The Perfect Pairings For Beaufort Cheese

Beaufort is a distinctive French cheese made from cow's milk in the Savoie region of the French Alps. It is a semi-firm, smooth cheese with a creamy texture and a unique flavour. Beaufort is often characterised as having nutty, fruity, and slightly sweet notes. It is commonly used to make fondue because it melts easily. So, what goes with Beaufort cheese? The cheese is often enjoyed with fish, especially salmon, and is commonly paired with white wine.

Beaufort cheese and wine

Beaufort cheese is a firm, raw cow's milk cheese, hailing from the Savoie region in the French Alps. It is a distinctive French cheese with a smooth, creamy texture and a unique flavour. Beaufort has a rich and complex taste, often characterised by nutty, fruity and slightly sweet notes. The flavour can vary depending on the season and the cows' diet.

Beaufort is a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed in many ways, including as an ingredient in traditional Alpine dishes, or simply on its own. It is a good choice for fondue due to its easy meltability.

When it comes to wine pairing, Beaufort cheese is one of the many cheeses that go well with white wine. The cheese's nutty, fruity and slightly sweet notes can complement a variety of white wines. Here are some specific wine recommendations to consider when pairing with Beaufort cheese:

• Sauvignon Blanc: The crisp and refreshing nature of Sauvignon Blanc can balance the richness of Beaufort, while its grassy and fruity notes can complement the cheese's own fruity and nutty aromas.
• Chardonnay: A medium-bodied Chardonnay with hints of oak and butter can be a good match for Beaufort. The oak notes can enhance the nutty flavours in the cheese, while the butteriness of the wine can complement the cheese's creamy texture.
• Riesling: A dry or off-dry Riesling can also be a good choice. Its crisp acidity and hints of green apple and mineral can cut through the richness of the cheese, providing a refreshing contrast.
• Sparkling Wine: For a more festive option, a brut sparkling wine or Champagne can be a delightful pairing. The high acidity and fine bubbles of these wines can cleanse the palate and refresh the mouth between bites of the rich and creamy Beaufort.

In addition to wine, Beaufort is often enjoyed with fish, especially salmon. The creamy texture and slightly sweet notes of the cheese can complement the flavour of salmon, making it a tasty pairing.

Beaufort cheese and fondue

Beaufort cheese is a firm, raw cow's milk cheese from the Savoie region in the French Alps. It is a perfect choice for fondue because of its smooth, creamy texture and unique flavour, and the fact that it melts easily.

Fondue is a Swiss tradition, but it is also eaten and enjoyed in other Alpine nations like France, Italy and Germany, each of which puts its own spin on the recipe. The Swiss use Gruyère cheese and one or two other types of cheese, depending on the region. A popular ratio is 2:1:1 of Gruyère (or Beaufort), Emmenthal and Comté, along with white wine and kirschwasser.

The key to a delicious fondue is to rub the inside of the fondue pot with garlic cloves to infuse flavour into the cheese mixture. The cheeses should be grated and added to the pot a handful at a time, with the mixture stirred constantly in a figure-of-eight motion. A fondue is done when it is liquid but thick, and the cheese should steam but not boil.

A traditional fondue is served with cubes of crusty bread for dunking, but it can also be served with charcuterie, cornichons and salad. The best wines to pair with a Beaufort fondue are more acidic-style white wines, such as a dry Austrian grüner veltliner or dry Portuguese vinho verde.

Beaufort cheese and fish

Beaufort cheese is a hard, raw cow's milk cheese from the Savoie region in the French Alps. It is named after the Beaufort Valley in Savoie and is known for its smooth, creamy texture and unique flavour. Beaufort is part of the Gruyère family and is produced in the Beaufortain, Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys. The cheese is prepared using 11 litres of milk for every 1 kg of cheese desired. The milk used comes from Tarine or Abondance cows that graze in the Alps.

Beaufort is a perfect match for fish, especially salmon. Its rich and strong flavour, with notes of caramel and butter, and its floral and herbal undertones, make it an ideal pairing. The cheese melts easily, so it is often used in fondues and grilled cheese sandwiches. It is also a good choice for omelettes and risottos.

