Wine and Cheese

[Thraz]

I would add the following sites as suggestions:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/cpairing.htm and http://www.winesquire.com/articles/2003/kk0305.htm

These sites have plenty of proposed pairings, but they do not always agree. For example, look at both entries for camembert - very different. It's not that one is wrong - it's that it's all a matter of taste, there are no hard and fast rules (or there are too many, which in my case means the same thing). If you tend towards whites for most cheeses that are young (i.e. softer and creamier - that means most cheeses, period) and reserve reds for harder, aged cheeses I find that it is difficult to find a really offensive pairing. There are some pairings that are really great (I hear St. Emilion and St. Nectaire is a classic, and I personally love dry savennieres with a young goat cheese), but missing them will usually not mean that your pairing is bad, just that it's merely good. Just avoid a hearty cabernet with young, fresh goat cheese, or a flinty sauvignon blanc with tomme (the other way round would be fine). The middle should be OK. Well, anyway, if I was your guest, it would be.

[This message has been edited by Thraz (edited 09-11-2006).]