The Big Cheese

     Although this blog is primarily about wine & music, I wanted to write a post about wine and cheese pairing. Mainly for myself, since I often still get confused about what goes with what, but I also thought it would be of interest to some of my readers. For consistency, I will also include some new songs at the end of the blog to try with any of the listed wine and cheese pairings.

     It is important to note that wine & cheese taste different to everyone. Moreover, cheese that may appeal to me might not appeal to the next person. Ultimately, these pairings are just suggestions but some of the "rules" I hope to extract from a reputable wine guide. Hugh Johnson's 2012 Pocket Wine Book will be one of my references. It is a great read (I have mentioned it before) and super handy. It was only $9 on Amazon and shipped for free. I highly suggest it to anyone (over the age of 21, obviously) who is interested in learning more about wine.

     Source: drfrankwines.com

     According to the wine book, white wine pairs the best with cheese. Red wines, on the other hand, go best with hearty, meaty, spicy main course meals. Not to be confused with sparkling wine, white wine goes with chicken, seafood, and pasta dishes. Contrary to popular belief, white table wine is not the best to serve before a meal, according to Hugh Johnson, as it comes second to sparkling wine.

    To note about wine & cheese pairings: stick to cheese and wine that are from the same region; harder cheeses (cheddar) can handle more tannic (dry, bitter) wines; creamy cheeses (Brie) pair well with acidic (tart) wines (Chardonnay).  Here are a few examples:

    Cheese: Cheddar, Goat, Swiss
    Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon

    Cheese: Cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan, Jarlsberg
     Wine: Merlot

     Cheese: Reisling
     Wine: Blue, Colby, Gouda, Monetary Jack

     Cheese: Zinfandel
     Wine: Blue, Feta, Goat
   

    Interesting notes from Hugh Johnson (2012):
      -avoid peanuts, they ruin the taste of any wine.
      -olives are too piquant for most wines- use Sherry or a Martini when serving olives.
      -cashews, almods, pistachios, & walnuts are great nut varieties to serve with wine before a meal.

Wine terms to know (because we all want to know how to talk about wine:
tannin: tannins are found in grape skins & during the aging process, fuse with oak to create a woody taste. tannins are excellent antioxidants. tannins cause a dry, bitter, puckery sensation. Red wines typically have tannins while whites do not. tannins provide the color of red wines.
acidity: 3 types of acids in wine: artaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid and citric acid. acid gives wine a slightly tart & sour taste. bright red wines have more acidity, dark purple has less.
decanting: exposing the wine to air (letting it "breath"- an important first step to wine tasting).
swirl: stirring the wine to unleash the aromas of the wine (90% of our taste comes from smell).
balance: when no single flavor overpowers another.
body: when a wine tastes very bold & full.
finish: how long the taste of the wine lingers in your mouth.
legs: how slowly wine seeps down the side of a glass after swirled (the slower the more alcohol).

     As promised here are a couple of great wine-sipping tunes:

1. Breathe- Telepopmusik
2. Kiss the Sky- Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra

*source: http://antiwinesnob.com/wine-articles/whats-the-difference-between-tannins-and-acidity/

*source: http://www.winemcgee.com/blog/2010/01/22/5-wine-terms-everyone-should-know/

*source: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/wine-definitions

*source: http://wine.about.com/od/servingwines/a/wineandcheese.htm