Cheese and Wine
Raising money for a favourite worthy cause? Cheese and wine events have been successful for centuries, so I’d urge you to give the idea some serious thought – here’s why...
Many cheeses and wines go well together and some combinations are just fantastic. However, when I’m asked to host a cheese and wine event, I usually recommend keeping my fee and spending it on better cheese and wine instead, because it’s so easy to do!
Ask guests to make notes about what goes well together and what doesn’t. Whilst personal taste plays a part, some clear ‘rules’ will emerge.
Salty blue cheese goes very well with sweet wine (think Port and Stilton). Why? Because both are intensely flavoured and the sweetness of one contrasts the saltiness of the other. Intensity is the most important thing when matching food and wine, ensuring one doesn’t overpower the other. Beyond that, it’s a case of understanding how flavours and textures affect one another – salt, sweetness, fat etc. To illustrate this, my favourite combination is Roquefort and Sauternes – again, a flavoursome, salty cheese, but this time with a WHITE dessert wine. Focus on intensity, not the colour of the wine.
You want to ensure people experience the best combinations so they’ll come to your next event, especially if it’s a fundraiser, so here’s some guidance based on some accessible cheeses.
Brie – local producers Sharpham make fantastic examples. Fizz is good because it’s always acidic, which ‘cuts through’ the fat, and bubbles increase the contrast. Clean, sharp Sauvignon Blanc makes a good white wine pairing, as do lighter reds like Gamay and Pinot Noir. A great ‘welcome’ to your event.
Cornish Yarg, like Gruyere, is a nutty, fairly firm cheese, which contrasts beautifully with wines that have fruity, red berry flavours. Pinot Noir and wines from Beaujolais will be lovely, whilst I’d recommend a Riesling or Gruner Veltliner for white fans.
Cheddar – assuming it’s reasonably mature – demands wine with a bit of ‘oomph’! Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot – generally higher alcohol reds – will work a treat, and white fans will love a weighty, well-oaked Chardonnay (look for ‘aged in barrel’ or ‘oaky’ on the bottle).
Goat’s cheese is immensely popular and very easy to pair. It’s clean, delicately flavoured cheese, so light, delicate wines work best, especially lightly chilled (light reds like Pinot Noir and Frappato chill very well). Avoid oak-aged wines.
I hope you’re encouraged to explore cheese and wine, and don’t forget crusty bread and some water! Get your guests talking and comparing notes and they’ll be back for more.
The bad news is that I can’t cover everything because there are so many delicious cheeses and wines; the great news is that you can arrange many different events to keep exploring them.