The Perfect Cheese Pairings For Chablis Wines

Chablis is a dry, crisp, and acidic wine with a flinty minerality, produced in the Burgundy region of France. It is made from Chardonnay grapes and has four different appellations: Chablis Grand Cru, Chablis Premier Cru, Chablis, and Petit Chablis. Chablis pairs well with seafood, white meat in creamy sauces, and roast chicken. When it comes to cheese, Chablis can be paired with Affidelice au Chablis, a cow's milk cheese that is regularly washed with Chablis wine during maturation, giving it a creamy, mild, tangy, and fruity flavour. Another cheese that pairs well with Chablis is Brillat-Savarin, a soft cow's milk cheese with a bloomy rind, known as the foie gras of cheeses. Chablis also complements young goat cheeses like Charolais, bringing out their sharpness and cutting through their richness.

Affidelice au Chablis is a cow's milk cheese from Burgundy that is regularly washed with Chablis during maturation

Affidelice au Chablis is a cow's milk cheese from Burgundy, France. It is made from pasteurised full-cream cow's milk and takes 3-4 weeks to fully mature. During the maturation process, the cheese is regularly washed with Chablis, a local high-status white wine. This bath in wine slowly infuses the yellow-orangeish curds inside the cheese with its flavour. As it nears maturity, the cheese takes on a deep copper pigmentation, revealing the richness of Burgundian soils.

The highlight of Affidelice au Chablis is its unique method of maturation, which involves regularly washing the cheese with Chablis wine. This process not only contributes to its distinctive flavour but also enhances its aroma. The cheese is described as having a strong, aromatic smell and a mild, savoury, fruity, and tangy flavour. The texture is dense, with a soft, moist, orange rind surrounding a creamy and velvety centre.

Affidelice au Chablis is often presented in a wooden box and is known for its melt-in-your-mouth quality. It pairs well with sweet and acidic fruits and augments the flavour of dry white wines like Chardonnay and, of course, Chablis. It is recommended to enjoy this cheese at room temperature, and a spoon works well for indulging in its creamy texture.

The name "Affidelice au Chablis" is a combination of the French words "affine", meaning ripe, and "delice", meaning delight. This name aptly describes the cheese's delightful, ripe characteristics. Overall, Affidelice au Chablis is a sumptuous and elegant cheese that is a true delight for cheese connoisseurs.

Chablis is a good match for Epoisses, a soft-washed rind cheese with a strong flavour

Chablis is a wine produced in the Burgundy region of France, made from Chardonnay grapes. It is known for its crisp acidity and flinty minerality, making it a versatile wine for food pairings. Chablis ranges from fresh and inexpensive Petit Chablis to complex Grand Cru, each style offering unique food pairing opportunities.

When it comes to cheese, Chablis is a good match for Epoisses, a soft-washed rind cheese with a strong flavour. Epoisses is a cow's milk cheese that is creamy in the centre with a soft, orange rind. It has a strong, aromatic smell and a mild, savoury flavour. The richness of the cheese is perfectly offset by the crisp acidity of Chablis.

Washed rind cheeses, such as Epoisses, tend to have pungent, meaty, savoury flavours and a long finish. The rind washing process encourages the development of bacteria, giving the cheese its bold flavours. While these strong cheeses can overwhelm many wines, Chablis stands up well to Epoisses, providing a harmonious pairing.

In addition to Epoisses, Chablis pairs well with other cheeses from the Bourgogne region, such as Brillat-Savarin, a soft cow's milk cheese with a bloomy rind, and Cîteaux, a soft farmhouse cheese made from cow's milk. Chablis is also a good match for milder cheeses, such as goat's curd, and can complement the stone fruit and crème fraîche flavours of a youthful Mont d'Or.

Chablis pairs well with goat's milk Charolais cheese, which has salty and aromatic notes

Chablis is a dream wine for food pairings. It is produced in the Burgundy region of France, and its wine is made from Chardonnay grapes. Chablis is known for its crisp acidity and flinty minerality, with citrus and honeyed flavours. When it comes to cheese, Chablis pairs well with goat's milk Charolais cheese.

Charolais cheese, despite its name, is made from unpasteurized goat's milk. It is produced around the small town of Charolles in the Saône-et-Loire region. Charolais cheese belongs to the family of aged goat cheeses, which become saltier and more aromatic as they mature. The saltiness and aromatic notes of Charolais cheese complement the crisp and mineral-driven nature of Chablis.

