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 This
past summer I had the opportunity to attend the Food &
Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado. If you ever the chance to
come to this amazing event you must! The Classic takes place
in Aspen in June of each year. The event features wine tasting
seminars put on by some of the world’s most renowned
semolliers such as Steve Olson, Joshua Wesson and Daniel Johnnes
and cooking demonstrations by celebrety chef’s like Bobby
Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Jacques Pepin, Wolfgang Puck and Mario
Batali, among others. It is truly an unforgettable experience.
Last year at the Classic I had an opportunity
to sit in on the Wine & Cheese seminar hosted by author,
Laura Werlin. Laura Werlin, a Berkeley, California based food
writer, is the author of the IACP Award-winning The New American
Cheese: Profiles of America’s Great Cheesemakers and
Recipes for Cooking with Cheese, and The All American Cheese
and Wine Book. Throughout the course of the seminar we sampled
about 9 different cheeses from around the world with amazing
wine compliments. It truly opened my mind to different cheeses
that I might otherwise not have tried and broadened my acceptance
of some of the sweeter wines (since these make outstanding
compliments — such as a Gruyère and Gewürztraminer)
or more unusual pairings that I would not normally make.
Since this month is our Wine & Cheese
month at Glutenfreeda.com I thought it only appropriate to
share some of what I learned at this wonderful seminar. Below
you will find a chart of great cheese and wine pairings. I
encourage you to try these combinations — even if it
is a cheese that you might not normally like (like the more
aromatic cheeses) or a wine that you would not normally consume
— sometimes the combination of the two will amaze you.
Fresh Cheese & Wine Pairings
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Wine
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Cheese
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Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon,
or Pinot Gris
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Fresh Goat Cheese
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Pinot Gris
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Fromage Blanc
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Chenin Blanc, Sangiovese, Dolcetto,
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Mozzarella
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Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay
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Ricotta
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Slightly Firmer Cheese & Wine Pairings
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Wine
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Cheese
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Riesling, Dolcetto, Pinot Noir
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Colby
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Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling,
Zinfandel (light to medium body)
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Gouda
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Riesling, Dolcetto
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Fontina, Havarti, and Meunster
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Chardonnay, Riesling, Zinfandel
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Monterey Jack
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Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Dolcetto
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Provolone
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Semi-Hard Cheese & Wine Pairings
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Wine
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Cheese
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Gewürztraminer, late harvest
Riesling, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon
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Medium Cheddar
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Merlot, Zinfandel, late harvest Gewürztraminer
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Sharp Cheddar
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Riesling, Grenache, late harvest Gewürztraminer
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Emmentaler
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Gewürztraminer, late harvest
Riesling, Voignier, Zinfandel
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Gruyère
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Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot
Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese,
Syrah, Zinfandel
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Monterey Jack
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Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Dessert
wines (medium-sweet), Port, Sherry, Grenache
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Swiss
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Hard Cheese & Wine Pairings
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Wine
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Cheese
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Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Sangiovese,
Sparkling wine
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Asiago, Parmesan, artisan cow’s,
sheep and goat’s milk cheese
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As mentioned earlier in this article, the
fun really lies in experimenting with different pairings.
The chart above is purely meant to be a guide and not the
rule. Your personal preferrences may lead you in a completely
different direction.
Our favorite recipes using an assortment
of different cheeses:
Banana
Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (Cream Cheese)
Blackberry
Crepes with Cream Cheese (Cream Cheese)
Gougére
(Emmentaler, Parmesan)
Cheese
& Chili Rice (Monterey Jack, Cheddar)
Cheese
Crackers (Parmesan, Cheddar)
Cheese
Fondue with Polenta (Gruyère, Emmentaler)
Cheese
Ravioli with Tomato & Meat Sauce (Ricotta)
Crab
and Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese (Fontina)
Fresh
Pears with Goat Cheese & Honey (Goat Cheese)
Goat
Cheese & Prosciutto Sandwiches (Goat Cheese)
Soft
Polenta with Goat Cheese & Mascarpone (Mascarpone)
Enjoy!
-Glutenfreeda
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