Clever pairings can be heavenly: try Gewürztraminer with Munster, for example, writes Joe Breen
Cheese and wine seem to have so much in common. Both have been around for aeons, both are distinctive products of particular cultures and both can be enjoyed young, although the best are prized as they mature. Yet they don't especially enjoy each other's company. In a tasting with Dan Fennelly of Sheridans Cheesemongers and Enrico Fantasia, the company's Italian-born wine consultant, we had as many misses as hits when we matched wines and cheeses from shop's range.
Fennelly, who admits to having developed a serious wine obsession over the past three years, particularly with wines from Alsace, says that research at the University of California indicates that the common perception that wine and cheese are ideal partners is somewhat misplaced. Seemingly, only buttery flavours in wine are enhanced by cheese.
"However, I think that there is probably a case for differentiating between olfactory [ sense of smell] and organoleptic [ use of sense organs] analysis on the one hand and actual enjoyment on the other," he says.
"Most people drink wine for pleasure, and feel the pleasure is increased by serving cheese alongside their wine. Perhaps cheese doesn't help to annunciate every subtle nuance in the glass, but the overall experience may be enhanced by the interaction between the two.
"Cheese can serve to take the rough edges off red wines, which may explain the traditional pairing of reds with cheese. Think back to the relative rusticity of many European wines, even 15-20 years ago, before the emergence of the modern, fruit-driven wine palate, and you can see why a lot of red wines might have needed cheese."
We try some Sangiovese-based wines, and their traditional acidity is enhanced by pairing them with a hard sheep's cheese. Some fuller, more rounded Barbera doesn't benefit from any of the pairings we try. Neither the Chianti nor the Rosso di Montalcino was overly tannic, so there was no clash with the salt in the Ardi Gasni or the Manchego.
Fennelly believes there are few hard and fast rules when it comes to pairing wine and cheese. "But I would say that white wine generally pairs better with cheese than red. This is because the combination of tannins and salt [a key ingredient in cheese] can produce metallic flavours.
"Sparkling wines, especially good Champagne, go amazingly well with certain cheeses. Good Parmesan - a minimum of two years old, cut from a wheel, not vacuum-packed commodity stuff - and Champagne are fantastic together. You taste the Champagne, then the fruit from the Parmesan. Try it also with Vacherin de Mont d'Or [a cheese available from autumn until May], where the mushroomy, earthy aromas combine beautifully with the yeasty notes in the Champagne, while the mousse cuts across the creamy texture of the paste."
Sheridans' wine range "at the moment is weighted in favour of Alsace and Italy, but we intend to branch out further in the future," says Fennelly.
"Even at the moment we are waiting for an order of fantastically good, old-style, mineral Mâcon and Pouilly-Fuissé. We are always looking for new wines, but it can't just be a box-ticking exercise.
"If we need a Chablis or a Sançerre we will wait until we find something really good rather than simply getting an okay one. I'd rather do some research and get a really good Sauvignon de St Bris or a Cheverny, something that you know is genuinely good, rather than another lip-service wine." www.sheridanscheesemongers.com