To Pair or Not to Pair Is Not the Question. The Question Is How?

To Pair or Not to Pair Is Not the Question. The Question Is How?

Pass the Cheese Please!

Experts talk about wine and cheese

by Dennis Myers

Gilbert Keith Chesterton, an English journalist and writer born in the 19th Century, once rued, “The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.”  Fast-forward to today’s culinary scene and Mr. Chesterton would be pleased because now cheese is very much a hot culinary topic. Even hotter is pairing the components of gourmand’s Holy Trinity – wine, cheese and bread (but we’ll get to the bread in a later column).

Restaurants in Europe have always held cheese in esteem and would never think of excluding it from their menus. This practice has not always held for the American wine and culinary scene but the omission is rapidly being corrected.

Chefs are exploring courses of cheese in their menus to lure the developing palates of their customers back to their kitchens. More emphasis is being placed on matching exotic cheeses with a selected wine to further tempt diners. It’s common now to see vegetarian courses featuring complex cheese compositions. In turn, this wave of interest is tempting more at-home hosts to impress their guests with their culinary skills by serving bubbly Champagne and a triple-cream goat cheese rather than spreading “fancy” crackers next to a processed cheese spread and offering a glass of Chardonnay to wash it all down.

But can there be much more to the subject than slapping a piece of cheddar on a burger and serving it with a glass of two-buck chuck? Is the old warning “don’t attempt this at home” valid when sommeliers and fromagiers have applied a lifetime of knowledge and skill to elevate such pairings to art form?

We open our first pairing discussion with Peter Neptune, master sommelier and vice president of The Henry Wine Group in Benicia, California, and Starr Cornwall, cheesemonger for the Sapphire Pantry in Laguna Beach.  Neptune proffers:  “If you asked a layman what kind of wine would be best paired with cheese, the answer would be red and nine times out of ten that would be wrong.” Cornwall chimes in, “Or they would say Chardonnay.” With Neptune quickly responding, “And that is simply the wrong choice. People are beginning to learn that there is more to cheese and wine pairing than eating and drinking.”

The bigger question is which comes first, the wine or the cheese? Certainly that’s a concern that should be understood upfront.  “I know a lot of food and wine lovers and, without exception, direction comes from personal preferences,” says Christopher Coon, director of wine and beverage for the Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach.  “If they have a specific wine in mind, then we will find a cheese pairing that will wrap around their wine. If others start with a favorite cheese selection, then it is up to us to find a wine that will make the taste more amazing.”

In the beginning, keep it simple. This is a basic suggestion that all experts agree on. Janice Howell, fromagier for The Loft restaurant at the Montage, suggests:  “A common suggestion to musicians before they go on stage is, ‘Play what you know.’  This applies to the beginning cheese aficionado as well.  Go to your favorite cheese purveyor and try a selection of cheeses yourself.”

Remember, one wine won’t go with every cheese. So, the more complicated the offering of cheeses, the more likely all the combinations with the wine you serve won’t work. Also, don’t go with a composition offering of a cheese, honey and nuts for instance. That makes the wine selection more complicated and difficult to pair.

Experts confirm that a beautiful wine and cheese pairing can be a “mind-blowing” experience.  But to get there, people need to be willing to step outside of their comfort cocoon and try new things. It isn’t a matter of buying a piece of cheese, opening a bottle of Cabernet and willing it to be a good experience.  A simple combination to start a meal might be a glass of Champagne or Sauvignon Blanc and a triple-cream or goat cheese. It won’t compete with a great meal. Neptune adds, “Most people will start out an evening with a Chardonnay when they should have a sparkling wine. It is a much more versatile accompaniment to food than any white wine. Dollar-for-dollar, Champagne is a bargain.”

There are other do’s and don’ts: white wine can be served chilled but cheese must always be at room temperature for peak flavor. Freshly baked breads are better with cheese than crackers but, if you include crackers, use neutral flavors without heavy seasonings. All the experts agree that pairing wine and cheese is a journey in experiencing new taste sensations. And they’re quick to admit you don’t have to reach an expert level of knowledge to be effective at pairings and enjoy the results of your gourmand adventures.

Starr Cornwall’s “Can’t Go Wrong” Pairings

Blue cheeses and Sweet wines

Fresh goat cheese and Sauvignon Blanc

Triple-crème cheese and Champagne

Aged cheeses and Full-body reds