Wine and Cheese Pairings | One on Wine

All right, let's talk about the biggest power couple in the food and drink world, wine and cheese. What a duo. These two best buds have been palling around for ages. A match made in heaven. What's the secret to this lifelong relationship? Why do we love them so much? Why do they go together so perfectly? In this episode, we're talking about the history behind this love affair, the science behind the chemistry, and the endless matchmaking possibilities. This is One on Wine and Cheese. The history of wine and cheese goes way back. Traditionally, wine and cheese is paired according to its location. A French brie was paired with a French Beaujolais, an Italian Asiago with an Italian red, et cetera, et cetera. Soon, wine pairings spread beyond their homelands. Wine was not only being paired with cheese, it was being sold on the basis that it would pair well with cheese. There's even an old adage amongst British wine traders that goes, buy on apple, sell on cheese. If you drink a good wine with a fresh tart apple, the acidity will make a good wine taste thin and metallic, which meant it would taste wonderful with a soft, round, fatty textured cheese. Wine and cheese is such a staple in France that soldiers in World War II were given wine and cheese in their daily rations. Soldiers! Like they were parachuting into book club. Now, it may seem like tradition has kept these two together more than anything, but their chemistry is chemical. After centuries of inseparability, scientists put the relationship to a test. They found that wine was a great palate cleanser when paired with cheese. The tannins in wine are astringent and drying. They dry your mouth while cheese coats your mouth with the fatty, silky texture. The wine dries, the cheese wets, and repeat. The best pairing is acidic with fatty, which brings me to a big point. If you're eating cheese, you should probably be drinking a white wine. I know, everyone thinks of red wine with cheese and it can be done successfully, but many experts, including your mouth, would agree white wine is more versatile when it comes to cheese pairings. Here's why. The heavier reds can overpower the cheese. So here's a good rule. Bold with bold and light with light. Let's start with your whites. Like I said, most whites are a safe bet for any cheese, but I'll give you some selects. Goat cheese, Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc has the perfect acidity with green, grassy, fruity notes that go great with goat cheese's tang. Mozzarella, ricotta, buffalo cheeses. These are mild, subtle cheeses that can easily be overpowered by wine, but Pinot Grigio knows how to handle it. Pinot Noir is a fruit-forward, very low-tannic wine, so it's generally safe when paired with any cheeses. Medium-bodied cheeses like Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Manchego, Gouda, and mild cheddar. These mid-range cheeses are great with Chardonnay's more oaky and buttery flavors. This is where Malbec and Merlot can start to hang. Malbec and Merlot are flavorful reds, but they're a little higher in tannins, so these medium cheeses will play nicely. What about your spicy hot cheeses like habanero cheddar or pepper jack? A sweet Riesling or rosé will balance that heat perfectly. Let's bring in those big, bold reds, Cabernet and Syrah. Cabernet is a strong wine, and it needs a strong, firm cheese. A Pecorino Romano or one of those aged cheddars with those salt crystals would pair perfectly with this big, bold red. The stinky, funky cheeses like Blue and Gorgonzola pair with your robust Syrah and Cabernet's. Now, how about these ooey, gooey, stinky cheeses like Triple Crème Brie, Delice, Brioche Sèvron, Epois? These cheeses go great with bubbles. Champagne, a sparkling rosé, a white wine spritzer. There's something about the bubbles and the acidity dancing with that creamy, borderline buttery flavor of these decadent triple cheeses. So grab yourself a hunk of cheese, get yourself a handle of your favorite wine, and let's wrap this up because I wanna eat this cheese. We good? Shut it off, shut it off, shut it off, shut it off. Power it down, power it down. Here's to wine and cheese. Together until the end.