Choosing the Right Pair of Wine and Cheese

Wine and cheese parties from the seventies are returning. They are easy to set up. You don''t need a reason for the party. They can be brought together at any time, no matter the weather and there is nothing like the pairing of cheese with wine.

Most people can get overwhelmed. To begin with there are a wide range of choices in wines and cheese. Then there is figuring out what wine goes with what cheese.

The first thing to remember when you set about buying your supplies is never by cheap boxed wine. It may be easy to open but the flavors of cheese or any other food cannot be brought out with cheap wine.

Remember strong wines go with strong cheese and mild cheeses go with mild wine. Neither drink nor food must dominate. The flavor of each bite of cheese on your palette is replaced with a sip of the wine.

Wines that are acidic complement pungent cheese such as Chardonnay with Brie or a Savignon Blanc with goat cheese.A soft cheese like Camembert goes well with sweet wines like Vouvray or Chenin Blanc.And hard cheeses like Parmegiano, Romana or Regiano are wonderfully matched to full bodied red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Red Zinfandel and Red Bordeaux.Sweet wines like Vermouth , Port or Sherry may be combined with the a the well known, much loved cheddar cheese. If the cheddar is aged then its sharp taste compliments an equally tangy glass of Shiraz Cabernet.

Remember, that the best guide of what cheese and wine combinations to go for, you should rely on your tastes. If it seems to work together then serve them together. Don''t worry about the errors you make, they will only help improve your abilities in the long run.

Melinda Carnes is a staff writer at Everything Gourmet and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including Coffee Enthusiast.