wine& food pairing

[bvijayrao]

I would like to know why wines are paired with cheese, .Is there a specific reasonsuch as the cheese helps in bringing out the full flavour of the wine or does the cheese help in masking the wine flavour,

[ShortWiner]

In an ideal pairing, they both enhance one another. If the cheese masks the wine's flavor, that is not at all ideal.

[Innkeeper]

See if you can get ahold of Andrea Immer's "Great Tastes Made Simple"; either from bookstore, on-line, or library. She gives extensive detailed information on matching every type of cheese with every type of wine; among much else.

[wondersofwine]

Traditionally hosts served red wines with cheese. However, that is not always the best match. A speaker representing New England cheesemakers convinced me that a bleu cheese style (Roquefort, etc.) goes well with a Sauvignon Blanc wine (white wine) because the wine makes the cheese taste less salty. A classic pairing is Stilton cheese (also a blue cheese type I believe but from Great Britain) with port (a fortified wine). A pungent cheese might match best with a hearty, full-bodied red wine. The Andrea Immer book was a good suggestion. I purchased it but haven't studied it yet.

[winoweenie]

I've always found the most killer pairing is a true roquefort and a TRUE Sauternes.WW

[Thomas]

To answer your specific question, cheese has a few qualities going for it that match many, many wines in a few ways.

First, fats. A great number of cheeses are fatty--fat and acidity (wine) go well together.

Second, salty or pungent (the cheese) is a fine foil for fruitiness in wine.

Third, it's just soooooo good.

[Drew]

Fats also smooth the savage tannins.

DRew

[quijote]

Mmm, wine and cheese. One of my favorite indulgences is a tart goat cheese paired with a delicious Sauvignon Blanc. It's the acidic principle at work, but the combo is also sort of like pairing luscious, pungent fruit (in the SB) with the rich cheese. It's sort of like having cheesecake, but better.

Another favorite indulgence is Manchego cheese with a tempranillo- or grenache-based wine. The nutty, grainy texture of the cheese stands up well to the hearty and demanding wine.

Yet another indulgence--I have way too many, I guess--is a fatty, smooth, silky, buttery cheese like Edel de Cleron or ripe Brie with a slightly oaked Chardonnay (though I prefer unoaked in general). Mmmm.

And then there's the occasional Wisconsin indulgence: cheddar cheese with Lakefront beer. It's not wine, but it's a thick drink for meaty cheeses.

[Thomas]

Drew, tannic acid is acid--a different kind than tartaric or malic, to be sure.

[Drew]

We're kinda saying the same thing. Vegetable tannins = phenolic compounds that give that astringent, mouth drying, experience when drinking wine or tea. Tannic acid and phenolic compounds have similar flavor and hide-to-leather tanning effects, but different chemistry. I'm just trying to explain that a fatty steak or a chunk of cheese will smooth out that drying, fuzzy sensation in the mouth. Sheese...any chemists out there? [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

Drew

[Thomas]

Drew, we are saying the same thing.

Your post about tannins made me think you missed that tannic is an acid--mi dispiace.

[winoweenie]

I'LL DRINK TO THAT!!!!!!ww

[dswanson]

I'm looking for pairings to go with Australian Shiraz and French Syrah. Can anybody steer me in the right direction?

[Innkeeper]

Hi DS, and welcome to the Wine Board. If you are talking about cheese, here's what A.I. recommends: With Aussie Shiraz; Selles-sur-cher, Bin d'Amour Corsica, Old Chatham Sheep's Milk Camembert New York, Matag Blue Iowa, and Love Tree Farm Tradelake Cedar Wisconsin. With French Syrah; Banon France, Tomme de Savoie France, Perail France, Fourme d'Ambert France, and Garrotxa Spain.

If you are looking at meals to serve with them, lamb in almost any iteration,save curry,with both.