The ideal wine accompaniment for Charolais cheese is a smooth and powerful Bourgogne white, such as Chablis. Choosing an older vintage of Chablis, perhaps a few years old, allows the wine to acquire its full breadth while retaining a certain vivacity. The fatness of the wine complements the fat in the cheese, creating a harmonious pairing. The aromatic power of a great Bourgogne white wine can stand up to the pronounced character of this ripe goat cheese.

When pairing cheese and wine, the principal aim is to find an enjoyable match and avoid clashes between the elements involved. In this case, the saltiness and aromatic notes of the Charolais cheese are balanced by the crispness and minerality of the Chablis. The wine's acidity further enhances the sharpness of the goat's milk, resulting in a delightful sensory experience.

In addition to Charolais cheese, there are other cheese varieties that also pair well with Chablis. These include Affidelice au Chablis, a cow's milk cheese that is regularly washed with Chablis during maturation, and Affiné au Chablis, a cow's milk cheese similar to Epoisses but washed in Chablis before maturation. Both these cheeses can be excellent partners for Chablis, creating complex and delightful flavour profiles.

Chablis is a good match for Brillat-Savarin, a soft cow's milk cheese with a subtle fruity flavour

Chablis is a wine produced from Chardonnay grapes in the Burgundy region of France. It is known for its crisp acidity, citrus notes, and flinty minerality, making it a versatile wine for food pairings. One cheese that goes particularly well with Chablis is Brillat-Savarin, a soft cow's milk cheese with a subtle fruity flavour.

Brillat-Savarin cheese, named after the famous French gourmet Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, is a delicacy from the Bourgogne region. It is a soft cow's milk cheese with a bloomy rind, enriched with cream, earning it the moniker "the foie gras of cheeses". Brillat-Savarin has a subtle fruity flavour, underscored by a slight acidity that fades over time. During maturation, it develops aromas of dried fruit with oaky notes. This cheese is typically enjoyed when it is still soft and young, after a three-week maturation period.

When paired with Chablis, the wine's crisp acidity and minerality complement the cheese's subtle fruity notes and creamy texture. The wine's citrus notes also help to cut through the richness of the cheese, creating a harmonious combination. This pairing showcases the complex and delicate aromas of the wine while allowing the cheese's flavours to shine through.

In addition to Brillat-Savarin, Chablis also pairs well with other soft cheeses, such as Brie de Meaux, Camembert de Normandie, and Epoisses. Chablis is a versatile wine that can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes, including oysters, creamy sauces, and roast chicken. The key to successful pairings is to find a balance where neither the wine nor the food dominates the other, creating an enjoyable sensory experience.

Chablis is a versatile wine that can be paired with a range of foods, including oysters, creamy sauces, and roast chicken

Oysters and Chablis are a classic pairing. The mineral and sea-breeze flavours of the wine complement the briny, salty character of oysters, while the crisp, citrus and green apple flavours of the wine provide a refreshing contrast. Chablis is also an excellent match for other shellfish, such as crab, shrimp, lobster, and scallops.

When it comes to creamy sauces, Chablis can add a touch of refreshing flavour without overwhelming the dish. It pairs well with dishes like crayfish or crawfish with cream sauce, lobster with cream sauce, and chicken in a morel sauce. The acidity of Chablis also makes it a good choice for cutting through the richness of avocado-based dishes.

For roast chicken, Chablis can be a wonderful complement. A traditional pairing from the Burgundy region of France, where Chablis is produced, is Bresse chicken fricassee with morel mushrooms. Chablis can also be paired with chicken dishes featuring creamy sauces, such as coq au vin.

In addition to these classic pairings, Chablis is a versatile wine that can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes. It pairs well with bright and clean-flavoured foods, such as goat cheese, cauliflower soup, smoked trout, pork tenderloin, and sushi. The crisp, citrus, and mineral notes of Chablis make it a particularly good match for dishes featuring avocado, such as avocado toast or guacamole, as the high acidity of the wine cuts through the creaminess of the avocado.

When it comes to cheese, Chablis pairs well with goat cheese, as the crispness and high acidity of the wine complement the creamy texture of the cheese. Chablis can also be enjoyed with a variety of other cheeses, such as Epoisses, Chaource, and various types of chevre, which are all produced in the Burgundy region.

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