Malbec And Cheese: Perfect Pairing For A Rich Taste

Malbec is a bold red wine with strong fruity aromas and flavours of plum, black cherry, dark berries, cocoa, coffee, and chocolate. With such big, bold flavours, it can be a delicate art to pair this wine with cheese. The bold notes can easily overpower lighter cheeses, so it's best to opt for strong-tasting and rich cheeses. When pairing Malbec with cheese, look for soft to semi-firm cow's milk cheese or a stronger goat's cheese. Hard, matured cheddars also pair well with Malbec, as do blue cheeses, which bring out the complexity in the wine.

Blue cheese is a good match

Malbec is a bold red wine with characteristic herbaceous and fruity flavours. It has flavours of plum, dark berries, herbs, and tobacco, and sometimes a hint of chocolate. It has a short aftertaste but a smoky finish. Blue cheese is a strong-tasting, pungent cheese that can stand up to these bold flavours.

When pairing Malbec with blue cheese, opt for a blue cheese burger, or a blue cheese with small pockets of bluing, like Roquefort Papillon. You could also try a firm goat's milk blue, like Avalanche Cheese Company Midnight Blue, or a dense and creamy Basque blue, like Urdiña, to magnify the wine's fruit and highlight its silky texture.

If you want to test whether a blue cheese will pair well with Malbec, try pairing the cheese with the fruit notes associated with the wine, such as black cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and plums.

Hard matured cheddars work well

When it comes to wine and cheese, Malbec and matured cheddars are a match made in heaven. Malbec is a bold, full-bodied red wine with strong fruity aromas and flavours. Its moderate tannins and good structure make it an excellent wine to pair with food. The wine has notes of black cherry, dark forest fruits (blackberries and blueberries), cocoa, coffee, and chocolate. With such strong flavours, it can easily overpower lighter cheeses. This is where hard matured cheddars come in—they have the strength and richness to stand up to the boldness of Malbec.

Matured cheddars, especially those aged for a longer period, tend to have a more intense flavour profile that can complement the complexity of Malbec. The sharpness of the cheddar can cut through the wine's fruity notes, creating a delightful contrast. The saltiness of the cheese can also help to enhance the fruitiness of the wine, bringing out its subtle nuances.

When creating a cheese board to pair with Malbec, consider including a variety of aged cheddars with different intensities and flavours. This will allow you to explore the diverse range of flavours that mature cheddars have to offer. For an even more indulgent experience, look for farmhouse cheddars or those made with rich, nutty sheep's milk. These cheeses often have a higher fat content, resulting in a creamier texture that pairs beautifully with the smoothness of Malbec.

To take your pairing to the next level, you can incorporate some of the flavours commonly found in Malbec into your cheese board. For example, serve your matured cheddars with a side of black cherries, blackberries, or blueberries. These fruits will echo the wine's fruity notes, creating a harmonious tasting experience. Additionally, consider adding some chocolate to your cheese board, as the cocoa notes in Malbec will find a delicious counterpart in a piece of dark chocolate.

In conclusion, when it comes to wine and cheese, hard matured cheddars are an excellent choice to pair with Malbec. The strength and richness of these cheeses can stand up to the bold flavours of the wine, creating a delightful sensory experience. By playing with different types of matured cheddars and incorporating complementary flavours, you can elevate your wine and cheese pairing to new heights.

Go for strong-tasting, rich cheeses

When pairing Malbec with cheese, it's best to go for strong-tasting, rich cheeses. This is because Malbec has strong fruity flavours that can easily overpower lighter cheeses.

When you're choosing a cheese to pair with Malbec, gravitate towards soft or semi-firm cows' milk cheeses. You could also opt for a stronger goat's cheese. Hard, matured cheddars pair well with Malbec, as do any cheeses that are often associated with strong ruby ports.

If you're feeling adventurous, why not try pairing Malbec with blue cheese? The fruitier notes in the Malbec help bring out the complexity in blue cheese, and the strong flavours of both the wine and the cheese prevent either from dominating the palette.

Other strong-tasting, rich cheeses that pair well with Malbec include Monterey Jack, provolone, Swiss Alp cheeses (such as Comte and Gruyere), Manchego, Taleggio, and gorgonzola.

Avoid mellow cheeses like mozzarella

When pairing Malbec with cheese, it's important to consider the wine's tasting notes. Malbec is a bold red wine with strong fruity aromas, including black cherry and dark forest fruits like blackberries and blueberries, and more complex notes like cocoa, coffee, and chocolate. It also has moderate tannins and a short aftertaste.

Given these characteristics, it's best to avoid mellow cheeses like mozzarella when pairing with Malbec. Mellow cheeses can be easily overpowered by the wine's strong, fruity notes. Instead, opt for strong-tasting and rich cheeses to stand up to the bold flavours of the wine. Go for soft or semi-firm cow's milk cheeses, or stronger goat cheeses. Matured cheddar pairs particularly well with Malbec, as do blue cheeses, which bring out the complexity of the wine's fruitier notes.

If you're looking for specific cheese recommendations to pair with your Malbec, consider Manchego, Taleggio, or aged cheddar. For blue cheese, try Roquefort Papillon, a spreadable raw-milk cheese with small pockets of bluing, or Avalanche Cheese Company Midnight Blue, a firm goat's milk blue. For a truly dynamic duo, Urdiña, a dense and creamy Basque blue, is said to be the ultimate Malbec sidekick, magnifying the wine's fruit and highlighting its silky texture.

Remember, the key to successful Malbec and cheese pairings is to match the intensity of the cheese with the boldness of the wine, ensuring neither one overwhelms the other.

Try a nutty sheep's milk cheese

If you're looking for a cheese to pair with Malbec, you might want to consider a nutty sheep's milk cheese. Former sommelier and owner of Denver's Truffle Cheese Shop and The Truffle Table restaurant, Karin Lawler, recommends serving Malbec with rich, nutty sheep's milk cheeses such as Abbaye du Belloc and Brébis de Rossinière. She explains that the higher fat content and creaminess of the cheese create a "melt-in-your-mouth" combination when paired with Malbec.

Lawler's suggestion stems from the fact that Malbec is a bold red wine with strong fruity aromas and flavours, including black cherry, dark forest fruits (blackberries and blueberries), cocoa, coffee, and chocolate. These bold flavours can easily overpower lighter cheeses, so it's important to choose a cheese that can stand up to the intensity of the wine.

Sheep's milk cheeses tend to have a higher fat content and a creamier texture than cow's or goat's milk cheeses, which makes them a good match for the full-bodied nature of Malbec. The nutty flavour of these cheeses also complements the fruity and savoury notes found in Malbec, creating a well-rounded and satisfying pairing.

When choosing a nutty sheep's milk cheese to pair with Malbec, look for options that have a similar level of intensity as the wine. A strong, mature cheese will be able to stand up to the bold flavours of the wine, while a softer, younger cheese may be overwhelmed.

So, if you're looking for a unique and delicious cheese pairing for your next glass of Malbec, why not give a nutty sheep's milk cheese a try? With its creamy texture and rich, nutty flavour, it's sure to be a match made in heaven.

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