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Wine & Cheese by Phillip Silverstone
That said, given the option of super-hyped, mega-chefs verses
wine, cheese and pate in the company of someone special…
for me, the wine and cheese win hands down every time. It's not
that I'm a cheap whatsit, or that I'm lacking in culinary refinement,
it's simply because I get enormous pleasure cheese surfing with
so many delightfully stinky fragrances hovering over the counter.
When I see cheese, I immediately visualize its wine counterpart.
You can just picture the personal ad: "Fresh, no rind,
cream cheese type, seeks very light, very young Bardolino for
serious relationship. No sour dough or old baguettes please."
Wine and cheese parties have always been the easiest soirees
to organize. In fact, I quite often save the dozens of wines I'm
sent to evaluate and invite friends to sample them with me. Our
guests arrive laden with an assortment of small portions of exotic
cheeses. If you're thinking about throwing a wine tasting, it's
just as much fun researching the cheeses available in your local
gourmet store or farmer's market and trying to match the personality
of each cheese with its grapey blind date.
Like most aspects of wine and food, no two opinions seem to be
alike when it comes to wine and cheese matches. My suggestions
are not etched in rind, but they work for me. Drink red wine with
hard cheeses and white wine with soft cheeses…but just like
the old red wine with fish concept, there are always exceptions.
Here are some recommendations:
Cheese has so much in common with wine - its flavor changes with
age; it's produced from regions all over the world with names
most of us can't pronounce; and we're often intimidated at the
cheese counter, especially if the featured cheese is the Vacheron
Mont d'or and all you want is some low fat Edam. The bottom line
is this (there's always a bottom line in all things related to
wine) - if in doubt, let your taste buds be your guide. When they
first invented cheese, they didn't have some bloke on a mobile
phone calling his counterparts in the wine regions around the
world telling them to get busy: "Good morning Franz …Cedric
here, how's the weather in Vienna today? Now listen old chap,
some bright spark just invented a cheese which she calls Tilsit,
so be a good fellow and invent the Gruner Vetliner grape for me.
Splendid. Must dash, an American chap is about to invent something
called cheese whiz, so I have to alert young Dr. Pepper immediately."
Cheers!
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On my frequent nibbles around Europe, I am afforded the opportunity
of sampling the fare at stellar dining establishments - places
who seem to go bonkers at the merest hint of an award from the
tire company (Michelin). I really don't understand why a company
that's made its name in rubber gets all these chef's aprons in
such a twist - but I digress. So Alistar Little in London,
Le Grand Vefour in Paris, and the Cipriani in Venice
do have the pleasure of my company on occasion.
For cream cheese and Mascarpone, try a white Vinho Verde from
Portugal. When it comes to seriously smelly Gorgonzola, it's generally
accepted that the sinfully decadent sweet, luscious French Sauternes
is the perfect partner. Wining Brits and Anglophiles will attest
to the fact that Stilton and Port are the consummate couple. Mild
Cheddar enjoys the company of light reds, while well aged Cheddar
fairs well with a not too intense Cabernet Sauvignon. Cheshire
is one of my favorites, and believe it or not, a glass of cider
(and I'm talking about the alcoholic variety) is a treat with
this cheese. I've also enjoyed Cheshire with German Riesling.
Riesling works well with Gouda, but then so does Shiraz from Down
Under. And if you like goat cheese, try a Sancerre from France.
Phillip Silverstone is a syndicated broadcaster and columnist. His book, "Cheers! The World of a Wine-osaur" (Camino Books, $12) is available in bookstores everywhere.