National Wine and Cheese Day
Ah…a glass of wine and a plate of cheese. They go together like peanut butter and jelly! Today is a day to celebrate this pairing!
The classic pairings here are those “grow together, go together” pairings.
What is this about my cheese and climate change?
Let’s start with a bit about Italian or, in fact, European Cheeses.
Here on Crushed Grape Chronicles, we often speak of the AOCs, DOCs, or AVAs. These indicate the regions that the wines come from. In Europe, there are also regions like this for specialty foods. In Italy, you have DOPs that cover cheeses from various regions. Take, for instance, the famous Parmigiano Reggiano. It can only be produced in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Bologna, between the Po and Reno rivers.
This famous cheese, of course, had copycats, so to protect this specialty cheese, the Conzorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano was formed in 1934.
Parmigiano Reggiano is a cow’s milk cheese, and these cows are fed mainly on local forage and grasses. No silage, animal flours, or other fermented fees are allowed. It contains just 3 ingredients; milk, salt, and rennet. The cheese must be aged 12 months before it may be sold.
You will remember the horrible drought in 2022. At that time, the Po River that borders the region was drying up. The cattle must drink 22-33 gallons of water daily, and cows overheating is a concern. Too little water or overheated cows affects the milk, and then the cheese will not meet the strict standards set by the DOP.
Of course, what they will eat is also a concern. These cows can only eat local feed. If there is less feed, they have to reduce the number of cows.
Yes, my friends, climate change will affect what you top your pasta with!
On to happier thoughts.
Classic Wine and Cheese pairings!
Parmigiano Reggiano with a red wine from Valpolicella. While this region is north of the Po river, it is still nearby and the older the wine, (riservas or Amarones) will pair well with the longer aged cheese. If it is a young Parmigiano Reggiano go with a young Valpolicella!
Try one from Tasi!
Organic/Biodynamic wine is the core of Tasi. They believe that they need to find a way to work with nature, to find their place in this system that is hosting them and through their work create a positive impact.
Grana Padano with with a Lambrusco from near Mantova. Grana Padano can be made in a large swath of Northern Italy. Pair it with a Lambrusco from near Mantova. I might suggest an aged Grana Padano with an elegant Lambrusco from Bugno Martino!
Giuseppe and Raffaella together run this family farm and produce Lambrusco Mantovano. They respect the land and farm naturally with biodynamic and organic principles. Farmers first, they see taking care of the land as a privilege. We wrote a piece on them a few years back, and will have more to tell you soon from a visit to see them last year!
Bugno Martino can be found in the US at VeroVino Craft Wines
Brie and Champagne. – Go for triple crème Brie! Fat and bubbles are classic! Go for Grower Champagne, those estate Champagnes made by the people who are growing the grapes. Champagne Cattier is a delicious option!
Or, perhaps look for a vintage Champagne, one that will show the character of the vintage! These wines not only sparkle, but they tell a story of the soil and the year. We had a Vincent Charlot Fruit de Ma Passion Extra Brut Millésimé Champagne 2016 that we paired with fries that would be delicious with brie!
Manchego and Rioja – This cheese and this wine come from the same region in North Central Spain and are a match made in heaven! Here’s the bonus! You can pair with red or whites! Try an aged Manchego with a nutty aged Reserva Blanco. Try a smoked Manchego with a bright young red Rioja!
You can easily find a Rioja Reserva from Campo Viejo that will be delicious!
Roquefort with Sauternes – This salty blue cheese comes from a bit south of the Bordeaux region, where the sweet Sauternes wines are made, but this is a match made in heavy. The salty/sweet combination is classic for after dinner.
Beyond Sauternes, there are other sweet wines in Bordeaux. We tasted through several of these a couple of years ago. Many will stand up to blue cheese! Here are the 2 articles we wrote on these wines.
There is a new trend called #GirlDinner (my friend @karlawalsh on Instagram keeps me up to date on things like this!) Maybe grab some cheeses, wines to pair and some extras to fill out that plate (I’ll admit, it looks like a normal cheese plate to me!) Anyway, here is an occasion to jump on this trend and enjoy!
Happy #NationalWineandCheeseDay!
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
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