Havarti, Cheddar, the center - Wine and Cheese 1

 

That's me on the left! We invited a couple of students of wine over to study the interaction between several wines and several kinds of cheese tonight. We had a Toscana Rosso, a Pinot Grigio, and a sauvignon blanc. We also had a gouda, a cheddar jack, a havarti, and a sharp cheddar. There were several things I discovered tonight. I will elaborate directly. 

First, we had the pinot grigio. I noticed pear and apple most prominently. I first had the cheddar jack with it. I was reminded of a snack my mom would make for us as kids. Apple and cheese on a cracker. It was refreshing and juicy and the cheddar jack was there too. I then tried it with the sharp cheddar. Not great. The pinot grigio was a little too sweet and it made the sharp cheddar feel unbalanced and abrasive. I then tried it with the gouda, and was very pleasantly surprised! The creamy fattiness od the gouda paired excellently with the sweetness of the pinot grigio! This was my first discovery. I enjoy sweet wines with creamy cheeses. 

Next, we had the Sauvignon Blanc. It became immediately obvious to me how much more body, acidity, and tannic capacity this wine had over the Pinot Grigio. I expected the acidity to once again pair with the creamy fatty gouda, but I was disappointed. Instead, the acidic quality of this wine went excellently with the "acidic" quality of the sharp cheddar! They met each other blow for blow! This was my second discovery of the night. I enjoy acidic wines with sharp cheeses. 

Lastly, we had the Toscana Rosso, Un litro. This is where I had my third discovery. At this point we had made our way through most of the 1.5L Pinot Grigio as well as the bottle of Sav Blanc. The third discovery was that my ability to distinguish subtle flavors and textures in the pairings of wine and cheese are significantly diminished as more alcohol enters my system. This became obvious when I realized I enjoyed EVERY cheese with this wine. Maybe this is a good thing? You tell me. See you in the next review. 

Here are pictures of me with each (empty) wine bottle.