Wine & Cheese Pairing Night!

Overview

A group of friends (4 of us, total) met on 3/17 to try out wines/cheeses while making good conversation and enjoying the Thursday evening. We thought it would be an event that would last an hour or two, but we found ourselves drinking and laughing late into the night (almost 3 AM). This not only had to do with the fact that we wanted to keep drinking once we felt an initial buzz, but also because the wine and cheese combinations were so enjoyable in the first place. Here's a little peek into what our night was like.

Cheeses

Havarti

This was the cheese that I brought to the table for the night. Nobody really liked it but me. One of my friends was able to enjoy its pairing with wine, but the other two disliked it regardless of what it was paired with. The big turn-off for them was the "stinky-foot" smell it gave off. That certainly sounds gross, but the Havarti itself was quite amazing in my opinion. 

Our descriptive words: smoky, bold, strong, creamy, buttery, stinky, crumbly

Gouda

This was a cheese that we all knew we would enjoy. Since all of us have tried Gouda and are fans, we decided to bring this one with us tonight as a "safe" choice. Needless to say, we all liked it.

Our descriptive words: Stiff, crumbly, old, mild

Brie

This cheese had us blurting out a bunch of mixed opinions. I am personally a huge fan of Brie, but we all seemed to have differing opinions. One of us did not like it with wine, but loved it in general. Another was the exact opposite! I loved it with the wine, although I think it was mostly because I just love Brie!

Our descriptive words: Cauliflower, metallic, creamy, chlorine

Wines

Lindeman's Merlot 2015

This wine is from southeast Australia. It has soft, elegant flavors blending the best part of fruit from each vintage. It seems to engulf the tongue with flavors and coat the palate.

Tastes/smells: Deep blackberry, plums, smoky, oaky, sour, tart, chocolate

Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon 1876

This wine is from Napa Valley, California. It has a lot of sweetness and fruit. Really flavorful and smooth.

Tastes/smells: Sweet, fruity, chocolate, tart, berries, raspberries, sour grapes, tart, fully bodied, bold aroma

Fish Eye Pinot Grigio 2015

The only white wine to make it on the list that night. I thought it had a great balance of fruitiness and sulfur-y boldness. This one was very strong on the aftertaste.

Tastes/smells: Pears, melons, peach, tropical fruit, sulfur, tart

Pairings

Lindeman's Merlot 2015

with Havarti:

- Enhances fruitiness of wine

- Weakens strong smell of the cheese so the pleasant parts of the taste are more flavorful on the palate

with Gouda:

- Seems to clash, heightening the flavors of the wine til the sharpness of the clash becomes overwhelming

with Brie:

- Makes the wine more sour

- Makes the wine taste drier

Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon 1876

with Havarti:

- Complements well, mellows the wine in a good way; weakens the sourness and brings out the sweetness

- Makes the Havarti linger on the palate

with Gouda:

- Clashes; not smooth at all, makes the gouda taste like rubber

with Brie:

- Creates a neutral flavor; brings out the cheese and made it taste more pleasant

Fish Eye Pinot Grigio 2015

with Havarti:

- Makes the cheese taste like delicious mushrooms

with Gouda:

- Makes the cheese taste better; it overpowers the bold sulfur elements of the wine

with Brie:

- Makes the wine taste like champagne, also enhances the creaminess of the Brie

Conclusion

We ended up having a lot more fun than we thought we would and the night was a blast. I enjoyed almost all of the pairings at least to a certain degree and had a great time sharing with my friends. My favorite pairings were Lindeman Merlot/Havarti and Fish Eye Pinot Grigio/Brie. It was nice to learn a lot about wine in such a fun, interactive way. We will be doing this again soon!