Wine & Cheese Pairing 1

             

Of all the special blogs assigned for this class, the wine and cheese pairing intrigued me more than any other. It seems like such a specific pairing type to have this much of a cultural foothold without reason, which led me to believe it must be pretty darn good. I picked out the wines and cheeses, got together a couple of friends, and commenced the drinking (and eating)!

Pairing 1

Wine: Butter - Chardonnay [California; 2021]

Cheese: Humboldt Fog

This wine certainly lived up to its name, as while there was a bit of lime on the first sniff, for the most part, it really just tasted like butter. 'Twas quite pleasant, and I will likely procure more in the near future. The cheese was also excellent, dare say the best goat cheese I've ever had, with its thickness, creaminess, and buttery flavors being delectable in the mouth. Since both the wine and cheese have butter descriptors, imagine my surprise when they cancelled out in the pairing process, allowing for more sweetness and oakiness in the wine, and a ton of creaminess and some grassiness in the cheese, making it almost taste like blue cheese! This duo quite simply knocked it out of the park.

Pairing 2

Wine: The Big Red Monster - Zinfandel [Paso Robles, California]

75% Zinfandel, 18% Tannat, 7% Petite Sirah

Cheese: Smoked Gouda

Preferably I would have liked to do this pairing with a pure Zinfandel, but as I already reviewed the only readily accessible option, this blend will have to do. A lot of the traits carry over, such as scent and taste of dark cherry and blackberry. However, at 15% alcohol, this was much stronger than expected, and the tannins were higher as well. Meanwhile, the cheese was meaty and rich in the best possible way, and it straight up smelled like salami and/or bacon bits. When the cheese is consumed slightly before the wine, the former thankfully kills much of the bitterness of the latter, leaving a sweetness that is still subservient to the meatiness of the cheese. This is preferable to switching the order around, as the wine coming first means that the bitterness can't be avoided.

Pairing 3

Wine: Whiskers Blake - Classic Tawny (Port) [Australia]

Cheese: Bunker Hill Raw Cheddar

My roommate really wanted to try a port to finish things off, and though I was skeptical of how cheese would go with dessert wine, I acquiesced nonetheless. First off, the smell is completely overpowering, like rubbing alcohol with cinnamon, or chocolate-covered cherries; it creates a strong burning sensation in the nose. Drinking it gives out a taste which is so sweet that it's somehow a bit bitter, not too dissimilar from drinking hot maple syrup. On the other hand, the cheddar's taste was very muted, though I still enjoyed it on it's own. Given that imbalance, the Tawny completely erased any possible taste the cheese could have, rendering this trial somewhat of a failure. Though, as a bonus, I tried the Tawny with the Gouda, and the cheese came out on top this time, taking out the majority of the wine taste.

All in all, I think this exercise went fairly well, though I plan to put more thought into what pairings I create for next time. I will never question the notability of wine and cheese ever again! Especially smoked Gouda, that stuff is to die for...