LEVEL UP YOUR WINE AND CHEESE GAME
Delicious tips for Lehigh Valley area pairings this holiday season
In a normal year, we’d be planning our menus to host our friends and family for the holidays or figuring out what to bring to the company party or neighborhood potluck.
But, as we have all learned, this is not been a normal year. This season, we’ll hang at home and mark the holidays in a smaller, quieter way.
No good celebration, regardless of size, should take place without a nice bottle of wine or sparkling wine. (A bold but true statement).
With that, you can pair a host of delicious foods, but cheese
— in all its beautiful forms — is perhaps the most classic. Most of us probably grab our favorite wine and pick up cheese and crackers at the supermarket.
What we’re saying is: This is the year to go to the next level.
Here are some tips on the best ways to pair wine and cheese from two local experts: Nadine Lake, manager of Blue Mountain Vineyards and Cellars in New Tripoli and Mandy Tolino, general manager of Tolino Vineyards in Bangor and at the Easton Public Market.
A bit of advice
Try something new: This is really the perfect time to settle in at home with a tasty wine and cheese experiment. Think of it as your holiday gift.
“I feel like wine and cheese are very similar in the fact that you can you can try so many varieties,” Tolino said. “People have a distinct preference. And the more you sample you’ll expand your own pallet and push the limits a little bit.”
Pick a star: You should decide if you want the wine to stand out or the cheese to take center stage, Tolino said. If you pick a strong cheese, pair it with a wine that’s not as intense so you can allow the cheese to dominate.
Wine is like hair color: If you’re raven-haired, you probably don’t want to go blond next, unless you are truly adventurous.
If you’re just exploring and aiming to try something different, you’re better off stick close to what you like, Lake said.
“A lot of people tend to go with their comfort zone. A bottle of chardonnay and some garlic cheese. But I also like to try to mix it up,” Lake said. “Start with the wine they are comfortable with at first and see what pairs.
If you like a dry wine, try a semi-dry for example, Lake said.
Think about your cheesedelivery system:
consideration with any wine and cheese pairing is whether you’ll be using crackers. Choose crackers that compliment what you’re eating but not overpower. (Garlicky crackers maybe aren’t a good choice in most cases, for example.)
It’s easy to be cheesy: Yes you can definitely get a good sharp cheddar cheese and that’s a go-to to accompany the wine.
But try something new. Choose a local cheese or one that’s a different style — like a fresh, mild mozzarella or a zingy blue cheese for example.
Don’t get in your head: You don’t want to overthink it.
“It should be a fun thing without any fear that you’re doing it wrong,” Lake said.
General “rules” for pairing
Overall consider the flavors of whatever you are starting with and focusing on. If you’re starting with a wine you love, consider what flavors you’re tasting. Is it fruity? Oaky? If you’re starting with cheese, is it creamy and mild or tangy and sharp? The wine and cheese you pick should sing in harmony, not shout at each other.
While we often think of red wine with cheese, whites generally pairs better. It’s more acidic and cuts through the richness of the cheese.
Sparkling wine isn’t just for toasting. Tolino said one of her favorites is dry champagne and brie for example. (I love prosecco, which also pairs with brie or even a fresh mozzarella).
Adry red wine ( merlot is a good example) can stand up to a manchego, which is a semi-hard cheese with a rind, or even gorgonzola. (A little fruit on the side can help add a bit of sweetness to the pairing too.)
Local wine and cheese pairings
If you still can’t decide on where to start, that’s perfectly fine. Here’s a list of suggestions we’ve curated for you:
Black River Farms (Bethlehem and Quakertown) and Skip’s Cheese (which you can buy in blocks at Black River)
Steakhouse onion (cheese) with Chambourcin ‘17 Barrel Reserve (dry red)
Smoked gouda with Black River Farms Star (Dry white, similar to a Riesling)
Blue Mountain (New Tripoli)
Garlic cheese with
Chardonnay 2017
Smoked gouda with Cabernet Sauvignon
(2020 Double Gold medal winner)
Clover Hill (Breinigsville) and Connabella cheese (locally made and carried at CHV)
Cheese Curds Wine and Sparkling Niagara
Connabella sharp cheddar and Sparkling Cayuga
Franklin Hill (Bangor) Baked brie with candied cranberries and nuts and Crush
Smoked gouda and Chambourcin
Galen Glen, Andreas, Schuylkill County, and Goot Essa, an Amish PA cheesemaker (gootessacheese.com/)
Der Weichen Gel (similar to Brie) and Riesling Fossil 2019
Der Alpen Kase (similar to Gruyere) and Gewurztraminer 2019, Stone Cellar
Tolino
Valley Milkhouse Brie and Papa’s Red
Goot Essa Monterey Jack and merlot
Vynecrest (Breinigsville)
Dietz & Watson Steakhouse Onion Cheddar and Lemberger
September Farms Smoked Gouda and 2020 Nouveau Beaujolais
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