Cheese & Wine – Soft Ripened Cheeses

The “Cheese & Wine Appreciation Guide,” distributed by the U.S. Dairy Export Council, provides a helpful guide for this effort. As my history and category post was paraphrased and quoted, from this wonder source, this one will do the same.

Cheese –

The category includes Brie and Camembert. When selecting a wine to pair with these cheeses, the major factor to consider is the age or ripeness of the cheese. Pair younger Brie with milder, sweeter wines. Pair ripe or mature Brie with fuller, dryer wines.

Wine –

Semi-Sweet Sparkling: Sparkling Muscat, Demi-Sec Champagne

Dry Sparkling: Extra Dry, Brut and Natural Champagne

Light/Medium Bodied Red: Napa Gamay, Grenache, Pinot Noir

Accompaniments –

Tropical fruits, melons and fresh berries, also, stone fruits like peaches or nectarines, and plain water crackers or good crusty bread.

Brie & Champagne – delicious. Well ripened Brie is served on French bread coins and paired with an Extra Dry Champagne. Nectarine slices can be enjoyed on the side or placed in a glass of Champagne.

The Hill Team is partial to champagne and Brenda and I are especially drawn to Soft Ripened Cheeses, especially Brie. I also enjoy wrapping the brie in a sheet of puff pastry and bake it so it is softer and runny.

As I mentioned before, I love cheese – most all types. Pairing them with wine is an extra bonus to their appreciation.

“Success” was Finalist in the Writing and Publishing category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards