What Wine to Pair with Gorgonzola Cheese

Gorgonzola is a soft cow's milk cheese from Italy. It is creamy with carefully cultivated streaks of mold. It tends towards a sweet and earthy flavor, with hints of funk from the mold as it ages. It is soft enough to melt easily, and is often incorporated into sauces for pasta dishes.

In a sauce, it has the tendency to dominate the flavor profile, so expect to pair it with a wine that can stand up to it. Look for red wine with some ripe fruit or earthiness to match:

• Pinot Noir
• Merlot
• Zinfandel

Gorgonzola often shows up on cheese plates for dessert, and should be complimented by a hearty dessert wine:

• Ruby or Tawny Port
• "Late Harvest" wines
• Sauternes (or other wine where grapes experienced rotting known as "botrytis")

Homemade Mac & Cheese

With the cold weather settling in, it's time to make hearty, warming dinners, and of course to find great wines to pair with these heavier meals. It should come as no surprise that when we want something warm and gooey, we make a big dish of Mac & Cheese.

Mac& Cheese is great, because it's easy to make at home, and, if you put a little bit of effort into selecting the cheese, you can end up something very special. We find some great cheeses at our local farmer's market. This time around, we selected an aged cheddar for the main cheese, and a blue cheese for added flavor and richness. Then the trick was to find some wine to go along with it.

Both cheeses had strong flavors: sweet, salt, and a bit of funk from the blue cheese, and more sweet from the cheddar, with some nuttiness. To this end, we decided to look for a strong red wine, with some fruit notes to match the sweet cheese. Walking the aisles of our local wine shop, we spotted something interesting; a 2003 Zinfandel, and decided to give it a try. While the wine wasn't as fruity as we expected, we still made a good selection: the wine was old and rich, with deep earthy notes that held up to the rich cheese, and balanced with the sweetness of the dinner.

It's simple pairings like this that can bring us great joys. We like to experiment with trying new wines, and finding the best dish to match, but its good to know we can make simple selections, and that they will result in a perfectly wonderful dinner.

Mac & Cheese:
1 box Elbow Macaroni
4 tbsp Butter
4 tbsp Flour
2 Cups Milk
4 oz shredded Hard Cheese (Cheddar, Swiss, etc)
4 oz Soft Cheese (Blue, Goat, etc)
1 Cup Breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, approximetly 8 to 10 minutes, then drain.
3. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter, then add the flour and stir until smooth. Add the milk and stir until the mixture thickens. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
4. Pour the macaroni into a greased 9x13 pan, then pour the cheese over the macaroni and stir in. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top of the mixture, then bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

 Enjoy!

Is It Okay for a Guy to Order Baked Brie?

No.

It may be okay for a guy to order a glass of rosé, but Baked Brie is a little sketchy. The idea of a meal comprised of a large pile of molten cheese may seem compelling, but expect confused looks from your servers, and ridicule from your dinner companions. But it's cheese, so it just may be worth the heckling.

How-To: Pair Wine & Cheese

In many ways, wine and cheese are the easiest and most common pairing, seen at cocktail parties everywhere. There are no hard and fast rules of finding cheese and wine that go well together, but the simplest guideline is to try to pair "like with like".

Weight: Cheese is always rich and fatty, but the levels vary depending on the type of cheese. A fresh goat cheese will work much better with a light-bodied wine, while a dense aged cheddar will pair better with a heavier wine.

Flavor: There is a little more flexibility here, as sometimes contrasting flavors can add to the pairing, but usually similar flavors work best together. A sweet and funky blue cheese will work well with an aged dessert wine, while a grassy Swiss cheese works well with a crisp and mineral-y white wine.

Region: Especially with French and Italian wines, there is a long history of the parallel development of wine and cheese. The terrior of the vineyards and the grasslands that feed the cattle are similar and therefore impart similar flavors. A Chianti may work best with some Provolone, while Rioja pairs well with Asiago.

The best way to figure out the pairings you like is to experiment--and have fun! There is definitely no right and wrong in pairing, but there is "better paired" and "not as well-paired."

QUICK REVIEW: American Wine and Cheese Pairings

The delicious pairings we tried as part of the

2011 NYC Wine & Food Festival:

CA, Arroyo Seco, 'Grita Vineyard', Bernardus "Griva" Sauvignon Blanc 2009
+ // Crisp // Green Apple, Grass // Citrus, Green Apple, Herbs // Medium
Vermont Butter & Cheese Cremery "Bonne Bouche", VT
++ // Earthy // Stinky, Grassy, Salt // Medium-Full

CA, Napa Valley, Mumm Napa Brut DVX 2001
+ // Smooth // Toast, Grass // Apple, Oak // Light
Nettle Meadow "Kunik", NY
+ // Creamy // Grassy, Milk Cream // Light
Wine imparts a minerality, while the bubbles cut through the richness.

WA, Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc 2008
+ // Sweet (with a crisp finish) // Lemon, Petrol // Meyer Lemon, Vanilla // Medium
Bellweather Farms “San Andreas”, CA
+ // Nutty // Nutty // Medium
A very good pairing, the wine brought out some very herbaceous flavors with the cheese.

