Food and Wine Pairing : A Sensory Experience

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Cheese Categories 275


Table 12.2 Semisoft Cheese Examples


Type


Milk Used


and Color


Components, Texture,


and Flavor Wine Suggestions


Bel Paese
(Italy)

Cow’s
Light yellow

Mild and semisoft. A light, milky
aroma, ranges from bland to buttery
and young to earthy depending on the
age.

As an appetizer, it works well with Chardonnay
and fruity whites. It is also served as a dessert
and goes with dried-grape and late-harvest
dessert wines
Brick (U.S.) Cow’s
Light yellow

Mild to moderately sharp depending
on the age. Semifirm in texture,
elastic.

New World Chardonnay.

Doux de
Montagne
(France)

Cow’s
Pale yellow
interior with
brown wax

Semisoft texture. Mellow, slightly
sweet, buttery and nutty flavor. May
be studded with green peppercorns.

Ales, light sparkling wines, dry rose ́, Sancerre.

Edam
(Netherlands)

Cow’s
Pale orange/
yellow

Semisoft to firm with a smooth
texture. Mellow and nutlike in flavor.

Riesling, dry sparkling wine, Pinot Noir.

Fontina
(Italy)

Cow’s or
sheep’s
Medium
yellow

Firm, elastic and smooth. A nutty
flavor and strong aroma. May have a
slightly grassy flavor.

Sangiovese, light fruity Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio,
Nebbiolo, Barolo, or Barbaresco.

Havarti
(Denmark)

Cow’s
Medium
yellow

Mild, creamy, and mellow. May be
flavored with garlic and herb, dill,
jalapen ̃o, caraway, or chives.

Sauvignon Blanc, fruit-forward New World
Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, red Bordeaux,
Rioja.
Livarot
(France)

Cow’s
Orange rind
with golden
yellow center

Semisoft, pungent, intense flavor and
slightly piquant.

Tokaji, Pinot Gris from Alsace, Pinot Grigio,
Riesling, young Bordeaux from the Pomerol
district, New World Merlot.

Muenster
(Germany)

Cow’s
Yellow-tan
surface and
cream-white
interior

Mild to mellow, semisoft texture. May
become more pungent with age.

Gewu ̈rztraminer, a variety of full-bodied reds,
Beaujolais, Zinfandel, beer.

Port du Salut
(France)

Cow’s
Creamy yellow
with an
orange rind

Ranges from mellow to robust and is
semisoft, buttery and smooth.

Rose ́ sparkling wine or Cabernet Franc–based
wines such as Bourgueil and Chinon from the
Loire Valley in France.

Taleggio
(Italy)

Cow’s
Light yellow

Creamy, semisoft texture that turns
runny as it ages.

Vin Santo (Tuscany), young Merlot, dessert
wines such as late-harvest Riesling or
Sauternes.

As shown in Table 12.2, most of these cheeses can be served with many whites, reds, and
dessert wines.


Soft Ripened Cheeses This category of cheese is ripened from the outside in.
This cheese type can be very firm when young and turn soft and runny when mature or
ripe. Double- and triple-cream versions can be described as ‘‘gooey.’’ The thin skins and
creamy centers make these cheeses some of the most popular. The fat content ranges from
50 to 75 percent as a rule, but double-cream cheese has at least 60 percent fat content and

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