When matching cheeses with white wines, think about peanut butter and jelly, says Manuel Mesta.
Mesta, the general manager of Vertical Wine Bistro in Pasadena, Calif., isn’t suggesting an accompaniment but instead is urging us to open ourselves to unexpectedly wonderful combinations. “It sounds pedestrian, but there’s a lovely marriage to peanut butter with jelly. I don’t know why it works, but it does,” he says. “It’s like a chocolate-covered pretzel where the salty crispness of the pretzel blends with the smoothness of the chocolate. Wine and cheese can have that relationship.”
As with any relationship, however, balance and complementary strengths are much preferable to fights. A white wine and cheese pairing should bring out the best in each other and not clash.
“A lot of diners are looking for adventure in what they eat and drink, but they’re unsure of themselves in making choices,” Mesta says. “They’ll taste a strong and pungent cheese and perhaps say ‘Hmm. I’m not sure I like that.’ But then you offer them a taste of a beautiful Alsatian Riesling and the floral fruit notes of the wine soften the sharpness of the cheese and the result is awesome.”
But what Mesta and many other wine experts stress is that someone had to be the trailblazers of taste, the first to put PB with J, dip a pretzel in chocolate and to discover that a crisp Riesling can cut the richness of blue cheese. They offer loose guidelines on which cheeses may be harmonic with certain wines, but they do so only on condition that consumers not regard these suggestions as hard and fast rules.
“Listen to your palate and to the flavors of the wine and cheese,” advises Ian Becker, wine buyer for Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in San Francisco. “The more we embrace the mysteries of these flavors, the better the experience. Open yourself to it; have a plate of six or seven cheeses from sheep’s, goat’s and cow’s milk or from different regions and try them with a similar variety of white wines. It’s like assembling instruments for a band. Go ahead and find out what plays well together.”
Troy Smith, sommelier at The Loft restaurant in the Montage Laguna Beach Hotel, renowned for a cellar that contains 45,000 bottles and 2,100 labels, says that white wines “can be more forgiving than red wines because of the assertive quality of red wines and a certain amount of bitterness present in the tannins.”
As a general guideline, though, Smith says that “texture is one of the most important considerations for me. If you have a rich, creamy cheese and a richly textured wine as well, it’s more likely they will work together nicely.”
Keep Textures in Mind
Cheese texture is easily understandable and differentiated but the idea of wine as having texture may be confusing to some. If so, you may want to consider wine expert Kevin Zraly’s simple breakdown of wines into categories. He uses dairy products as an apt analogy: light/skim milk, medium/whole milk and full body/cream categories (see table).
Goat’s milk cheeses tend to have higher acidity that is best complemented by higher-acidity but not strongly textured wines, Smith says. He points to Sauvignon Blancs as good choices. Popular Pinot Grigio can be a delicious choice as well “but there are so many variations in each type of cheese that firm this-and-this pairings are difficult,” he adds.
Sheep’s milk cheeses “tend to be a little rounder, more buttery in texture and they can be quite mild as well,” he says. Fruity wines complement the buttery mouth-feel of these cheeses. A fumé blanc could be nice, or even fresh-tasting rosés, which are regaining market popularity.
Creamy cow’s milk cheeses, and especially ultra-rich triple-cream varieties, can stand up to full-bodied whites. “I think California Chardonnay, which is buttery and oaky, works very well with creamier cheeses. It’s not so strong in flavor that it overwhelms the cheese, and it’s synergy you’re looking for,” says Smith. “The cheese and wine each bring their own character and together they create something they cannot do all by themselves.”
Soft creamy cheeses of all varieties can pair well with sparkling wines such as Prosecco, cava and Champagne, says Smith. “There’s a creamy texture to the bubbles that is lovely with a creamy chevre.” Adds Mesta, “Champagne has delicacy and crispness that are quite decadent and wonderful with a buttery, creamy cheese.”
If you are accompanying your cheese plate with fruit such as pears or dates, those flavors should factor into a white-wine choice, too. Wines with strong fruit notes can be excellent choices. And if the cheese is served at the close of a meal, sweeter wines such as Rieslings can be ideal companions. For an unexpected choice, consider a white port.
“Cheeses and wines are very complicated; they always are evolving,” says Becker. “They’re not the same this year as last year; they not always what you expect. They’re moving targets. I don’t mean that to be confusing. Embrace the mystery and find what’s right for your palate.”