Learn How to Pair Wine and Cheese

Wine and cheese are great together. That's all there is to it. Fine, you say, but why? That answer is simple. Because good wine is meant to complement food. The aging of good wine and the aging of good cheese are just natural complements to each other.

Now to know which goes with which. The best way to determine that is by your own tastings. Really. Set up a time for yourself or have a wine and cheese tasting party. Try them out. Every single person has a slightly different palate. So different wines and different cheeses taste slightly different. You need to know for yourself what works best.

Having said all that, there are some great places to start. Getting to know the wine varieties is the best place to start. But there are also some basic guidelines for what most people like to put together.

Traditionally, heavier cheeses go better with darker wines. Soft cheeses go best with white wines. The rule of thumb is to match the darkness of the cheese with the darkness of the wine.

But, every rule of thumb was meant to be broken. I personally enjoy a good cheddar (dark cheese) with a good Chardonnay (the driest white wine.) I also love a good Merlot (medium dry red wine) with Brie cheese (soft cheese). You can see that your own taste buds will be the best deciding factor.

Of course, that's what makes it so much fun to have a wine and cheese party. You can have plenty of different choices. And then you and your guests can determine for themselves what wines and cheeses pairs best.

Hosting a Wine Tasting Party

During the winter months, wine tasting parties can be a fun way to gather with friends. With the big holidays over and the dreary days of winter upon us, a nice theme for a get-together is wine tasting.

You'll want to think about the type of party to have. It can be a specific variety of wines, like only reds, or only whites, or maybe a dessert party for sweeter wines. Will you include a dinner with the wine tasting or just serve appetizers?

If you want to focus on just certain types of wines, you'll want to match your menu to those wines. Wine enhances the flavor of food and vice versa. Typically, white wines work best with lighter fare, such as fish or chicken dishes and salads. Red wines are stronger in flavor so they go better with red meats and heartier foods. Pairing wine and food is simple when you follow some basics.

Then you'll want to brush up on your wine tasting terms. Learning the right terms for what you will be doing with wine tasting will also help you and your guests enjoy the party more.

If you know someone who is especially good at wine tasting, ask them to be the group leader and help teach all the guests how to properly taste wine. If not, learn how wine tasting functions yourself so you can be the group leader.

More than anything, enjoy yourself. The whole idea behind wine is enjoyment, so go ahead and plan a wine tasting party for the shear enjoyment.

Pairing Wine and Cheese

The month of August at All About Wine is all about pairing wine and cheese. Which wines go good with which cheeses? Which cheeses to serve with which wines? What should I know about pairing wine and cheese?

The delectable tastes of great cheese goes wonderfully with the delightful tastes of wine. For all of us, choosing wines is all about our own enjoyment and mating that enjoyment with food is always an additional treat. So All About Wine is sharing that enjoyment with cheeses.

If you think cheese is just about American slices, then you need to start with the primer. Then take your wine and cheese pairings up a notch. Stay tuned to All About Wine for the next regularly scheduled program, a review of a good book to learn lots more.

First and foremost, wine and cheese pairing is all about taste. Go for the wines and cheeses that you enjoy and do some taste testing yourself. Find the combinations that cause you to say "wow."