Wine and Cheese Pairing #1
When I first read the Wine and Cheese Pairing assignment description, I was so excited. I absolutely love cheese. And wine. And cheese and wine together. One of the main reasons that I decided to take this course was to better understand how wine pairs with food. And cheese, in my opinion, is one of the best foods there is. Maybe that's why I'm a French major ... because the French absolutely adore cheese and wine.
I chose four different kinds of cheese (because I couldn't decide on just three) and three wines for my first wine and cheese pairing. This is how I pictured my wine and cheese pairing experience would unfold:
Remy from Ratatouille
And that's pretty much how it went. Here's the lineup (courtesy of the Murray's Cheese aisle in Kroger):
Robusto Gouda (Holland): "The nutty sweetness of Parmesan meets the caramel creaminess of Gouda in this unique Uniekaas. Robusto is a blend of two of the world's most beloved cheeses, aged for nine months to develop a big, bold flavor all its own."
- Personal notes: Smelled delicious, almost like butter. Tasted smokey and nutty, with a crisp flavor on the palate. Would definitely eat on its own again.
Brie Fermier (France): "Not to be mistaken for fancy French face cream, this buttery brie is sure to give your taste buds a lift. This briny, mushroomy wonder rejuvenates what you thought brie could be - spread on a baguette, not your face."
- Personal notes: I love brie. It's one of my go-to cheeses. I had never tried this particular brie before, so I figured, why not. I absolutely hated it. I was very VERY disappointed in this specific brie. It smelled very earthy, almost like grass and manure. And it tasted pretty much how it smelled. At first, I wondered if the brie had gone bad. But no, the sell by date was February 8th, and I did the tasting on the 4th. Bummer.
Cave Aged Gruyere (Switzerland): "A Swiss classic and an American favorite. Aged in our caves to 12 months, the dense ivory paste is redolent of toasted hazelnuts and brown butter, with a touch of fruity acidity. A melter for all occasions, or eat with smoky speck and dry Sherry."
- Personal notes: I first tried Gruyère cheese in Gruyères, Switzerland. Did you know that Gruyère is a region in Switzerland and Gruyères (with an S) is a specific town in that region? I didn't either, until I visited. The town itself is known for Gruyère cheese, and Gruyère cheese can only come from cheese makers in that region. Anyways, when I saw Gruyère on the shelf, I had to buy it. This specific block of cheese smelled floral and earthy, and tasted earthy with a slight tanginess. Delicious!
The production process of Gruyère cheese (left) and my friend, Georgia, and I outside the factory in Gruyères, Switzerland (right).
Raclette (Switzerland): "Oh, Raclette, destined for melted greatness! From the French verb meaning 'to scrape,' do that to every bit of this salty, meaty bad boy. Warmed up, notes of fresh apples and briny pickles come to the surface. Then put him on potatoes. Done."
- Personal notes: I also love Raclette. I had Raclette (both the dish and the cheese) numerous times during my study abroad semester in Switzerland. The Swiss even have Raclette vending machines, that's how obsessed they are with the dish. So, when I saw Raclette in Kroger, I had to buy it as well. This specific block of Raclette smelled milky and earthy and tasted creamy with a peppery finish. The aftertaste reminded me of broccoli, which was interesting. I didn't heat it up for this tasting, but I definitely will in the future!
I could eat Raclette every. single. day.
Now onto the wine lineup:
I purchased half bottles for all of the wines because (a) I had never bought half bottles before and (b) there was no way that my friend and I could finish three whole bottles of wine. Well, maybe we could have, but we definitely didn't need to.
You're probably thinking, well wait, Sarah, you only described three wines above and there are four in the picture! And you'd be correct. After trying the brie both on its own and with the Chardonnay (more details to come), I decided that I couldn't stomach another bite. So, I didn't open the Champagne (a half bottle of Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut Champagne for $36.99) and will be saving it for an occasion where I have better brie.
Now, for the moment we have all been waiting for: the actual wine and cheese pairings! I consulted Wine Folly to get the inside scoop on the best wine and cheese pairing recommendations. Here's what I learned:
Brie pairs well with Chardonnay and Champagne.
Gruyère pairs well with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Gouda pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon.
Raclette pairs well with Pinot Noir.
I started off my wine and cheese pairing with the Duckhorn 2018 Chardonnay (white wines before reds, as we've learned!). Here's my overall review with each cheese pairing:
- With Gruyère: The wine itself was a lot less acidic with the Gruyère. It tasted buttery and had a smooth finish overall. I thought that this pairing was delicious, and actually preferred the wine with the cheese than by itself.
- With Brie: The brie accentuated the acidity of the wine and almost overpowered the wine itself. I got stronger notes of pineapple and lemon with the brie, and the cheese itself gave the wine more earthy undertones. The wine went from almost fruity on its own to earthy and oaky with smoky undertones. I personally did not like the wine with the brie, but that may be because I didn't really like the brie to begin with.
- With Gouda: The gouda also accentuated the acidity of the wine, a lot more than the brie did. This cheese gave the wine almost an earthy, mushroomy taste, with nutty and smoky undertones. The wine had a creamier finish overall with the gouda, which was interesting. I didn't dislike the Chardonnay with the gouda, but preferred it with the Gruyère.
- With Raclette: The raclette brought out the acidity and the bitterness of this wine. It, honestly, was not a pleasant pairing. The cheese overpowered the wine and made it taste like broccoli. As my friend, Sam, noted, "it tastes like bad broccoli. Like Owen's Food Court broccoli."
For my second wine, I had the Meiomi Pinot Noir. I really enjoyed this wine on its own, to begin with, so I was excited to see what it would taste like with different cheeses. Here's my overall review of the Pinot Noir with each cheese pairing:
- With Gruyère: The cheese brought out strong notes of cherry. It reduced the acidity and tartness of the wine overall. I didn't get as much earthiness and clove flavors with the cheese, and instead, got more fruity notes. I honestly liked this pairing more than the Gruyère and Chardonnay pairing.
- With Gouda: The gouda enhanced the acidity of the Pinot Noir overall, but gave it a richer taste and feel. Strong truffle and mushroom tastes on the palate with hints of plum. Buttery texture with hints of vanilla. This pairing was surprisingly good and one of my favorites.
- With Raclette: The cheese completely overpowered the wine. I almost didn't taste anything when trying the wine with this cheese. The wine was more acidic on the palate overall.
For my third, and final, wine pairing, I had The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon. I really enjoyed this wine on its own, and was excited to see how the cheeses paired with this full-bodied wine.
- With Gruyère: The Gruyère brought out the earthy tones of this wine, particularly notes of graphite, cedar, and wood. It almost completely masked the fruitiness of the wine. I got strong flavors of tobacco, which made the wine taste almost like whisky. I actually really enjoyed this pairing, which surprised me.
- With Gouda: The Gouda, on the other hand, brought out the berry flavors, and almost masked the earthy tones of the wine. I got strong notes of black cherry and blackberry, with only a slight undertone of tobacco. The Gouda also reduced the tannins in the wine, which I appreciated.
- With Raclette: The raclette brought out the bitterness of the wine and actually made it feel more tannic. I got strong notes of graphite and black pepper, and almost no taste of berries on the palate. This pairing was probably my least favorite of all of the pairings with the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Overall, I really enjoyed my first wine and cheese pairing, and cannot wait to do another one!
Remy from Ratatouille image: https://medium.com/@JohnHydrisko/ratatouille-55b06c4cd616
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