Wine Pairings - Cheeses

With Kathleen Powers Erickson

Cheese and wine are “natural” partners that pair easily – right?  Well, not exactly.  Many taste tests indicate that cheese and wine are often “at odds” in a pairing, with each detracting from the other.  The reason for this is that cheeses are infinitely complex with countless different subtle and distinct flavors, from tangy and nutty to earthy and salty, or even sweet and creamy.  The key is matching flavors, either by contrast or by mirroring.  With cheese, contrast often proves most satisfying, such as salty Stilton Blue contrasted with sweet Port or creamy goat chevres matched with citrusy Sauvignon Blancs.

Here, we feature two interesting and complex cheeses with three very unique wines. Fleur Verte, one of the most popular of the soft goat cheeses, with its light airy texture, herbaceous outer coating of thyme, tarragon, and pink peppercorn, and its lemon-curd tang, is the perfect summer goat cheese.  Great in salads, on the plate with fresh ripe heirloom tomatoes drizzled in fine olive oil, Fleur Verte, works best with a wine that matches its natural acidity and contrasts its rich texture.  Wine Choices
With the luscious Fleur Verte, my favorite wine is Boniface Apremont, ($17.99) which is a Jacquère from the Savoie region in the rocky outposts of the French Alps.  The French consider Jacquère to be the quintessential match for soft, creamy goat cheeses or richer, creamier cheeses, such as Brie de Meaux.  Drinking Apremont is like drinking the pure, stony waters of an Alpine stream.  It’s clean taste cuts through the richness of the cheese and perfectly complements the herbal notes from the tarragon and thyme.  Another great wine choice for the Fleur Verte would be any good dry sparkling wine, from Italian Prosecco to Spanish Cava, to fine Champagne (depending on your mood and budget)!  For sparkling wines, I love Westport Rivers Brut, made right here in Westport, Massachusetts. ($26.99)  With a creamy goat cheese or brie, it is great for a party, an imitate dinner at home, or a picnic by the shore.Another delicious goat cheese that pairs exceptionally well with wine is Manchester, from “Consider Bardwell Farm,” in Vermont’s lush Champlain Valley.  Named for the original owner “Consider Bardwell,” the farm is the oldest cheese-making co-op in Vermont.  The cheese, named after the town of Manchester, is a natural-rind, firm cheese, with earthy notes of mushrooms, forest floor, and fresh sage, followed by a bright lemon tang.  I love this cheese in salads too, especially those that feature fresh summer pears or crisp fall apples and nuts.  Enjoy it with a thin slice of salty Serrano ham or with simple wheat or rye crackers that echo its earthy taste.
For the Manchester cheese, from Consider Bardwell farm, I find The Solosole (“only sun”) Vermentino from Tuscany to be a truly remarkable match. ($19.99)  A simple, pure expression of the flavors unique to Bolgheri, Solosole is 100% pure vermentino with no oak aging.  Its fruit-forward notes of apricots and banana jump out on the front of the palette while the stony minerality completes the finish.  I love it with many different cheeses because it seems to finish earthy, tangy cheeses, like the Manchester or an Abbaye de Beloc with a surprisingly “clean rinse” that lingers on long after both the cheese and wine are gone   Such a great pairing seems almost inexplicable.  It’s just magic!Kathleen has provided a recipe for a Baked Brie that will go well with all of the wines discussed in this article.

Ingredients

Baked Brie in Phyllo
1 or 2 pound wheel of Brie (a ripe, creamy Brie, such as Brie de Meaux, works best)
12 sheets thawed phyllo dough
½ cup melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Brush the center of an oven-proof glass (Pyrex) plate with butter. 
2. Place one sheet of phyllo on top and brush with melted butter.  Keep adding sheets of phyllo and brush each with melted butter, creating a “circle,” with 2 horizontal sheets, 2 vertical, and 2 sheets placed diagonally. 
3. Place the brie wheel in the center and wrap it with the phyllo sheets.  Remove the brie from the plate and repeat process with the other 6 sheets of phyllo.  Put the brie back in the center and wrap it up again, with the remaining “circle” of phyllo sheets. 
4. Turn the Brie over onto the plate and brush it with melted butter.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven at 425 degrees.  Cook for 20 minutes.  6. Remove foil and finish until phyllo is a golden brown.  Remove from oven. 

Let sit for 10 minutes and serve with toasted rounds of French baguettes , stoned-ground wheat crackers, or a slice of fresh Ciabatta.

Recipe courtesy of Kathleen Erickson, Savour Wine & Cheese Shop, 2011.

Kathleen came to her wine expertise serendipitously, while pursuing an academic career in the history of Christianity at the University of Chicago, beginning in 1978.  While writing her doctoral dissertation on Vincent van Gogh, she opened a catering business, called “Ambrosia” and taught cooking lessons to local students and faculty. After graduating with her PhD in 1992, she published her book, “At Eternity’s Gate: the Spiritual Vision of Vincent van Gogh” (1998). She then began research on another book, “Monks, Missionaries, Martyrs, and Wine,” detailing the relationship between the spread of Christianity around the world and the growth of the wine industry.  Her interest in the history and culture of wine sparked a curiosity about wine and food pairing in its cultural context.In 2002, she began working for the celebrity chef, Rick Bayless, at the 4-star restaurant, Topolobampo.  Here she gained expertise, not only in the wide variety of Mexican cuisines, but also in tequila and wine.  In 2005, she obtained her certification from the London Court of Master Sommeliers for wine knowledge and service.  She began her career as a wine specialist while working as a consultant and representative of the boutique-style Chicago distribution house, Maverick wines.  After leaving Maverick, she began working as a retail wine manager just outside Chicago, and then, most recently, as the Wine Manager at Seabreeze Liquors in Gloucester. 

She just became the co-owner of Savour Wine and Cheese at 24 Washington St. in Gloucester, Mass, along with her partner, Rockport native and attorney, Robert A. Morgan.  At Savour, Kathleen continues her passion for food, wine and education, by teaching wine classes and seminars, making the wine-buying decisions, and working with her cheese buyer, Krista Julian, to obtain unique and interesting cheeses to pair with the wines.  She will continue to develop her educational programs, to seek out artisanal, small-production wines, and to work on food and wine pairing (with the intent of offering chef tasting dinners) with Chef Matt Beach, who operates his catering service out of Savour’s kitchen.

The Wine PhD,  which is her website - www.thewinephd.com.  (There are also links to it on her Savour website www.savourwineandcheese.com).
 
"Remember - the Wine PhD says - No tannin with spice!"