It might seem controversial to die-hard red
wine fans, but the modern school of thought among those in-the-know is
that
white wine is a much better all-round wine partner for cheese.
Why? Because its inherent freshness
cuts through cheese’s fatty content much better than a chewy red wine
would. And so perhaps it’s one of the wine world’s best-kept secrets
that South West France – with all its
indigenous and delicious white grape varieties to offer – is in fact a Mecca for cheese-friendly wines.
So let’s dive in.
White cheeses that are chalky in texture and/or salty in flavour,
like goat’s cheese and halloumi, are notorious for working wonders with
Sauvignon Blanc. But this isn’t an exclusive pairing by any means, so
for something slightly different but just as successful a match, try the
dry white wines of Gaillac, which are made from punchy native grapes
such as Mauzac and
Loin de l’Oeil and are tongue-tingling, crisp, fruity
and salty. Sometimes these whites even have a drop of Sauvignon Blanc
blended into them too,.
Crumbly cheeses, such as feta, Wensleydale and Caerphilly are also
best served with a fruity and fresh white wine. To match these, it’s
worth buying a bottle of dry white wine from Côtes de Gascogne. Local
grapes here such as Ugni Blanc, Gros Manseng and Colombard (as well as
Sauvignon Blanc sometimes too) make fruity, slightly textured white
wines with bags of apple-flavoured freshness.
Richer, Alpine-based cheeses, such as Comté and Gruyère, as well as
Spain’s most famous sheep cheese Manchego, are crying out for wines with
plenty of depth to
the flavour all the while being tense with freshness. And so step
forward the white wines from the Basque region of Irouléguy, or even the
dry
Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh wines. These really make the most of
indigenous varieties such as
Gros Manseng, Arrufiac and Petit Courbu by
being zingy, sometimes smoky, and full of nutty and herbaceous flavours.
These wines would also serve a richly-flavoured Cheddar well, but if
you’re interested in tracking down something unique, go for a Chardonnay
from the Pyrenean region of Ariège which can have a lovely nutty and
waxy flavour.
As
we all know, sweet wines are hedonistic in their own right, but even
more so when paired with two types of cheese styles; salty blue cheese
such as Roquefort, Stilton or Gorgonzola, and washed rind
powerfully-flavoured cheeses like Munster or Epoisses. There are two
no-brainer places to look in South West France to meet your wine needs
here. Firstly the sweet
Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh wines, often made with
Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, they’re full of luscious honey and
apricot flavours. Or else go to Gaillac and indulge in their delicious
honeycomb and marmalade-rich sweet wines.
