Wines + cheeses

Wine and cheese pairing: let's clarify

Pairing wine and cheese is a culinary art that requires a little experience and a certain amount of creativity. In this article I will guide you through the basic principles of wine and cheese pairing and give you some practical tips on how to pair these two elements to create an unforgettable dining experience.

Basic principles of pairing wines and cheeses

Many consider completeness as the fundamental ingredient for proposing a winning and never predictable combination. In reality, to create a common thread between wine and cheese it is necessary to respect some characteristics which, although apparently complex, are transformed into spectacular effects when the right combination is chosen. Pairing wine and cheese is based on some basic principles that must be understood to get the most out of your pairing. First, the flavors of wine and cheese should be in harmony.

This means that if the cheese has a strong, spicy flavor, the wine should have an equally intense flavor to balance the flavors. Secondly, wine and cheese should have a certain complementarity, so that the flavor of one does not completely cover the taste of the other. Finally, the wine and cheese should have a similar intensity of flavor to avoid one overpowering the other.

Wine and cheese balance

The first requirement is the balance between sweetness and flavor which must blend perfectly creating a perfect mix.

If, for example, the proposal is a fruity wine, it must be accompanied by a delicate cheese, so as not to tire the taste buds and allow the taster to savor a complete flavour.

Firmness of the cheese

Compactness is an element that most affects the cheese, in particular it is the paste that represents the most challenging piece.

If the choice falls on a cheese with a soft and full-bodied texture, it is preferable to accompany it with a rich wine with a structure, so as to underline the robustness of the two products.

Wine texture

Olfactory and visual perception represents a requirement that is too often underestimated.

The eyes are the first spectators that give a first opinion towards what we are about to eat and drink, which is why a fragrant and young wine prefers the combination with a delicate cheese, and vice versa.

Wine aromas

If sight is an important requirement, at the same level we find the scent which, thanks to the aromas added in the cheese paste and the composition of the wine, manages to trigger wide-ranging sensory experiences.

The wine with a light fragrance pairs well with a full-bodied and challenging cheese.

Practical advice for the perfect match

Italian food and wine - ranging we could mention Europe - is very vast and offers, for those who know how to grasp it, possible combinations capable of surprising demanding palates with refined and refined tastes.

Delicate, light, fragrant, full-bodied, pungent, spicy, blue-veined, spicy... Tradition offers cheeses, as well as wines, rich in nuances that are sometimes light and others quite marked. The pairing of wines and cheeses thus becomes a complex affair which risks, as in a classic marriage, reaching a breaking point or a point of union. You need to know how to choose, well and beforehand!

Fresh soft cheese and wine

Crescenza, Quartirolo, Primo Sale, Robiola... represent the most common fresh soft cheeses.

The perfect match for soft, creamy, delicate cheeses and at times a sweetish aftertaste that clashes and meets with a slight acidic note is characterized by light, still and dry white wines which, thanks to the fruity and fragrant notes, manage to complete the experience sensory. These wines have a delicate flavor that adapts well to the creaminess of the soft cheese.

Another perfect feature for finding the right pairing is choosing a dry wine that can cleanse the palate after tasting a soft cheese.

Mature soft cheese and wine

The intense flavor leaves no room for doubt, among the best-known soft mature cheeses are stracchino, taleggio and bel Paese.

The notes of milk represent the right discriminant which, combined with a pinch of flavor, find their perfect match with a structured and light white wine. The perfumed notes must be delicate and almost imperceptible, so as not to contrast and make the wine and cheese combination harmonious.

Unripened goat's cheeses and wine

Goat's cheeses are characterized by intense and elaborate flavours, often enriched with aromatic herbs and rich in aromas.

Goat's cheese is a complete product in terms of aroma and flavour, the perfect pairing with the wine is represented by fruity white wines or a soft, fragrant and fresh wine that manages to give that missing note of lightness. Furthermore, these wines have a fresh and fruity flavor that goes well with the sweetness of the goat cheese.

Washed rind cheeses and wine

Taleggio represents the prince among washed rind cheeses and is characterized by an intense, decisive and important flavour.

On the palate it is soft and rich, sometimes aromatic depending on the ingredients chosen by the dairy.

Many of us have a tendency to focus on the number of calories we consume or the type of food we eat, but in reality, what matters most is balance and variety in our diet. In this regard, it is important to make a distinction between eating healthy and following an extreme diet. A healthy diet should include all essential nutrients, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins. Warning: a healthy diet does not necessarily mean depriving ourselves of meat or following a purely vegan diet.

Which wine to pair? A fruity, light and fragrant red represents the perfect pairing.

Flowery rind cheeses and wine

The flowery rind cheeses are the flagship of their cousins ​​from beyond the Alps. Discreetly soft, fragrant enough and quite tasty, they prefer a red wine that has a solid structure and is soft at the same time.

The flowery rind cheese gives the scepter of protagonist to the accompanying wine so as to offer a perfect balance and in full harmony.

Hard and semi-hard cheeses and wine

Hard and semi-hard cheeses usually undergo a medium-short maturation, examples include Caciocavalli, provolone and fontina.

The perfect pairing is with a soft, young and warm white capable of giving an aromatic note that transforms into a light and balanced detail on the palate.

Mature hard cheeses and wine

Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano are the most famous matured hard cheeses. Used for many purposes, they have an intense and long-lasting flavor that satisfy the taste buds for an important period. Precisely for this characteristic, the perfect combination between wine and cheese is represented by a robust and full-bodied red rich in aromas that manages to incorporate softness and create a perfect balance between the elements.

Hard, cooked and semi-cooked cheeses and wine

Asiago, Gruyere and Emmenthal are cooked and semi-cooked hard cheeses that go perfectly with full-bodied and structured red wines.

Where the cheese is rich in aromas and perfumes, the accompaniment of wine is even more important as it must create a perfect background and not hinder the release of the tastes and aromas of the cheese.

Blue or blue cheeses and wine

Blue cheeses such as Blu di bufala or Gorgonzola pair well with strong red wines. Gorgonzola is the blue cheese known throughout the world. Pungent notes, aromatic, constructed and demanding, Bleu represents the most selfish of the types of cheese.

Alongside such a demanding product it is necessary to propose a wine with an intense flavour, which can hold its own and show character without annoying the palate, but completing the balance by focusing on texture.

A well-structured high-alcohol red represents the wine with personality capable of approaching the Bleu cheese without annoying it.

Pairing of wines and cheeses

The perfect union between wine and cheese represents an added value when you want to offer your guests a unique experience capable of uniting and delighting the five senses. If taste represents the supporting pillar, smell and sight move hand in hand and, alongside scales of colours, find tantalizing and enticing aromas.

Our proposals are designed to offer a wide-ranging experience that begins with particular and refined cuts of meat and ends with the pairing of wines and cheeses.

The products you find in our online butcher's shop are linked to each other thanks to the type of production, in which respect for the environment and animals is placed at the forefront and becomes a precursor of a philosophy linked to peasant traditions associated with technology.