There’s nothing better than a party on a warm summer night. Unless it’s a wine and cheese party on a warm summer night.
Pairing wine and cheese can be a little tricky, but we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together some “no fail” pairings for your party so you can focus on entertaining your guests.
What You’ll Need:
Here’s a list of some of the things you’re sure to need for your summer wine and cheese party:
- ONEHOPE Wine
2. Wine glasses
3. Cheese
4. Serving platters
5. Napkins
6. Toothpicks
7. Plates
8. Tables
9. Candles for decoration
Tips For Pairing Wine and Cheese like an Expert
The first (and most important) tip is you should choose what you like. Don’t worry about what others tell you you should do.
Young, soft cheeses pair well with light-bodied reds and fruity, crisp whites. Ricotta, Brie, Feta, and Mozzarella are some great soft cheeses.
Medium-aged cheeses pair well with medium-bodied whites and balanced fruity reds. Havarti, Gruyere, Jarlsberg, Manchego, and Monterey Jack are some great medium-aged cheeses.
Hard cheeses pair well with full-bodied reds and full-bodied whites like an Oaked Chardonnay. Some great hard cheeses are Aged Cheddar, Gouda, Asiago, and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Check out this wine and cheese pairing cheat sheet from Serious Eats.
Gruyere and Sauvignon Blanc
Pair salty, sweet, and nutty gruyere with a fruity Sauvignon Blanc.
Why it works: Gruyere is a medium-hard, semi-aged cheese, which pairs well with a fruity, medium-bodied wine.
Our Rutherford Estate Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect pairing for Gruyere, with notes of white peach, green apple, citrus zest, and papaya & guava.
Manchego and Champagne
Pair salty and smooth Manchego with a bubbly champagne or sparkling wine.
Why it works: Manchego is a medium-hard, semi-aged cheese. Just like Gruyere, Manchego needs a medium-bodied wine to balance out its strong flavor. The bubbles in the champagne will provide a nice texture and contrast between the cheese and wine.
With its notes of peach, berries, and pear, our California Brut is the perfect wine to pair with Manchego. For an even classier summer party, make it a glitter bottle.
Aged Cheddar and Zinfandel
Pair tangy and sharp aged cheddar with a complex and tart Zinfandel.
Why it works: Hard-aged cheeses pair well with full-bodied wines. Their salty, nutty, full flavors are able to keep up with strong tannins.
With its strong tannins and notes of raspberry, pepper, cedar spice, vanilla, and dried herbs, our California Zinfandel holds up to a full-flavored Aged Cheddar.
Havarti and Pinot Noir
Pair creamy and smooth Havarti with a light-bodied, fruity Pinot Noir.
Why it works: Havarti is a medium-aged creamy cheese that pairs well with a balanced, fruity red like Pinot Noir.
With its silky tannins and notes of cherry and strawberry, our California Pinot Noir is the perfect choice to pair with a creamy Havarti.
Brie and Chardonnay
Pair creamy and nutty brie with a buttery, unoaked, light-bodied Chardonnay.
Why it works: Brie is a young, soft and creamy cheese with a nutty flavor. Chardonnay is a rich, buttery wine with notes of fruit. These two flavor profiles complement each other well.
Our California Chardonnay offers notes of baked apple and pear pie, spices, and butterscotch, which all taste great with cheese.
Blue Cheese and Riesling
Pair rich and salty blue cheese with a sweet and fruity Riesling.
Why it works: Blue cheese is a salty and bitter cheese that pairs well with a sweet wine. The salt brings out the sweetness of the wine.
With its sweet notes of fruit, our Monterey Riesling is a perfect pairing for blue cheese.
Parmigiano Reggiano and Cabernet Sauvignon
Pair nutty and salty Parmigiano Reggiano with a full-bodied fruity Cabernet Sauvignon.
Why it works: Like Aged Cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano is a nutty and salty hard-aged cheese that pairs well with full-bodied wines because they balance out its strong flavor.
With its full body, notes of blackberry, coffee, cocoa, and strong tannins, our California Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect wine to pair with Parmigiano Reggiano.
We hope you find these tips as useful as we do! Cheers to your next summer wine tasting party!
By: FIONA BECKETT
***Grabbed from: https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news/pairings/whats-the-best-type-of-wine-for-a-barbecue/?tag=top