You’ve heard of a wine and cheese board, but what about a beer and cheese board?
Assembling the perfect cheese board can be a little tricky with such a variety of cheeses and booze coming through on the supermarket shelves. But it seems cheese is always a gouda idea, with Google searches for ‘cheese pairings’ increasing 139% in the last month alone, and surprisingly, searches for ‘beer pairings’ seeing an increase of 36% in the last month too.
Dominique Delacour, Head of UK Marketing at CAMBOZOLA® – the original blue brie cheese, has shared her top tips for pairing cheese with not only wine, but beer too.
“A well assembled cheeseboard usually has four main components – a soft cheese, semi-hard cheese, hard cheese and a blue cheese to offer a variety of textures and flavours. It’s a good idea to start there and build your alcohol pairings around your main cheese components.”
Cheese and drinks pairings – Hard Cheese
Think Parmesan, Pecorino, Manchego and Cheddar.
The former three are a saltier cheese and pack a punch with each bite, which is why Delacour suggests Prosecco complements this selection perfectly. “The sweetness of the prosecco balances the saltiness of the cheese, while the bubbly nature of the drink contrasts nicely with the dense texture of the Parmesan.”
Medium bodied reds also work well (for example, a rich Merlot). This is because of the fine balance between the tannins in the wine and the high fat content in hard cheeses. The combination of the two make the wine taste smoother and enhances the wine’s fruit flavours. Delacour adds, “reds like Merlot also have a moderate acidity, which helps cleanse the palate and cut through the dense, creamy texture of hard cheese.”
“An aged cheddar calls for a bold red wine”, says Dominique. Cheddar has a high fat content, which can coat the palate, helping to smooth the tannins in full-bodied red wines. This is why a full-bodied wine needs a sharp cheese with an intense flavour to accompany it. “Bold red wines like Cabernet Sauvignons or Malbecs pair beautifully with cheddar as it has strong umami notes, which enhance the fruitiness of the wine to make it even richer.
“And if beer is more your bag, try a pale ale, as the bright, hoppy bitterness of a pale ale should offset the cheddar’s sharpness.”
Cheese and drinks pairings – Blue-Veined Cheese
Blue-veined cheeses come in the form of CAMBOZOLA®, Montagnolo®, Stilton and Gorgonzola.
“These are washed rind soft, blue-veined cheeses, so work perfectly with beer, believe it or not!” according to Delacour. She recommends trying blue-veined cheese with a Briganti, which is a crisp, Italian style lager. “It has a gently toasted flavour and a touch of mellow, floral and fruity hops.” Typically, beers, especially with good carbonation, cleanse the palate by cutting through the rich and creamy texture of blue cheese.”
An alternate option would be a stout beer, a type of dark ale with a moderate to high bitterness, which works well to balance out the creaminess of blue cheese.
Delacour highlights that a delectable pairing with Cambozola® Classic is Pinot Noir, a dry, light to medium-bodied red wine that has complex flavours of cherry, raspberry and hints of vanilla alongside silky tannins, which contrasts with the tanginess of the blue cheese. She also points out that Montagnolo®, a premium blue vein and fine grey ripened cheese, matches Beerenauslese wines perfectly. “These vintage wines are exceptionally sweet due to their late harvest, so they work well with the subtle saltiness of cheeses like Montagnolo®.”
Cheese and drinks pairings – Semi-Hard Cheese
‘Semi-hard cheeses’ include the likes of Gouda and Gruyère.
Pair these with white wines that have a balanced acidity, fruitiness and a touch of nuttiness. “If you’re a white wine drinker, opt for a Chardonnay, which will complement a cheese like Gruyère with its oaky and slightly acidic flavour.” Delacour also suggests that Riesling balances beautifully with semi-hard cheese, as the acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese’s creamy texture.
Cheese and drinks pairings – Soft Cheese
Soft cheese includes brie, ricotta and camembert.
These are creamy, fatty cheeses which spread nicely and generally have a nuttier flavour, so are the perfect choice for pairing with a lighter red wine.
“A light red wine is a great option for a soft cheese. With the same level of flavour as full-bodied wine, light reds usually have a higher acidity and lower alcohol content to give them a lighter taste,” comments Dominique. “Soft cheeses have a high moisture and fat content which can make tannic wines taste harsh, so as light reds tend to have lower tannins, the whole taste experience is much smoother.”
Pairing 101
Delacour shares her key takeaways for planning the perfect cheese pairings:
- It doesn’t always have to be red wine, beer works well too, as does white wine and fizz!
- Cheese and alcohol from the same country pair well
- The higher the acidity in the wine, the more it cuts through fatty cheeses
- Sweet wines work well with strong and salty cheese
- Salty cheeses enhance the body of the wine, decreasing any bitterness
Delacour concluded: “The golden rule really is to understand the cheese and alcohol you’re pairing together, so take the time to do some research. A simple rule to remember is that light foods and cheese pair well with light wines and beer, while heavier cheese pairs well with darker and fuller bodied wine and beer. The stronger the alcohol, the stronger (and stinker!) the cheese.”
