Wine and Cheese

[strephking]

I am giving a gift of a marble wine board, and I would like to jazz up the gift by offering a list of great wine and cheese pairings. Please let me know your favorites so I can add them to the book. Specific wines and cheeses would be great; i also welcome board varietals and their match. Anything you can offer, i appreciate.

[Chicago Mike]

Wine and Cheese is like marriage... some are made in heaven, and some arent, lol.

Some heavenly matches:

CHARDONNAY and Chevre, Comte, and Gruyere. Brie is also nice.

SAUVIGNON BLANC and Chevre, Gruyere, Provolone (the real thing), and Tomme Basco.

RIESLING and Emmental. There are other good matches with Riesling, but Emmentaler is so over the top that there isn't a close second.

GEWURZTRAMINER and Gruyere or Emmentaler.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON and Aged Cheddars, Gouda, and especially Parmesan Reggiano and Provolone.

RIOJA and Chevre, Gorgonzona, Iberico, and Pecorino Stagianato

PINOT NOIR and Very aged Cheddar, Chevre, Epoisses, and Roquefort

SYRAH and Appenzeller, Beafort Savoyard, Chevre, Comte, Aged Goudas, Gruyere, Montasio Mezzano, Parmesan Reggiano, Pecorino Toscano & Stagianato, and Roncal...

ZINFANDEL and Aged Cheddars, Chevre, Provolone, Roquefort, and especially Parmesan Reggiano.

If you're looking for "core" cheeses that belong on most "cheese and wine boards" then I'd recommend: Chevre, Emmentaler, Pecorino Stagianato, Parmesan Reggiano, "real" Provolone, and Gruyere as absolute essentials. Depending on the wines matched, a blue cheese is also essential, Roquefort is just the classic there.

[Campania]

Campanian, Aglianico wine (red) from the Avellino area paired with Caciocavallo (aged Provolone).

The recipients would be so pleased and both wine & cheese have stories to brag about!

[h2o]

The Murray's Cheese Handbook has a wine recommendation for almost all of the cheeses listed. I received it as a gift and it has been a great resource for wine and cheese pairings.

[TonyO]

Here are a few of my favorites:

Brie and Champagne
Blue or Roquefort and and Spatlese or Auslese Riesling
Chevre and Sancerre
Stilton and Porto

[zin1953]

Of course a perfect aged Stilton and a wonderfully aged bottle of Vintage Porto can't be beat, unless it's by a fully ripened wheel of Queijo de Serra and Porto.

Chevre (goat cheese) and Sancerre, or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, is another classic.

Epoisses or Chambertin with red Burgundy is a joy.

And on and on and on . . . .

[Chinon00]

Strong English Cheddar served with honey, seville orange marmalade, nuts, dried apricots and a bright malty ale.

[MartiniQueen]

A nice, ripe brie and a bottle of Calera Mt. Harlan Viognier...unbelievable!

[Melanie Wong]

Noshing at the recent ZAP tasting in San Francisco rekindled my amazement at how delicious kuminost is with young Zinfandel. The Old Amsterdam aged gouda offered up was also delicious with the zins, but it is great with almost any wine.

[hotoynoodle]

soft tangy goat cheese with sancerre. gooey mild triple creme with champagne.

[Robert Lauriston]

What's a marble wine board?

My absolute favorite pairing is ripe raw-milk Reblochon with an inexpensive, earthy young Bordeaux such as Cotes de Bourg.

[hotoynoodle]

a slab of marble on which to serve cheese.