Expert tips on how to correctly pair wine with cheese

The US observes National Wine and Cheese Day on July 25 Wine and cheese making have flourished for centuries and diners have continued to explore unique ways of using them together throughout history Every year wine and cheese lovers unite to celebrate their love of this elegant pairing which has fans across the globerdquoWine and cheese both often take years of waging to reach maturation and the right flavour and require careful tending by the curators Wine is sharp and cheese is fatty and these opposites attract to create a great combination of flavour and texturerdquo says chef Harsh Shodhan outlining the skill behind pairing the right wine and cheeseldquoWhile the goal behind pairing wine with cheese is to enhance the flavour of both it is important to remember that taste is subjective and what may seem to be a perfect pairing for one taster could be less enjoyable for anotherrdquo explains Sodhan Below he shares a few expert tips that will help you pair wine with cheeseTanninsThey are natural compounds found in plants In the case of wines and grapes tannins create a bitter taste or drying sensation when consumed This is why red wines make our mouth feel drier and rougher after a sip Tannins in red wines clash with cheese so take care while pairing red wine with cheese Aged cheese would work well with full bodied winesIntensityAn important thing to keep in mind is the intensity of the wine and cheese at hand Pair intense wines with more intensely flavoured cheeses and less intense wines with delicately flavoured cheeses to achieve perfect balanceCarbonationSparkling wines contain carbonation and higher acidic value and offer a palate cleansing effect to creamy cheeses such as Brie or CamembertFlavourBlue cheeses are richly flavoured It is common for red wines to not be paired with this variety of cheese due to the aroma of the wine and saltiness and richness of the blue cheeseExperimentThe objective of wine and cheese pairing is to find the right bottle of wine which will not overpower the cheese and vice versa A few things that may work for some may not work for others Feel free to mix up different wines and cheese using base guidelines and discover a pairing that suits your palate the bestGastronomical pairings can be found everywhere across cuisines and cultures While food continues to evolve some iconic pairings stand the test of time from rajma and chawal to gin and tonic We asked restaurateur Gauri Devidayal owner of Magazine Street Kitchen and The Table to help us out with some classic wine and cheese pairings Below she lists out the most popular wine and cheese pairings that you can blindly indulge inSparkling winesChampagneBrie brings a deliciously smooth and creamy mouth feel while champagne has a sharper bubbly effervescence that shines through with each sipProseccoParmesan has a sharp and salty flavour profile that offers a tasty contrast to a sweet sip of proseccoWhite winesSauvignon BlancThe acidic crisp nature of sauvignon blanc perfectly mirrors the acidity and flavour of goat cheeseChardonnayCrisp bright and fresher style chardonnay will compliment mild and smooth cheeses such as ricotta or brieRose winesZinfandelFirm nutty cheese such as gruyere will pair perfectly with jammy and spiciness of a rose made out of zinfandelGrenacheThe bursting flavours of watermelon strawberries and acidic kick at the end from a Grenache will complement young or semi firm cheeses such as baby Swiss or young cheddarRed winesCabernet SauvignonHard aged cheese like gouda or aged cheddar will pair best with equally bold and ageable cabernet sauvignonSyrah or ShirazWines higher in tannin act as a palate cleanser for creamy and rich cheeses such as FetaDessert winesSauternessThe flavour of this sweet wine from France is often compared to apricots peaches and honey with a little touch of nuttiness It pairs well with blue cheeses or salty washed rind cheeses like epoisses which is a pungent lsquostinky cheesersquo with a rich somewhat meaty flavourMoscatoSweeter wines made of moscato grape can help mellow spicy and zesty flavour of pepper jack cheeseAlso Read Try these five delicious soup recipes at home this monsoon