My First Wine and Cheese Pairing

Pinot Grigio with Mozzarella

On its own, the Sutter Home Pinot Grigio from California smelled of honeysuckle and other floral components but also had faint chemical notes as well. Mozzarella is not a cheese to coat the tongue and, in my opinion, sits on the mild side of the cheese flavor spectrum. When combined, I could taste that the flavors were being enhanced by the fats in the acid melting away from the acids in the wine. The result was that the mozzarella became much bolder and the grapes of the Pinot Grigio were more pronounced. However, I felt that the acids in the wine were still too strong and needed to be paired with a fattier cheese.

Sweet Red and Smoked Gouda

I first tasted the sweet red blend by Oliver Winery and Vineyard in Bloomington, ID by itself, and it is my favorite red wine that I have tried so far. It was sweet with strong fruity flavors of cherry, strawberry, and the classic red table grape flavor. I also detected notes of nuttiness. Smoked gouda is a firm and somewhat salty cheese with hints of nuttiness that melts slightly in the mouth to provide a nice coating. When combined, I was greeted by a melody of fruity flavors enhanced by the perfect amount of salty and nutty as the harmony, creating a symphony of natural flavors that may have just triggered my "wine awakening." The strong cheese was dulled by contrasting yet complementary flavors of the wine. It was truly and perfect pairing.

Red Moscato and Blue Cheese

Last was the Barefoot Red Moscato from California which smelled of ripe cherries, raisins, and some plum notes. The blue cheese, as was described by the friend experiencing this with me, was salty and funky and coated the mouth to an extreme degree. When paired, the acids in the wine definitely cut through the fats in the cheese to seemingly wash it from the mouth, but it was still pretty acidic afterwards. It was not the best pairing and not the worst; however, we did find that the blue cheese paired better with the sweet red blend described above.

Overall, this was a very fun experience that I look forward to having again and again even after leaving this class. The sweet red blend and gouda was by far my favorite pairing, and it has me excited to share with a larger group of friends at social gatherings.