Welcome to the Holidays, continuing on with part 3 of our Holiday Wine Picks, we are rolling out our holiday wine parings for cheese.
Cheese
Very popular and found at almost every holiday get-together, cheese is a perfect appetizer and wonderful with wine. Picking cheeses can be hard enough, and knowing which wine to choose can be even more challenging; that's why the staff at We Speak Wine developed our holiday wine guide for cheese.
There are several different styles of cheese, and we break things down into 4 different types.
Hard Aged Cheeses:
Hard aged cheese come in many varities some being:Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana padano, Aged Cheddars, Aged Gouda, Asiago, Dry Jack:
What to pair with:
We love Tannic reds and robust whites, but sweeter wines can complement saltier varieties of aged cheeses.
Semi-Hard, and Slightly Aged Cheeses:
A bit stronger taste but not pungent or extremely sharp, examples include:Asiago (fresh), Beaufort, Caciotta, Cantal, Cheddar, Edam, Gruyere, Idiazabal, Leyden, Mahon, Manchego, Swiss.
What to pair with:
medium bodied white wines, lighter reds that are fruit forward will pair well.
Semi-Soft Cheeses:
There are many semi-soft cheeses avaiable that are great for snacking and enjoying with wine. Some varieties inlcude Bel Paese, Caciovavallo, California jack, Gouda, Havarti, Muenster, and more.
What to pair with:
Rose, sparkling wines, and bright, crisp white wines with notes of fruit or citrus will be delightful. For the more pungent a sweeter wine like Gewurztraminer can pair well.
Blue Cheeses:
Blue cheeses are unique, often pungent and with a strong distinct flavor. Varities you may enjoy include Gorgonzola, Saga blue, Stilton, Bleu d'Auvergne and Valdeon.
What to pair with:
Because of their Bold and often salty taste, we prefer to pair them with sweet reds and port wines.