When it comes to wine pairings, Beaufort goes well with white wine. A fruitier wine, such as a G.D. Vajra Moscato D’Asti, can complement the cheese's nutty, fruity, and slightly sweet notes. The cheese also pairs well with red wines, such as a Château Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon or a Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley.

For storage, Beaufort should be kept in the crisper or butter drawer of a refrigerator to regulate temperature and humidity and prevent mould formation. Hard cheeses like Beaufort should be wrapped in cheese or parchment paper after opening to allow them to breathe.

Beaufort cheese and bread

Beaufort is a firm, raw cow's milk cheese from the Savoie region in the French Alps. It is a distinctive French cheese with a smooth, creamy texture and a unique flavour. Beaufort is often characterised as having nutty, fruity and slightly sweet notes. The flavour can vary depending on the season and the cows' diet.

When it comes to enjoying Beaufort cheese with bread, there are a few ways to go about it. Here are some suggestions:

Toasted Baguette

Lightly toasted slices of a baguette, especially one speckled with seeds inside and out, can complement the creamy texture and unique flavour of Beaufort. This allows the cheese to be enjoyed on its own while using the bread as a vehicle.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

For an indulgent option, Beaufort can be melted into a grilled cheese sandwich. The bread provides a crispy contrast to the melted cheese, creating a comforting and satisfying combination.

Panini

A Beaufort panini, enjoyed slope-side, can be a delightful birthday lunch or apres-ski treat. The pressed sandwich allows the cheese to melt slightly while being held in place by the bread.

Fondue

Beaufort is commonly used to make fondue due to its easy meltability. Dipping pieces of bread into a pot of melted Beaufort fondue can be a fun and interactive way to enjoy the cheese.

Cheese Plate

Beaufort can be featured on a cheese plate, served alongside a variety of breads such as a plain baguette, a seed-studded baguette, or other types of crusty bread. This allows the taster to sample the cheese on its own while using the bread as a palate cleanser between bites.

Beaufort cheese and other cheeses

Beaufort is a firm, raw cow's milk cheese from the Savoie region in the French Alps. It is similar to Comté, Gruyère and Emmenthal cheeses but has no holes. Beaufort is often characterised as having nutty, fruity and slightly sweet notes. Its rich and complex taste can exhibit variations influenced by the seasons and the cows' diet.

When considering what other cheeses to pair with Beaufort, it is worth noting that Beaufort is one of the noble Alpine cheeses and is produced exclusively from unpasteurised cow's milk in the French Alps. Other Alpine cheeses, such as Comté, Gruyère, Emmenthal, Ardi Gasna, and Etorki, share similar characteristics and could complement Beaufort in a cheese selection.

In terms of specific cheeses that could be paired with Beaufort, here are some suggestions:

• Comté: Also known as Gruyère de Comté, this French cheese is a celebrity in its own right, commanding high prices for exceptional wheels. It is known for its large size, weighing up to 110 pounds, and its long ageing process, which gives it a distinct, pleasant, meaty depth of flavour. Comté is often compared to Swiss Gruyère and has a slightly more giving, creamy texture.
• Gruyère: Gruyère is a general term encompassing various Alpine-style cheeses, with Swiss Gruyère being the most well-known. It is similar to Beaufort in terms of texture and flavour, but Beaufort has a subtler taste as its curd is cooked at a lower temperature. Gruyère also has holes, which Beaufort lacks.
• Emmenthal: This Swiss cheese is another variety of Alpine cheese that shares similarities with Beaufort. However, unlike Beaufort, Emmenthal has holes and may have a slightly different flavour profile.
• Ardi Gasna and Etorki: These two French cheeses, mentioned in the same source as Beaufort, could be considered when pairing cheeses with similar characteristics. However, specific information about their flavour profiles is limited.

In conclusion, when considering cheeses to pair with Beaufort, other Alpine cheeses such as Comté, Gruyère, and Emmenthal would be excellent choices due to their similar characteristics. Additionally, specific cheeses like Comté, Gruyère, Emmenthal, Ardi Gasna, and Etorki could be considered, each offering unique flavours and textures that could complement Beaufort in a cheese selection.

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