CA, Amador County, Terra D’Oro Barbera 2007
+ // Spicy // Blackberry Jam, Pine // Oak, Clove, Blackberries // Medium
Beehive Cheese Company “Barely Buzzed”, CA
++ // Nutty // Nutty, with Coffee, Mushrooms, and Lavender from the rind
This was an excellent cheese, and the coffee-rubbed rind added some amazing flavors, with brought out the fruitiness of the wine.

CA, Sonoma, Rutz Cellars, Pinot Noir “Dutton Ranch” 2005
+ // Smooth // Jam, Cherry // Black Cherry, Chocolate // Medium
Tumalo Farms “Classico”, OR
+ // Sweet // Caramel // Medium
Spicy notes of the wine pop with the cheese.
Sweet notes are enhanced with the Chenin Blanc.

CA, Amador County, Montevina Terra D’Oro Zinfandel Port, NV
++ // Sweet // Caramel, Pine, Currant // Grape, Pine, Caramel // Heavy
Sartori Cheese Company “Bella Vitano Gold”, WI
++ // Sweet // Limestone, Grass // Heavy
This was a very sweet combination, good choice for dessert!

CA, Woodbridge Moscato, NV
++ // Smooth // Floral, Apricot // Apricot // Medium
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese “Grayson”
++ // Rich // Stinky // Heavy
The sweet flavors of the wine juxtaposed agaisnt the strong flavors of the cheese created an almost herbal combination, tempering both the wine and the cheese.

CA, Chateau St. Michelle, Late Harvest Riesling “Ethos” 2008
+ // Funky, Smooth // Honey, Stone // Honey, Grape, Mold // Medium
Pt. Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company “Unnamed Blue”, CA
+ // Funky // Mold, Mineral // Heavy
The sweet flavors of the wine come through.
A spicy note comes through when paired with the Zinfandel Port.

Ultimate Wine & Cheese Pairing: Beecher's Handmade Cheese

Remember when we told you to skip the "house wine" at your local bar? Apparently, we lied.

Beecher's Handmade Cheese

Beecher's Handmade Cheese is the latest edition to the restaurants lining Broadway between Union Square and the Flatiron Building. For cheese lovers, the first floor cheese shop and cafe is the ultimate. Handcrafted cheeses and other artisanal treats await. One refrigerator case is stocked with variations on the grilled cheese sandwich. Our mouths watered. Our stomachs growled. But we were there with friends to visit The Cellar, a vibrant wine bar decorated to feel like both a wine cellar and very comfortable lounge/study. It’s also a working cheese cellar where they age their cheese.

One of many cases containing a delicious assortment of cheese.

Retail Therapy

Shopping is tough. After a whirlwind tour through the Men’s Department, and then a more leisurely visit to the Women’s Department at Macy’s, a drink seemed in order. Dragging our bags through the city, we ended up at a small hole in the wall in Greenwich Village, Gottino.

Braving the threat of rain, we grabbed a table under a tree in the back courtyard. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, so we had a chance to chat with our server about the wine menu. Tina asked several questions and then chose a rosé--the 2010 Rosato de Conventino from Il Conventino, which was popular with the other patrons. I, on the other hand, took a random stab at the wine menu, and selected the 2010 Soave Classico from Pra-Veneto. Tina’s social efforts proved a boon, as she ended up with a robust rosé--heavy in fruit and leather flavors--to start off the afternoon. My Soave was decent, with fruity green apple cider flavors that was just a little too warm for the afternoon. It may have been better served to be chilled over ice for a more refreshing aperitif. We then switched to the 2010 Sillery Pinot Nero from Frecciarossa. This was a perfect palate cleanser, a super crisp wine with strong lemony acidity and just a hint of sweetness on the finish.

After a couple of casual drinks, we decided it was time for a small meal. In addition to their fairly substantial wine list, Gottino offers a delightful selection of small plates. We decided to share a handful of different dishes NS selected a plate of cheeses, a hearty boar liver paté, a dish of fresh boar and cauliflower, and some shaved brussel sprouts.

The boar’s strong, rustic flavor contrasted the mild and sweet cheeses, and the brussel sprouts were fairly light and fresh. I chose a hearty 2007 Negroamaro from Rosa de Golfo, a medium bodied red with strong fruit notes, berry on the nose, and a balance of fruit and a punch of leather on the tongue. This held up well to the boar, but overpowered the rest of the flavors. Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it immensely. Tina was pleased with her choice as well. She ended up with a 2010 Ansonica from Firriato--a crisp white wine with a balance of lime and honey on the nose, with a hit of acidity and lingering notes on honey and sweet stone fruit on the tongue. The hints of minerality paired well with the paté, the acidity went well with the veggies, and the sweet notes balanced well with the sweet cheeses.

The afternoon was fun and relaxing, a light drizzle drove the other patrons indoors as we sheltered under a tree that canopied our table, enjoying a rare moment of peace and quiet in the Biig City. Tina enjoyed chatting with our waiter to help select her wines, while I had fun experimenting. We also learned that with a complicated meal, vastly different wines can work well; there is no right wine. And finally, the best drink is always the third--although our judgement may have been a bit questionable by that point. Luckily, we’re just here to share our enjoyment of the wines, not present a scientific study.

