Wine and Cheese Pairing

On Thursday, April 10th, 2014, I gathered with a close group of friends to try out some wine and cheese pairings.  This was the first time I had ever really thought about how flavors in a wine may compliment or clash with cheese, so it definitely made it an interesting experience.

For our wine and cheese pairing, we enjoyed three different wines: Toasted Head Untamed Red, Hacienda de Luna Moscatel Rosado, and Dibon Cava Brut Reserve.

From left to right: Toasted Head, Hacienda de Luna
Moscatel Rosado, and Dibon Cava Brut Reserve

We also experimented with six different cheeses: Manchego, Morbier, Parmesan, Brie, Feta, and Sharp Cheddar.

Large blocks from left to right: Manchego, Morbier,
Parmesan, and Brie.  Sharp cheddar stick in the middle.
Feta crumbles at the bottom of the plate.

Can't forget the Triscuits!

Yay Triscuits!

Before we got started with the pairing, we tasted each wine individually, starting from the white Dibon Cava Brut Reserve, to Hacienda de Luna Moscatel Rosado, and finishing with Toasted Head Untamed Red.

Dibon Cava Brut Reserve

Variety: Cava

Region: Penedes

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Wine Notes

Dibon Cava Brut Reserve poured an off white color in the glass. I noticed that it was carbonated with bubbles that were noticeable upon pour.  Aromas of granny smith apples and pears filled the nose.  The wine was very bubbly on the tongue with distinct granny smith apple flavors and an acidic finish.

Cheese Notes

Dibon Cava Brut Reserve was paired with Manchego and Parmesan.

Pictured Above: Manchego

Pictured Above: Parmesean

Manchego is a compact and firm cheese with a yellow/brown rind and a creamy white center. The cheese is not strong of flavor, but rather it has a buttery, creamy texture.

Parmesan is a hard, dry cheese with a pale yellow color.  It is more sharp in flavor and savory on the tongue.

Paired Notes

I first paired Dibon Cava Brut Reserve with the Manchego cheese.  I was incredibly impressed with this pairing.  Together, they went down smoothly, as if the acidity and bubbles in the Cava Brut were broken down by the creamy, butter texture and flavor of the Manchego.  This pairing was damn good and I really loved how it complimented each other in beautiful harmony.

I then paired the Dibon Cava Brut Reserve with Parmesan cheese.  I wasn't too fond of this pairing. I found that the sharp savory flavor in the Parmesan was very overbearing until the very end.  My mouth experienced intense acidity with the Cava in the beginning with an extreme, sharp punch from the Parmesan at the end and I wasn't particularly fond of it.  I didn't think that it complimented very well whatsoever.

Hacienda de Luna Moscatel Rosado

Variety: Moscatel Rosado

Region: Valencia

Country: Spain

Year: 2012

Wine Notes

Hacienda de Luna Moscatel Rosado poured a light pink/salmon color in the glass with bubbling fizz.  This wine was also carbonated.  The wine was distinctly similar to cherry 7up in aroma, with other pleasant notes of peaches and fresh flowers in the nose.  Sweet strawberries, peaches, and apples created a beautiful tropical medley on the palate and the wine was fizzy and bubbly on the tongue upon finish.

Cheese Notes

Hacienda de Luna Moscatel Rosado was paired with Feta cheese and Brie.

Pictured above: Feta cheese

Pictured above: Brie

Feta cheese is a soft, rich cheese of Greece with a tangy, funky, and salty flavor.  It is creamy white in appearance and easily crumbles when eating.

Brie is a soft, creamy cheese with a white/light yellow color. It is easy to spread because of its buttery creaminess.  The white rind on brie is edible.  Brie is very mellow in flavor and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture on the tongue.

Paired Notes

I first paired Hacienda de Luna Moscatel Rosado with feta cheese.  The Moscatel Rosado balanced out the funk in the feta cheese, which was a pleasant surprise.  The spritziness in the wine was enough to break up the funky cheese flavor and texture, making for a smooth finish. This pair was excellent and a pleasant compliment of each other.  Who knew sweet and floral notes would be great for a tangy cheese? It created a harmonious relationship that was also seen in the Cava Brut and Manchego pairing.

Hacienda de Luna Moscatel Rosado was then paired with brie.  When tasting both at once, the combined flavors didn't really do it for me.  The flavor in the brie was too mellow and they seemed to cancel each other out.  The smooth sweetness of the Moscatel Rosado seemed to be dulled and lost in the mellow creaminess of the brie.  I also noticed that the fizz on the tongue also seemed dulled with the pairing.  I wasn't too keen on this combination. 

Based on the two cheeses paired with the Hacienda de Luna Moscatel Rosado, I would predict that goat cheese would make an excellent pairing with the rose wine as well. The funkiness in goat cheese may be the perfect compliment for a soft and sweet rose wine, just as the feta cheese was a great compliment for this Moscatel Rosado.

Toasted Head Untamed Red

Variety: 45% Syrah, 28% Petite Sirah, 14% Zinfandel, 9% Merlot, 3% Tannat, 1% Tempranillo

Region: California

Country: United States

Year: 2010

Wine Notes

Toasted Head Untamed Red poured a blood red in this glass.  This blend produced an aroma filled with notes of tobacco, cherries, and blackberries.  I was particularly keen to this blend although my friends did not enjoy it as much as I did.  The wine had very minute tannins and was easy to drink.  It was light on the tongue with flavors of cherries.

Cheese Notes

Toasted Head Untamed Red was paired with Morbier and Sharp Cheddar cheese.

Pictured above: Morbier

Pictured above: Sharp cheddar cheese

Morbier is a semi-soft cheese with an ivory color and black coloring that forms a line inside the cheese.  The flavor is not sharp nor strong, but rather soft, rich, and creamy.  

Sharp cheddar is a hard, yellow/orange cheese. "Sharp" denotes that the cheese is acidic. The cheese is compact and firm, rich in mouthfeel and flavor, and tends to melt in the mouth.

Paired Notes

I first paired Toasted Head Untamed Red with Morbier cheese.  Unfortunately, this combination didn't really work for me.  I really enjoyed both wine and cheese separately, but when paired together, the cheese flavor became overwhelming upon finish.  This combination was so gross that I coughed upon swallowing.  I did not expect this unsuccessful pairing because Morbier was more of a mild cheese and the Toasted Head Untamed Red was more of a mild wine.  However, both wine and cheese together did not work.  There was too much power in the mouth at the end that was not pleasant in any way.

I also paired the Toasted Head Untamed Red with Sharp Cheddar cheese.  This pairing worked a lot better than with the Morbier.  The red wine chopped through the cheddar and the finish was smooth, making it more pleasant and bearable to drink.  I enjoyed this pairing. I felt like this wine would be excellent with a pizza as it does really well with cheddar.

Overall, this wine and cheese pairing experience really opened my eyes to the beauty of finding flavors that compliment one another.  Hope to do it again soon!

Viola! Wine and cheese pairing FTW

Aww...wine, cheese, and besties