Tag: Wine Pairings with Cheese
White Wine Collection – Perfect Cheese Pairings for your Favorite Whites
We previously told you all about some of the best cheeses in our Red Wine Collection.
Today, we are going to take you through our White Wine Collection. We’ll show you all of the cheese and offer wine pairing ideas. This collection comes with ample cheeses to serve up to 20 guests. If you’re having a huge celebration this year, why not get both?
Amish Butter Cheese
This is one of our premium local, Ohio cheeses. Amish Butter Cheese is rich and creamy; it certainly lives up to the ‘butter’ in its name! This is a pale cow’s milk cheese with a similar flavor to Havarti. It is ideal for melting, as a snack cheese or as part of a cheeseboard.
An ideal pairing for such a smooth cheese is a glass of Chardonnay. The rich, golden wine with hints of vanilla will sit perfectly with your Amish Butter Cheese.
Wisconsin Brick Cheese
An American original, Wisconsin Brick Cheese is medium-soft, slightly sticky, and crumbles easily. It starts with a sweet, mild flavor, and matures into a strong, ripe cheese. The cheese curds are pressed with clay-fired bricks into a brick-shaped cheese, hence its name.
Try your Wisconsin Brick Cheese with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. This is a full, fruity wine with flavors of citrus, tropical fruits, and floral notes. This will add flavor when eating a young brick cheese, whilst standing up to the strength of an aged cheese.
Gouda
Gouda is a yellow cow’s milk cheese with a wax coating. It undergoes a process known as “washing the curd”. The milk is heated until the curd separates from the whey, some of the whey is drained, and water is added. This creates a sweeter cheese because of the removal of some of the lactic acid. Gouda originates in the Netherlands, and ours is imported from there, so you know you are getting an authentic cheese.
Gouda’s caramel sweetness, along with a slightly crunchy salt, make it a very versatile cheese for drinks pairings. For white wine pairings, you might find, like some of our other cheeses, that Chardonnay works well. However, if you want to try a variety of wines, then a Pinot Grigio pairs well with Gouda. This light, fruity wine won’t overpower the cheese but will enhance its honey tones.
Amish Country Swiss Cheese
Our Amish Swiss Cheese is made in Pearl Valley, Ohio and we truly believe that it’s the best. It has a nutty, bittersweet taste and the recognizable holes that we expect from Swiss cheese. These are created by natural bacteria used in the process of making the cheese. They consume the lactic acid in the cheese and release carbon dioxide gas which forms bubbles and creates the perfectly round holes.
For wine pairings, try going back to the cheese’s European roots with a Gewürztraminer. This is an aromatic wine that will complement the nuttiness of the cheese. Sometimes it has a little ‘spritz’ to it which gives it a lightness and makes it perfect for a celebration.
If you want to add some extra cheeses to your white wine pairing board, then Gruyere, Parmesan, Mozzarella, and Provolone are all great options.
Pick up our White Wine Collection today!
Red Wine Collection – The Best Cheeses to Pair with Your Favorite Red
Looking to celebrate with your loved ones this holiday season?
One of our favorite additions to a Thanksgiving or Christmas party is our Red Wine Collection. We’ve chosen a great selection of cheeses, perfect for pairing with red wines. This collection will serve up to 20 guests, so it’s perfect for those celebratory moments.
Read on to find out all about the cheeses included and the wines that will make them shine!
Asiago
Asiago is an Italian sister of Parmesan cheese. It is aged anywhere from three months up to a year and will vary from semi-firm to firm. Its taste is similar to Parmesan, although its texture is less crystallized. It is delicious eaten with crackers and fruits, such as figs, pears, and plums.
Cabernet Sauvignon is flavor red wine choice to accompany your Asiago. The tanginess and salty, buttery qualities of the cheese will cut through the dark fruit, tannins, and spice of the wine. Alternatively, a Merlot can be an excellent choice.
Danish Blue Cheese
Blue cheeses are made with Penicillium cultures which create the blue veins this cheese is known for. They are aged in a temperature and moisture controlled environment to replicate a cave. Danish Blue is moderate in sharpness with a creamy finish.
