Christmas cheese board tips and what wine to match it with
Here is a journey through the cheese board, pairing each category of cheese with the perfect wine match. I have also written a list of tips on how to create a fabulous cheese board.
Remember, when devising a cheese board, always start with the mildest cheeses, working up to blue cheese, the strongest. Include a variety: say one goat, one cow’s, one hard, one soft, one blue. Think also about shapes and colours of cheeses: a triangular wedge, a soft semicircle, a round truckle, an oozing slab… wrapped in leaves, or veined with blue, or with a washed orange-hued rind…Do explain or even label the cheeses. People love food stories; they love to know where their food comes from, what it goes with…
The best thing about cheese is: you don’t have to cook anything! It’s the ultimate lazy-arse way of entertaining. If you ask guests at the end of a meal ‘what did you like best about the meal?’ they will almost always say ‘the cheeseboard’.I tend to spend a lot of money on cheese; especially at special occasions like Christmas when you can push the boat out. That is the moment to visit your local cheese shop and of course, order great wines to match the cheeses.
Soft Cheese
This includes Brie and Camembert which are soft-rind cheeses where you can eat the rind.
Wine Match: an oaky chardonnay would be good with a slightly more mature, runny, soft rind cheese. A slightly oaked chardonnay would work with a younger chalkier soft rind cheese.
For a Langres cheese (one of my favourites) or say a Brillat-Savarin cheese (gorgeously creamy) I’d choose champagne as a match. I once served a whole melted Langres cheese with Marmite fingers and Champagne for a supper club. It went down a treat. Marmite is fabulous with Champagne.
To continue this journey through the cheeseboard go to my post on Winetrust100.com for more matches and tips. Guess what? Wine experts say that red wine doesn't really go with cheese. Do you agree?
I would love to get your feedback on this post!
Remember, when devising a cheese board, always start with the mildest cheeses, working up to blue cheese, the strongest. Include a variety: say one goat, one cow’s, one hard, one soft, one blue. Think also about shapes and colours of cheeses: a triangular wedge, a soft semicircle, a round truckle, an oozing slab… wrapped in leaves, or veined with blue, or with a washed orange-hued rind…Do explain or even label the cheeses. People love food stories; they love to know where their food comes from, what it goes with…
The best thing about cheese is: you don’t have to cook anything! It’s the ultimate lazy-arse way of entertaining. If you ask guests at the end of a meal ‘what did you like best about the meal?’ they will almost always say ‘the cheeseboard’.I tend to spend a lot of money on cheese; especially at special occasions like Christmas when you can push the boat out. That is the moment to visit your local cheese shop and of course, order great wines to match the cheeses.
Soft Cheese
This includes Brie and Camembert which are soft-rind cheeses where you can eat the rind.
Wine Match: an oaky chardonnay would be good with a slightly more mature, runny, soft rind cheese. A slightly oaked chardonnay would work with a younger chalkier soft rind cheese.
For a Langres cheese (one of my favourites) or say a Brillat-Savarin cheese (gorgeously creamy) I’d choose champagne as a match. I once served a whole melted Langres cheese with Marmite fingers and Champagne for a supper club. It went down a treat. Marmite is fabulous with Champagne.
To continue this journey through the cheeseboard go to my post on Winetrust100.com for more matches and tips. Guess what? Wine experts say that red wine doesn't really go with cheese. Do you agree?
I would love to get your feedback on this post!
More posts from kerstin rodgers aka msmarmitelover
