I have been reading a lot about different types of cheese. I’ve learned about French cheese, American, Italian, and Irish cheese. I’ve been reading about Blue Cheese, Hard Cheese, Triple Cream and Semi-Soft cheese. So, I’ve decided to take my knowledge about wine and start pairing it towards cheese.

I hosted a wine and cheese pairing last night and I do believe that most of the pairings were right on the mark. I had 20 people over, which usually lends itself to a good mixture of palettes. With some of the pairings I tried to keep consistent notes; - the wine would show a peppery characteristic and so would the cheese. While others, I tried to have the wine or the cheese elevate the others personality; - either the wine or the cheese was more bland but the other half of the pair was very interesting. The pairing overall was fantastic. Some people really liked each pairing; while others where questionable. Below are the pairings that I tried and I hope they work well for you:
1. Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc 2004 paired with the Taleggio
2. Gini La Frosca Soave 2002 paired with the Montasio.
3. Joh. Jos. Prum Riesling Kabinett Mosel Saar Ruwer Graacher Himmelreich 2002 paired with the Pierre Robert
4. Chateau Souverain Chardonnay 2003 paired with a Monte Mayore.
5. Antinori Santa Cristina 2003 paired with a Rossolino.
6. Simi Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 paired with a Tomme de Savoie.
7. Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel 2002 paired with the Idiazabal.
8. Marquis Philips Southeastern Australian Shiraz 2004 paired with a Cashel Blue

Remember, when you are pairing a cheese to a wine, try to keep the flavors consistent, unless you have pair uncomplimentary flavors, in which case, they should work too.

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