Because of its depth of savory flavor, you will need to look for a sweet wine that works alongside the richness. flavor examples include a Port or Sauternes if serving cheese after dinner. For blue cheese based appetizers or entrées, a robust red such as a Shiraz or Syrah will work wonders.
Gruyere
Gruyere is a sweet and nutty cheese, which develops a salty earthiness as it ages. Originating in Switzerland, it is often used as the basis for a fondue. It is aged from five months up to a year, giving it a compact and slightly grainy texture.
Grenache or Syrah work well with Gruyere as they are not too rich and will allow the cheese to be the star of the show. For something a little more unusual, try a Cinsault. All of these fruity reds will blend with the sweetness of the cheese to create an exceptional flavor profile.
Romano Pecorino
Another Italian imported cheese, Romano Pecorino boasts a firm texture with a fantastic saltiness. Made from sheep’s milk, it has a very distinctive flavor that is an asset to any cheese board. The cheese is pressed with a weight to remove all of the whey and then covered with salt. This imparts the incredible flavour that the cheese carries.
For a full Italian flavour, pair this cheese with a Chianti. This is a dry red wine with high acidity and plenty of fresh berries perfect for the salty flavor of this cheese.
To make this a really fun celebration we suggest picking up our Red Wine Collection, inviting friends and family over, and encouraging each of them to bring a bottle!
If you are looking to add some extra cheeses to your red wine pairing board then Brick, Parmesan, Cheddar, Havarti and Ohio Premium Swiss are all good options.
What are you waiting for? Try our Red Wine Collection today!
The Best Wine and Cheese Pairings
Wine and Cheese
Wine and cheese are two of life’s great culinary pleasures, and finding the perfect match can be a delicious, and at times, a challenging endeavor. But, we are to help! As with any wine and food pairing, there are a number of considerations, such as texture, acidity, fat and tannin. Rather than complicating the topic with exotic matches like Garrotxa and Meursault, we have broken the art of wine and cheese pairing down, so you can create your own.
Wine and Cheese Pairings
The wine-cheese pairing possibilities are endless, but to simplify the strategy, we can divide cheese into four major categories:
Bloomy: Creamy, decadent cheeses, with a soft rind.
Hard: Stiff cheeses, which are often sharp and/or salty. They can also be aged.
Blue: Pungent, often salty cheeses, with a blue tinge.
Fresh: Soft, often spreadable cheeses that can be tangy or mild. They are not usually aged.
If you have a specific cheese in mind, first contemplate the category it belongs to. You can then consult our wine and cheese pairing examples for ideas.
Just as with any food pairing, it helps to think of either complementary or contrasting flavors. A lush wine works well with a triple-cream cheese, while an acidic wine will cut the cheese’s sweetness. As you begin to experiment, taste the cheese first by itself, to get a sense of its character, and then put another bite into your mouth with some wine to see how they mingle. Many experts say that white tends to pair better with cheese, but a light-bodied red and cheese pairing is still possible.
Wine and Cheese Pairing Examples:
| Cheese | Wine |
| Bloomy | |
| Camembert | Champagne |
| Brie | Chardonnay |
| Robiola | Sparkling Wine |
| Taleggio | Pinot Blanc |
| Hard | |
| Gouda | Merlot |
| Cheddar | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Parmesan | Chianti |
| Double Gloucester | Zinfandel |
| Pecorino | Valpolicella |
| Gruyere | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Fontina | Bardolino |
| Blue | |
| Gorgonzola | Port |
| Stilton | Sauternes |
| Blue | Riesling |
| Cambozola | Eiswein |
| Fresh | |
| Ricotta | Pinot Grigio |
| Mozzarella | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Goat | Chenin Blanc |
| Feta | Beaujolais |
| Burrata | Tocai Friulano |
Preparing a Wine and Cheese Party
What better way to taste a variety of pairings then to throw a wine and cheese party? Purchase a few different cheeses from a cheese shop or gourmet store with a well-equipped storage facility. Discuss your plans with the cheesemonger and ask for recommendations. You can get creative with cheese place cards or purchase a nifty slate cheese tray, which allow you to etch cheese names in chalk. Lastly, be sure to serve the wine and cheese at their proper temperatures, so their flavors can emerge. Serve white wine at 45°F, red wine at 60°F and remove the cheese from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes prior to serving.
