The Kit
herbaceous notes are a plus to intensify some features of the cheese. A
herbaceous white such as a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc would please the
palate as would a Cabernet Franc from Val de Loire or Israel.
What wine would you match with Alex James Goddess
cheese and why?
Washed with Somerset cider brandy, Goddess looks to me like those
chocolate bars that are firm outside and soft and creamy inside; the nose
is capturing with its buttery and citrusy combination. It’s crumbly and
creamy, orangey and milky, delicate and intense, velvety and silky.
In this case, the texture of the cheese is relevant and the wine needs to have
the same versatile expression – gentle and soft, round, smooth, but with
a vibrant nerve able to show off its personality. Albariño from Spain and
Viognier are good white options. As for, red I would go for French Côte du
Rhône or Sardinian Cannonau.
What wine would you match with Isle of Wight Blue cheese
and why?
The appearance of this multi-coloured cheese is attractive – it’s firm and
solid, with plenty of personality and structure. A soft, round, biscuity wine
would be my choice – a lovely and powerful Chardonnay from the south of
Burgundy, or a Gewürztraminer from the New World would be the white
options. For red, I would suggest a South African or Australian Pinot Noir;
Monastrell from Spain or Nero d’Avola from Italy work well, too. Whatever
you choose, the wine will have to be warm and velvety, with its fruitiness
balanced by a nice acidity.
What wine would you match with Rosary Ash Goat’s cheese
and why?
This cheese has a rather creamy freshness, exalted by detectable citrusy
flavour. It’s tasty, delicate and clean, and because it’s covered by edible ash
it has some light smoky notes. Sauvignon from Loire Valley sounds great to
me as well as a Riesling from Germany. Red options would be a Beaujolais
– not necessarily nouveau – or a fruity New Zealand Pinot Noir with a quite
high acidity. With its crumbly fresh texture and acidity, this cheese loves the
fruity features of these wines.
Say you want to go your own way with cheese, what should
you be looking for when matching wine with cheese?
The main factors to consider are texture, aromas and flavours. If the cheese
is greatly soft, almost or totally spreadable/spoonable, we should move our
attention to wines that have the ability to refresh, clean, rinse the palate. A
medium structured cheese will need more bodied wines but not too high in
alcohol or you will risk getting a dry mouth. A rich, tasty, solidly structured
cheese definitely will love a big wine. Aromas and flavours need to recall
what you will feel in the cheese. Tannic wines – the ones that suddenly dry
your mouth – love fat and rich cheeses. Fresh and dry wines – Sancerre or
Muscadet – love crisp and tasty cheeses like goat’s cheese. Alcohol loves
tasty, salty cheeses – Port and Parmigiano [is a good match].
Do you have to consider the crackers when choosing wine to
go with cheese?
You surely have to, especially when the crackers are flavoured or have some
olive oils, or any other ingredient that will add complexity to the whole
experience. Also, the cracker tends to dry the mouth, so if the cheese has
already a very little moisture you might prefer some high in acidity wines.
Old World and cool climate generally speaking – Burgundy, Piedmont or
Galicia.
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