Wine & Cheese

Wine & Cheese – Two of A Kind

Since the dawn of time, cheese and wine have played an important role in our lives even as far back as the mythical Cyclops, the mad one-eyed cheese maker who is said to have churned his cheese in wicker baskets. And remember the Bacchus, the Greek god of wine who, as legend has it, was a very popular god with quiet a few people…. not suprising! Since then, wine and cheese have joined forces and evolved into a sensory duo, probably as a result of their many similarities from production to expiration.

Wine and cheese, considered a naturally well matched pair are usually seen hanging around together at parties and gastronomic events quiet effortlessly knowing that their fusion will create a stir to those who taste them. Each of them on their own, hold their own flavours brimming with palatable nuances depending on their individual variety and style. However, when this pair is savoured simultaneously, the synergy that occurs between them creates a whole new flavour for us to enjoy, harmonising to enhance each others finer qualities. Quiet a phenomenon one might think as wine and cheese are both created from two natural food items that would never be considered a gustatory pair – milk and grapes. Together, they would not be star of any culinary event or presented to your guests as the pieces de resistance at your dinner party.
It has been mankind’s good fortune that has led us to discover basic agricultural production methods that allow fermentation to work it’s magic on both food components resulting in the transformation of these simple ingredients into more delicious and complex delights. Their lift cycles tend to have a lot in common as both are ‘alive’ and continue to evolve and mature to perfection at which point their flavours peak.

There are hundreds of varieties of both cheese and wine and we tend to give both equal appreciation and taste them with similar desires, vocabulary and evaluative techniques. We smell, we taste, we critique. Most of us try to choose the right wine with the right cheese in order to get the most out of this pair. Although there are no hard and fast rules when matching wine and cheese.

Here are some pairing suggestions to experiment with:-

Light whites
Riesling, Muscat, Chenin Blanc, Chasselas, Viognier and unoaked Sauvignon Blanc pair well with goats cheese, soft & semi-soft cheese
Pairing suggestion Tulbagh Chenin Blanc South Africa with Lavistown Farmhouse Cheese (Lavistown, Co. Kilkenny)


Medium whites
Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Semillon & unoaked Chardonnay pair well with mild cheddar and mild gouda, brie and camembert styles
Pairing suggestion Paul Buecher Gewurztraminer Reserve Personnel 2005 Alsace with Cooleeney Camembert Style Cheese (Thurles, Co. Tipperary)

Rich whites
Oaked Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc & reserve Pinot Gris pair well with aged cheddar and aged gouda
Pairing suggestion Peel Estate Chardonnay 2004 Western Australia with
Knockalara Commeragh Irish Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese (Cappoquin, Co. Waterford)


Rose & Sparkling Wines
The majority of rose and sparkling wines pair well with mild goats cheese & soft sheeps cheese.
Pairing suggestion Mont Marcal Rosado Brut Reserva Cava with Ryefield Farm Soft Goats Cheese (Bailieboro, Co. Cavan)

Light reds
Pinot Noir, Merlot, unoaked Gamay & Cabernet Franc pair well with brie/camembert, mild cheddar and gouda
Pairing suggestion Haut Cote de Nuits Pinot Noir Burgundy with Knockanore Plain Farmhouse Cheese (Knockanore, Co. Waterford)

Rich reds
Oaked Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Zinfandel pair well with well-aged gouda and cheddar.
Pairing suggestion Casas del Bosque Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Chile with Mossfield Farmhouse Organic Mature Gouda Cheese (Birr, Co. Offaly)

Dessert Wines
Ice wines, Monbazillac and Port pair well with rich blue veined cheeses
Pairing suggestion Colheita 1987 Tawny Port with Crozier Blue Cheese (Cashel, Co. Tipperary)

The most important thing to remember is that the similarities and contrasts of your choice of wine and cheese will determine the combined flavours. Try to match the weight of the wine to the intensity of the cheese with the goal of enhancing each of their qualities. And of course success is assured when you include your personal taste along with some warm crusty white bread & savoury crackers.

(all wines are available at The Wine Vault, High Street, Waterford)