Wine and Cheese Party Menu
A great wine and cheese party offers pairing selections with varied flavor profiles. Display the options in a circle and have your guests start with lighter wines and fresher cheeses and move clockwise toward the ones that have sharpness and depth. To simplify, you could also choose a flexible wine that pairs with a wide range of cheeses. A lean red, such as Gamay or Pinot Noir, could serve as a perfect starting point. Your guests can taste that wine with each cheese and then rank the pairings.
Let Shisler’s Cheese House help with your wine and cheese party needs with our vast assortment of domestic and imported cheeses!
Wine Pairings with Cheese: The 29 Most Popular Cheeses
Wine Pairings with Cheese can be particularly challenging. One must select cheeses and wines that compliment each other perfectly without the flavors competing or overwhelming one another. So here is an alphabetical listing of 29 of the most popular cheeses in the United States and suggestions for wines that pair well with them. Keep in mind this list is not comprehensive. There are other wines that pair well with these cheeses. But these are the best matches in my humble opinion. This list should easily print to two pages so it can be used as a handy guide. Hopefully it will help you impress you friends at your next gathering. Click on any cheese to find more information and other pairing options.
Amish Butter Cheese – Chardonnay
Asiago Cheese – Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Merlot. Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah (Shiraz)
Baby Swiss– Asti Spumanti, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling/Champagne, Vidal Blanc
Bacon Cheese– Baco Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir
Brick Cheese– Baco Noir, Gamay Noir(Beaujolais), Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Zinfandel
Canadian Cheddar (Sharp) – Cabernet Franc, Cabernet/Merlot(Bordeaux), Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Rioja, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Syrah(Shiraz), Tempranillo, Zinfandel
New York Cheddar (Medium)– Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Gris,Pinot Noir
Colby Cheese– Chardonnay, Dry Champagne/Sparkling Wine, Gamay Noir(Beaujolais), Muscat, Riesling, Rose/Blush, Sauvignon Blanc
Danish Blue Cheese– Cabernet Franc, Cabernet/Merlot (Bordeaux), Cabernet Sauvignon, Desert Wines-(Icewine, Late Harvest Muscat, Riesling, Vidal Blanc, Viogniers), Maderia, Port-Tawney, Sherry
Farmer’s Cheese– Chardonnay, Gamay Noir(Beaujolais), Muscat, Pinot Noir, Reisling, Rose/Blush
Goat Cheese – Beaujolais, Chablis, Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, Tempanillo
Gouda– Beaujolais, Champagne/Sparkling Wine, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc
Gruyere– Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah (Shiraz), Sauvignon Blanc
Havarti Cheese – Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel
Havarti with Caraway – Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel
Havarti with Dill– Cabernet Franc, Cabernet/Merlot (Bordeaux), Rioja, Tannat, Tempranillo
Horseradish Cheese– Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Noir
Marble Cheese– Baco Noir, Cabernet/Merlot(Bordeaux), Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Rose/Blush
Mozzarella– Beaujolais, Chianti
Muenster– Baco Noir, Gamay Noir(Beaujolais), Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Zinfandel
Parmesan– Baco Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet/Merlot(Bordeaux),Grenache,Sherry, Syrah (Shiraz), Zinfandel
Provolone – Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Chianti, Syrah (Shiraz)
Pepper Jack Cheese– Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc
Raclette – Fendant, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Savoie
Romano (Pecorino) – Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Merlot, Zinfandel
Sharp Swiss– Cabernet Franc, Dolcetto, Gerwurztraminer, Grenache, Merlot, Muscat, Riesling, Vidal Blanc
Swiss Cheese – Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Gris. Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc
Smoked Cheddar– Cabernet Franc,Cabernet/Merlot(Bordeaux), Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Syrah(Shiraz), Tempranillo, Zinfandel
Smoked Gouda – Chateauneuf-du-papa, Chianti, Garnacha, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah(Shiraz), Tempranillo
Most of the suggested wines should be available at your local wine and spirit store. Please feel free to give feedback on this list or additional wine pairing suggestions.
