Wine and Cheese - Friends or Foes?

As in all matters of taste, the topic of wine and food comes with its share of controversy and debate. Where it's especially heated is on the subject of matching wine and cheese.

Wine and cheese are "naturals" for each other. For me, a good cheese and a good wine will enhance the flavors and complexities of both. Also, the protein in cheese will soften the tannins in a red wine.

The key to this match is in carefully selecting the cheese; therein lies the controversy. Some chefs and wine-and-food experts caution that some of the most popular cheeses for eating are the least appropriate for wine because they overpower it-a ripe cheese like Brie is a classic example.

The "keep-it-simple" approach applies again here. I find that the best cheeses for wines are the following: Parmigiano-Reggiano, fresh mozzarella, Pecorino, Taleggio, and Fontina from Italy; Chèvre, Montrachet, Tomme, and Gruyère from France; Dutch Gouda; English or domestic Cheddar; domestic aged or fresh goat cheese and Monterey Jack; and Manchego from Spain.

My favorite wine-and-cheese matches:

Chèvre/fresh goat cheese - Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc

Montrachet, aged (dry) Monterey Jack - Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux

Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano - Chianti Classico Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Barolo, and Amarone

Manchego - Rioja, Brunello di Montalcino

My favorite cheese with wine is Parmigniano-Reggiano. Now we really are getting personal! I love Italian food, wine, and women (I even married one), but Parmigiano-Reggiano is not just to have with Italian wine. It also goes extremely well with Bordeaux, California Cabernets, and even the lighter Pinot Noirs.

What to drink with Brie? Try Champagne or sparkling wine. And blue cheeses, because of their strong flavor, overpower most wines except-get ready for this-dessert wines! The classic (and truly delicious) matches are Roquefort cheese with French Sauternes, and Stilton cheese with Port.

The above post appears in the 2009 edition of the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly, available in bookstores now. Look for the 25th anniversary edition in Fall of 2009. The Windows on the World Complete Wine Course is the world's best-selling, most highly praised wine book.