Wines and cheese: a fresh pairing for Spring ahead

It is bottling time in the cellar: the musts have finally become wines and reach our tables fresh, fruity, floral, and spicy. These are the wines that anticipate spring, even meteorologically. The sun, warmth, and crisp air tend to guide the choice of wine towards something less alcoholic and fresher and more drinkable. A wine easier to pair with various foods. 

One of the best pairings for wine is undoubtedly cheese, and we want to focus on the cheeses we love so much. There is a very wide possibility for diversification and experimentation at the table: cheeses with their different textures, creaminess, aromas, fragrances, and processing or aging can complement the various wines coming from the indigenous grapes of our Italian territory.

Cheese-wine: pairing by analogy

This is the simplest type of pairing to make with cheeses: basically, if we have fresh and fruity wines, it is worth looking for cheeses that are not excessively aged and complex. Let’s start with some examples.

Pecorino Bagnolese Scamosciato and the red Umbria Montefalco DOC

A classic example of structural pairing is precisely that between two of the most important products of central Italy. A Pecorino Bagnolese Scamosciato and a red wine from the Umbrian lands, made from Sangiovese and Sagrantino grapes. On one side, the milky and buttery aromas and flavors of the pecorino, suitable for all palates, pair perfectly with the crust of a good artisan homemade bread; on the other, a savory, complex wine, with notes of blackberries and currants that has sweet and persistent tannins.

Gorgonzola BIO and the ancient grape of the volcano

Gorgonzola dop is known to all cheese lovers because it is considered the king of blue cheeses, at least the most famous of them. An ancient cheese, the progenitor that led to the creation of many other blue cheeses. In Pagazzano in 1914, the Arrigoni Battista company was born, which a few years later began to produce a very interesting and pleasant cheese made with cow's milk and Penicillium Roqueforti: the Gorgonzola Dolce dop. It is a soft, raw paste cheese, with beautiful green/blue veins. A cheese that becomes creamy and pleasant on the palate, which pairs well with a white wine from the south made from Carricante and Catarratto grapes, definitely fresh, organic, engaging, and intriguing. Slightly spicy notes and an aftertaste of aromatic herbs that blend well with the cheese's flavors.

Bella Lodi lactose-free cheese with a good Pinot Bianco

Let's create a marriage between taste and wellness, between a cow's milk cheese from the Lodi area and an extraordinary wine, an icon of Friuli. The lactose-free cheese from Caseificio Bella Lodi is incredible!   A typical Lodi product, it has a white paste and is suitable to satisfy the many lactose-intolerant palates... but not only! It is aged for at least 24 months and, thanks to the meticulous selection of lactic ferments used to produce it, guarantees the total absence of lactose (which, thanks to the ferments, transforms into lactic acid). A product that encloses the magic of creamy flavors of wildflower honey and chestnut. A unique cheese that pairs beautifully with a good Pinot Bianco, fragrant with stone fruit and exotic hints of apple and pear. A fresh, structured, and savory wine with mineral notes and a delicately acidic finish. 

Cheese-wine: pairing by contrast

Parmigiano Reggiano dop with sparkling wine from the lake

On one side, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, an ancient cheese of cow's origin, enhanced by a long aging and the very high quality of the raw materials used to produce it. A strong, slightly spicy flavor, with a distinct herbaceous presence and a light spicing. On the other, a sparkling wine that remains softer, with delicate and gentle notes, fragrant with wisteria and jasmine and a very exotic fruity character with an evident spicy peppery note, perfect for the sweet moment of an aperitif.

Pecorino aged in pomace and the best Rosé

The Pecorino aged in pomace is a cheese expertly aged in barrels with pomace from red grapes originating from the Romagna and Emilia areas. It has a compact paste, a straw color, and hints of blackberries and forest fruits. The Rosé wine offers decidedly fruity and delicately spiced nuances with an earthy perception that pairs well with the cheese.

Caprino and craft beer

A very good cheese, the Caprino, made from goat's milk that has been aged, releases vegetal and dried fruit notes. A very intense flavor of hazelnut, sweet chestnut, spice, and aromatic herbs. A slight spiciness and black pepper flavor. The craft beer is perfect to pair with this cheese for its refreshing nature but full and decisive flavor. Pasteurized, refermented, double malt, white... choose the one that suits you!

S&M