigiano – Reggiano – A dry, raw cow’s milk cheese
from Italy that belongs on a cheese board. This is not just a grating cheese, nor does the good stuff come in a plastic can or pizza shaker… the good stuff comes in large eighty-five pound wheels (trimmed down of course for one serving) and has been well aged (between 12 and 36 months usually). This lovely cheese gets a bit crystallized over time breaking into chunks. A couple lovely wine pairings for this are: as part of an aperitif with an unoaked sauvignon blanc based white, at the end of a meal with a rich medium bodied to full bodied red wine such as a Nebbilo based red or Zinfandel. From the Marquee portfolio I love the complexity shown with pairing either the 2008 Quattro Leoni – Monferrato Bianco or the 2006 Classy Lake County Zinfandel. We aren’t carrying one yet, but a dry amontillado sherry also makes a fine match!Manchego – A dry,
raw sheep’s milk cheese from Spain. Originating from La Mancha, this cheese does make me think of Sancho Panza ridding across the high plateaus in Central Spain with windmills in the background. At first taste this cheese usually brings up a sea-salt character that moves to a bit nutty. Some versions have very small holes in the cheese and the wheels are small and drum shaped – about four to eight pounds. If you are out and about at a local Spanish Tapas bar you will likely find this treat, a few good pairings I recommend would be a rich, Spanish Albarino or Portugese Alvarinho or at the end of your meal with a big red wine such as a Rioja or Monastrell . Try the 2008 Clemen Reserva Vinho Verde or 2007 Old Hands Organic Monastrell from Bodegas La Purisima in Yecla, Spain and you will not be disappointed!Two French Classics and an International Favorite
Brie – A raw or pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from France. A lovely cheese that combines an interesting texture with loads of flavor when served correctly. There is not one true Brie but several and they are controlled by the AOC governing board just as stringently as wines are. Brie de Meaux is generally considered the “bee’s knee’s” and in most cases the type exported to the US are pasteurized versions (the finest raw milk Brie’s do not meet the FDA’s import regulations because they are too high in moisture and insufficiently aged to the US standards). Brie is known for it’s rich, supple inside, buttermilk flavor and in many cases a hint of mushrooms. Small and disk shaped, the wheels are generally have a white downy exterior that is aging the cheese from the o utside in. As to wine pairings with this classic, I look to white wines with some body / texture, a rich Chardonnay such as the 2008 Marquee Signature Yarra Valley Chardonnay or a Loire Valley Chenin Blanc are good choices, as well as a more full bodied Pinot Noir (one from Oregon I love is the Penner Ash Pinot Noir) or something with a medium body and lighter tannins like a mellow Syrah or Merlot are a great pair. A new wine for Marquee that also fits this bill is the 2008 Rio Real Reserva from Lisboa, Portugal; Syrah based, but it has a bit of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz included with it for a more complex finish.
Mimolette – A pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from France. I could not write an article about wine & cheese and skip one of my favorites! This cheese is a bright orange /pumpkin in color and makes a striking statement on a cheese board! Shaped like a flattened ball this cheese comes in various sizes from five to nine pounds and is characterized by a thick, rind with small pockmark s. This cheese is semi-hard and with time brings out a bit of caramel or butterscotch that leaves a lovely finish. A great mix with apricots on a tray (note the similar orange coloration), I tend to usually only pair this wine with rich whites like white burgundy, oaked chardonnay’s or something with a nutty character like a light tawny port. My go to for under $15.00 retail is the 2008 Marquee Classic Chardonnay, the tropical flavors are a great compliment.Blue Cheese – OK so this is a stretch category because Blue cheese is really a general classification of either cow’s or sheep’s or goat’s milk cheeses that have had Penicillioum cultures added to them to become spotted, blue cheeses I thought I would concentrate on particular cheese in this category and some wines that pair well with it.
One interesting cheese that I love in this category is the “Roaring 40’s” Blue Cheese from King Island, Australia. If you ever see this cheese for sale and are looking for a treat, go for it. King Island is a small island just North of Tazmania and this is a handcrafted cow’s milk cheese made from that location. Encased in a thick wax for shipping it is noticeably sweet, mild, creamy and complex with a bit less saltiness than other well veined blue cheeses, this cheese exhibits a real nuttiness that keeps you coming back for more. After tasting this delight down in Australia over ten years ago I think the perfect companion for this wine is a smoky Australian Shiraz! Two lovely wines that take you back to Australia to compliment this wine are the 2007 Marquee Signature McLaren Vale Shiraz and the 2004 Silver Wings Old Vine Vincenzo. Both are complex wines and the spice with a smoky, rich backbone goes deliciously with Roaring 40’s.My last bit of information and assistance with your cheese and wine pairing advice is that to spice up any cheese board or plate you are making, toast / bake a few nuts in the oven for a lovely pairing on your plate. The caramelization from oven baking on the outside of the nuts makes a delicious treat that your guests / patrons will appreciate.
~C.Cribb
Christopher J. Cribb, CSW - cjcribb@marquee.com
GM – Marquee Selections
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