Wine and Cheese Pairing 1

A couple friends and I decided to get together on a Saturday night to pair wines and cheeses together. When we start, I grab my Lactaid and hope that my lactose intolerance doesn't get the best of me. We have kind of tried this before in a previous tasting with aged gouda but now it is much more than on cheese and wine.

Cheers!

The first pairing was a sparking rosè combined with Murrays' Irish Cheddar.

Bottle of I Lauri Spumante Rosé Brut

Wine 1: I Lauri Spumante Rosé Brut

Variety: Montepulciano

Region of Origin: Central Italy 

Country of Origin: Italy

Vintage Year: Not Listed

Price: ~$10

The wine had a floral and vegetal smell, that I can't narrow down. The wine by itself tastes somewhat dry and has floral notes along with what seems like some grass. It was nice and bright by itself but it was then paired with Murrays' Irish Cheddar.

A Nice Aestic Setup of the Wine and Cheese

When paired with the cheese, the wine felt like it made the cheese stronger at the beginning as it was a good bit saltier. It also gave things a much creamier mouthfeel and allowed for the floral notes more visible within the wine. Though the carbonation seemed to detriment the other aspects of things as it ended up making things spicy causing things to contradict. It ended up being a good pairing.

The next pairing was a Riesling paired with a Brie Cheese.

Bottle of August Kessler Riesling

Wine 2: August Kessler Riesling

Variety: Riesling

Region of Origin: Rheingau

Country of Origin: Germany

Vintage Year: 2022

Price: ~$15

I've had a decent amount of Rieslings at this point as they are my favorite wine. This doesn't deviate from what they are normally as it smells like lime, green apple, and a little petroleum on the backend as described. When tasting, it tastes like apple juice with a little lime, and a little petroleum on the backend again. It was nice by itself but it was then paired with a Brie Cheese.

Another Nice Aestic Setup of the Wine and Cheese

The Brie Cheese was a strong cheese that was quite salty and soft. When paired with the Riesling they were not a pairing as nothing changed, it was just salty cheese with a Reisling. It was seen that the Riesling was not strong enough for the Brie as it was just being overpowered by the Brie. They did not work well together and it was disappointing as they both were great by themselves.

The final pairing was a Chianti paired with Manchego Cheese.

Bottle of Monte Guelfo Chianti

Wine 3: Monte Guelfo Chianti

Variety: 90% Sangiovese and 10% Colorino

Region of Origin: Tuscany

Country of Origin: Italy

Vintage Year: 2020

Price: ~$15

This wine smells like darker fruit similar to figs and a little like a distinct new leather smell. The wine tastes hot and spicy, quite dry. It hits a little differently being jammy with figs. It was nicely balanced and I liked it already by itself, which is unlike most reds I've tried so far. It was then paired with a Manchego Cheese.

Final Nice Aestic Setup of the Wine and Cheese

The pairing made the wine much fruitier helping bring out the fig for confirmation and bringing out a nice and creamy texture. The pairing worked decently well and I liked it with the saltiness of the cheese. This helped balance things out well overall.

The wine-cheese pairing overall helped open my mind to the many things that wine can be paired with and helped give me an idea of what to try next. It also taught some lessons about experimentation and that sometimes it doesn't work out. It was overall a great experience. Cheers 🥂!