Wine and Cheese Pairing

 

I love cheese. Truly, cannot get enough of it. However, my bank account does not love cheese. So for this tasting, I paired some relatively cheap wines with some really cheap cheese, and decided to test my theory of if it has to be expensive to be a good pairing. 

I bought three blocks of cheese; a Mozzarella, a Colby Jack, and a Medium Cheddar, each for a $1.99. Yup! I meant it when I said I was ballin' on a budget! 

The three wines I bought to compliment the cheeses are as follows:

- Wine Cube Pinot Grigio from California, no vintage and cost about $5. I paired this with the Mozzarella.

- 2022 Dark Horse Sauvignon Blanc from California, cost about $9. I paired this one with the Colby Jack. 

- Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, no vintage and was about $5-6. I paired this one with the Medium Cheddar. 

Pinot Grigio and Mozzarella

    The wine alone was very light on the nose, and I picked up a strong crisp apple scent. Upon tasting the wine, I got more of that apple and a little pear. It had a very light body and I would describe this wine as sweeter than the box described. 

   I got the idea for this pairing off of Cello Cheese. The wine and cheese in my opinion did not compliment each other. As mozzarella is not a very statement cheese to begin with, I don't think the wine did very much for it. I didn't feel like any new flavors came out of the cheese and that it was very 'blah.' I did think the cheese affected the wine by bringing out a more 'alcoholy' taste and almost threw it out of balance. Maybe since i didn't have real fresh mozzarella it could've been my fault for the lack of excitement in the pairing, but would be willing to try again. I feel like the wine and cheese were both of similar intensity as suggested by Wine Folly, but didn't think they made a great pair. 

Sauvignon Blanc and Colby Jack

    The wine alone was very. light on the nose and was very juicy, had a large pear flavor and I could pick up a little grapefruit. It was very bright and zesty, playing into the citrus that had been noted on the bottle. Upon tasting it, I was surprised at how good it was for such a cheap wine. Well-balanced and very smooth. For a dry wine, I felt that it had a good juicy flavor and the pear flavor was reinforced upon tasting. It was a little earthy, but not to the extent I was expecting based on the grassy reputation Sauvignon Blanc has. 

    With the cheese, I felt that the wine brought out a sharpness in the cheese that was not there when I had tasted the cheese alone. I was pleasantly surprised by this pairing. I didn't think that the cheese brought out anything special in the wine, but felt they complimented each other, neither one overpowering the other. I got this suggestion from SommEvents.com. In bringing out some sharpness in the cheese, I think some of the acidity in the wine was cut, and made for a nice, creamy, smooth pairing.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Medium Cheddar 

    I personally am not a big fan of red wines, but thought I'd give this pairing a try. The wine alone was very dark and bold on the nose, hitting you right out of the gate. I was getting a lot of cherry and a bit of warm spice, kind of like cinnamon. Upon tasting, I thought it was well balanced and very smooth on the palate. 

    In trying this with the cheese, I felt that the two were a great pair. I am not a large fan of cheddar and usually sharp cheddar because I do not love the bite that it has. However, I felt that even this cheap box wine paired great with this cheese. The wine took the sharpness out of the cheese altogether. The cheese was creamier, and had a great flavor, a little nutty. On the flip side, I felt that the cheese took a bit of acidity out of the wine as well. Overall, loved this pairing even though I am not the biggest red wine fan.