Cheese And Cabernet: Perfect Pairing For Wine Lovers

Wine and cheese are a classic pairing, but not all cheeses go with all wines. The main goal of pairing wine and food is to enhance the flavour of both, so you want to find a combination that complements each other. When it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium- to full-bodied red characterised by dark fruits like blackberries, plums, and black currants, as well as flavours of vanilla, cedar, chocolate, and coffee, there are several types of cheese that pair well with it.

Aged cheddar

When choosing an aged cheddar to pair with a Cabernet Sauvignon, it is recommended to opt for a cow's milk cheddar with a slight crunch and rich, nutty flavour. Vermont's Cabot Clothbound Cheddar is a popular choice. Keen's Cheddar, an English cow's milk cheese with a nutty flavour and slight crunch, is another excellent option. It pairs particularly well with older Cabernet Sauvignons, as the cheese's nutty flavour and earthiness enhance the wine's dark fruit flavours.

If you are looking for a more widely available option, a standard sharp cheddar should also work well. One source suggests that a 6-year-aged cheddar may be too long, with the optimal age for a cloth-bound cheddar being between 12 and 30 months.

When pairing cheese with a Cabernet Sauvignon, it is important to choose a wine that is lower in alcohol and not overly tannic, such as a Jordan, Corison, or a Bordeaux.

Goat cheese

When it comes to pairing wine and cheese, a good rule of thumb is to choose a wine and cheese combination from the same region, as this provides similar taste profiles and showcases the regional variety of both the cheese and the wine.

Goat gouda, for example, is a firm and nutty cheese that pairs well with cool-climate Syrah. The delicate touch of the wine helps to balance the firmness of the cheese. Another option is goat cheddar, which can be paired with Pinot Noir. The earthiness of the wine complements the funkiness of the cheese.

If you're looking for a more classic pairing, Sauvignon Blanc is often chosen to accompany goat cheese. The zippy acidity in the wine matches the acidity in the cheese, creating a fresh and invigorating combination. This pairing is also regional, as France's Loire Valley is known for both chèvre and the Sauvignon Blanc-based wine Sancerre.

When it comes to red wines, a lighter-style Cabernet Franc is a better choice than a bigger, fruitier wine, as it won't overwhelm the soft and impressionable nature of goat cheese.

Gouda

When it comes to wine pairings, Gouda is a versatile choice. Cabernet Sauvignon, often dubbed the "King of Red Wine Grapes," is an excellent match for aged Gouda. The wine's high tannin content stands up well to the mature cheese. However, it may be too overpowering for a young, soft Gouda. Cabernet Sauvignon typically boasts fruity flavours, ranging from blueberries and blackberries to cherries and plums, or it may exhibit tobacco or leather notes. When paired with Gouda, the cheese can enhance the sweetness of the wine and bring out its berry flavours.

For a younger, softer Gouda, a Pinot Noir is a great choice. This red wine has fruity undertones that complement the cheese, and its low tannin and moderate acidity make it an ideal pairing. Beaujolais, a light-bodied wine with notes of smokiness, strawberry, or cranberry, is another excellent option for both older and younger Gouda.

If you're looking for a white wine to pair with Gouda, Chardonnay, often called "The World's Favourite White Wine," is a perfect match for medium-aged Gouda. A classic Chardonnay will go well with most ages of Gouda, while a bolder Chardonnay will pair beautifully with an older Gouda.

So, when choosing a wine to pair with Gouda, consider the age and texture of the cheese. For aged Gouda, a Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay will enhance your tasting experience. For younger, softer Gouda, a Pinot Noir or Beaujolais will create a delightful combination.

Creamy cheeses

When it comes to creamy cheeses, it is best to exercise caution when pairing them with Cabernet Sauvignon. Creamy, soft-ripened cheeses, such as most Bries, Camemberts, and triple-crème cheeses like Brillat-Savarin and Saint André, can bring out metallic or bitter notes in the wine and mute its fruit flavours.

However, if you are looking to experiment with creamy cheeses, there are a few options that can work well with Cabernet Sauvignon. For a lighter-style, young Cabernet, opt for slightly firm, soft-ripened cheeses with earthy notes. For example, Marin French Triple Crème Brie with Truffles, Cowgirl Creamery's Mt Tam, and Nicasio Valley Locarno from West Marin County are some of the few soft-ripened cheeses that can achieve an elevated pairing with Cabernet Sauvignon. These cheeses have earthy or herbaceous components from the rind or additional ingredients like truffles, which complement the dried herb aromas in a young Cabernet, while also softening its tannins and enhancing the berry flavours.

Another option is to pair creamy goat cheeses with a medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. The mild creaminess of the cheese helps bring out the fruity aromas of the wine. For example, Central Coast Creamery Goat Gouda and Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor, a slightly creamy goat cheese with earthy truffle, mushroom, and herbaceous notes, have been known to pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon.

When pairing creamy cheeses with Cabernet Sauvignon, it is important to remember that the creaminess of the cheese can accentuate the tannins in the wine, making it chewy and unsatisfying. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a wine that is lower in alcohol and not overly tannic, such as Jordan, Corison, or a Bordeaux. Additionally, the key to a successful pairing is to ensure that neither the wine nor the cheese overpowers the other, but rather, they complement each other.

Hard cheeses

When it comes to pairing Cabernet Sauvignon with hard cheeses, there are a few options to consider. Firstly, it is important to note that the saltiness and sweetness of hard cheeses can sometimes strip the fruit flavours from Cabernet Sauvignon, so it is generally recommended to pair hard cheeses with lighter red wines that have very low tannins.

One classic example of a hard cheese that pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon is Parmigiano-Reggiano. When pairing Parmigiano-Reggiano with Cabernet Sauvignon, it is best to choose a light red wine with minimal tannins, such as a Lambrusco. The saltiness of Parmigiano-Reggiano can exaggerate the tannins in Cabernet Sauvignon, so a lighter wine with lower tannins will help mitigate this effect.

Another option for hard cheese and Cabernet Sauvignon pairings is to choose a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with bold flavours and pair it with a classic cheddar cheese. The fat content in cheddar helps to counteract the high tannins in full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignons, making it a good match.

Additionally, aged gouda can be a suitable pairing with Cabernet Sauvignon. The ageing process enhances the fruity notes in the wine, making it a good choice for bolder wines.

When pairing hard cheeses with Cabernet Sauvignon, it is generally recommended to choose a wine with lower alcohol content and avoid overly tannic wines. This will help ensure that the flavours of the cheese and wine complement each other without one overpowering the other.

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