wine pairings

Conventional wisdom maintains that white wine pairs better with cheese than red. There's certainly some validity to that statement, but with the right kind of red wine and cheese, this can be done to elegant effect, as I recently learned at a seminar taught by experts Laura Werlin and Naomi Smith at the Artisan Cheese Festival.

Much of the issue with pairing red wine with cheese comes down to tannins (the bitter, mouth-drying component present in red wine, tea, coffee, and some fruits like acai), which are notably absent from white wine. When selecting wines, choose a red with integrated tannins — think smooth and velvety, rather than rough and harsh. Wines grown in a cooler climate — think Oregon, Washington State, or Sonoma versus Napa — and particular milder, lighter-bodied wines like Pinot Noir or a restrained Cabernet Sauvignon are a safer bet. Look for a wine with an alcohol content of 14 percent or less when pairing with cheese, as these wines are less likely to overpower their cheesy companions.

Keep reading to learn what cheeses are generally most compatible with red wine.

Pulling together a cheese platter for your next holiday soiree seems like an übereasy task — and it should be, if you know the few basic fundamentals of cheese pairing.

Take a few tips from Cathy Strange, cheese buyer from Whole Foods Market, before you stock up your party pantry, and you'll be sure to have a cheese plate that's as dynamic as your Christmas party conversation.

1. Your platter's only as solid as your cheese is delicious. "If you pick up mass-produced cheese that's more focused on low price than quality, that will be reflected in the tasting process," Strange says. If you're on a budget, she recommends chatting with your local cheese monger instead and asking to see what they're excited about this holiday season given the budget you have in mind.

Keep reading for a few more basic cheese pairing bytes.

Our recent interview with Food & Wine executive wine editor Ray Isle gave us plenty of insight into where to buy value wines, but undoubtedly the most fun part of the chat was the special lightning round we subjected him to at the end.

We named five of our food-truck favorites and asked him to blurt out the first wine pairings that came to mind. Ray's best street-food drink matches:

• Carne asada tacos: "To go with the steak, a Zinfandel, or a Malbec from Argentina."
• Grilled cheese: "Oh, a white like an Alsatian Pinot Gris. Or a rosé; I like the ones from Provence. Either way, something with body that's rich, nutty, and has enough acid to cut the cheese."
• Pork belly buns: "A wine with tannins to counter the fat. Maybe an American Syrah; it'd pair nicely with the hoisin or plum sauce."
• Fish tacos: "Definitely a wine that's nonoaked. A bright white like Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, or an Albariño from Spain."
• Fried chicken: "Sparkling rosé! Bubbles will clear your palate. Like Krug's rosé — only someone else has to fork over the $300!"

Got any food-truck and wine pairing faves? Share them with us below.

Source: Flickr User Bob B. Brown

We've learned a lot over the years from Laura Werlin, one of the country's foremost cheese experts. In fact, we can't get enough of her new grilled cheese book, which is packed with recipes like this one filled with mozzarella, crispy prosciutto, and broccoli rabe. So it's no surprise that during her seminar in South Beach, we had a front-row seat.

Werlin's class was all about pairing grilled cheese sandwiches — perhaps America's greatest comfort food — with wine, a beverage that can often be associated with fussier settings. I'd never thought to pair the two together, but after an hour of enjoying the likes of gruyère, gorgonzola, and hazelnut grilled cheese with ice wine, I was a true believer.

Lest you think pairing high and low is daunting, take note of Laura's useful tips. To see them, keep reading.

Ever thought to pair food and wine based on what you can see? Probably not. When it comes to senses utilized in pairing wine with food, sight isn't the first to come to mind. But at one of this week's SF Chefs seminars, wine expert Gilian Handelman stressed the importance of visual cues when combining food and drink.

Through a simple exercise, Handelman — who is the director of wine education for Kendall-Jackson — demonstrated how produce and wines with similar pigmentation make ideal partners for one another. To see what that exercise was — you can recreate it at home as a learning tool yourself! — read more.

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