I Like Cheese

Extra sharp cheddar. Creamy goat cheese. Aged swiss. Stinky blue. Like wine, cheese encompasses as world of flavor. And I love them all. Even the oddities.

One of my favorite treats is heading to the farmers market on a Saturday morning and grabbing some cheese from Cato Corner Farm. With Tina gone for work on a recent weekend, I decided to indulge myself in something she wont partake in; the stinky cheese.

Cato specializes in artisinal runs of very strong cheeses. Their Womanchego is a powerfully nutty cheese that I often select, similar to a Manchego. Their Black Ledge Blue is a rich, crumbly cheese, marbled with veins of their special blue mold, that goes well with a range of meals. For this time around though, I decided to venture out a bit, and try the Raperlee. It’s a cow’s milk cheese where the rind is washed with apple brandy during the aging process, suffusing the cheese with it’s flavor, boosting the growth of some interesting bacteria (imparting that unique aroma), and aging the cheese to a smooth and creamy consistency.

The trick with such a powerful cheese is what to pair it with. With such a strong flavored cheese, most food and drink would disappear when sharing the same table. Some times it’s best just to fall back on the old standards. Since the flavor would overwhelm almost anything else, crackers proved to be an effective delivery system, and allowed me to really enjoy the merits of the cheese all on its own. The other half of my afternoon snack was the beer selection, where I chose Old Rasputin Imperial Stout from North Coast Brewing Co. The heavy, chocolaty flavor held up against the hearty fruit notes of the cheese, turning a savory snack into something almost like a dessert. The cheese itself was the real treat though, as the rind had picked up the flavors of the wash. The apple flavor imparted by the brandy was a natural complement to the grass-fed cheese flavor, reminding me of one of my favorite snacks from childhood; apple slices with cheddar cheese. With the alcohol flavors of the Raperlee tasted like a grown-up version of the port wine cheese from the grocery store, but was obviously the result of careful crafting as opposed to careful chemical manipulation.

Sometimes it’s best not to over think things, and simply sit down to enjoy some straight forward, if powerful flavors. Though sometimes, its not something others really want to share with you.

Wine and Cheese! On a boat!

In our desire to explore wine, we stumbled across a hidden little gem in NYC. A wine and cheese tasting, hosted by the Classic Harbor Line, all part of a boat tour around the island of Manhattan.

On a sunny spring day, we boarded the yacht. We started with a glass of champagne as we made way to the Statue of Liberty. A beautiful view, but I did realize that I still don’t have much of a taste for sparkling wines. I’ve had a few glasses I’ve enjoyed, even more that have left a bad taste in my mouth, but I haven’t had too much since we’ve been approaching the business of wine tasting critically. Only time will tell what I should look for in a good glass of sparkling wine.

The sparkling wine was offered as part of the celebration of the boat tour, but the main focus was the wine and cheese parings. Our hostess had selected a range of wines and cheeses, focusing on similar flavor profiles for each pair. That is a rule she recommended that we follow outside the class, but that’s a bit of a trick when you don’t know what you are getting into when you order. It’s tough to say whether if it was skillful pairings or healthy pours, but things started well and only got better.

We tasted five pairings in total on the tour, with a few highlights I feel compelled to share:

The Cuaco Casablanca Valley 2010 Chardonnay offered a pleasantly surprising complex flavor. The chardonnay grape is so common in the U.S. and is often the only white wine found in bars and restaurants with bare bones wine menus. After swimming in the sea of cheap chardonnay at these places, and coming to an understanding that Chardonnay was the most basic of all the white grapes, tasting the Cuaco Casablanca Valley version indicated to us that this is a varietal we need to explore more. There is potential there.

Another excellent pairing was the Frederic Lornet AC Arbois with a young goat Gouda. This red wine was made from the Trousseaux grape, and this was the first time we had heard of this grape. In fact, our hostess explained that this grape was quite rare, so it was a treat we were able to try it. The light-bodied fruitiness of this red wine went perfectly with a sweet creaminess of the gouda cheese.

Finally, the tasting finished with a Californian Cabernet Sauvignon from Michael Pozzan Winery, paired with an aged Gouda. Both could best be described as robust, with the wine being immensely drinkable, a smooth mix of spice and oak. We have to admit that we are serious fans of Cabernet Sauvignon. The aged gouda was surprising. The aging process makes this cheese lose its usual creaminess. Instead, the cheese is quite tough, and is almost a dark orange color, and its flavor profile shifts towards a more caramel, dessert-like cheese.  We have since ordered this cheese at restaurants, because we like it so much.

The afternoon passed quickly. Sharing the tasting with strangers met on the boat made it a social affair, and our hostess was a perfect mixture of sociable and knowledgeable. It’s fun to learn in this sort of casual setting, picking up what information you can, all while appreciating the simple joy that good and wine and cheese can bring to your life.  These tours run quite often, and we highly recommend them.