Food and Wine Pairing : A Sensory Experience

276 Chapter 12 Wine and Cheese: A Natural Affinity?

Table 12.3 Soft Ripened Cheese Examples

Type

Milk Used

and Color

Components, Texture,

and Flavor Wine Suggestions

Boursault

(France)

Cow’s

Off-white

Rich and very creamy. Triple-cream is

the consistency of thickened sour

cream, slight acidity. Buttery, sweet,

and slightly nutty flavor. Takes on the

aroma of mushrooms as it ages.

Sparkling wines, Muscat, Riesling, Syrah/Shiraz,

spicy Pinot Noir, ice wine.

Brie (France) Cow’s or

goat’s

Pale yellow

with white

exterior

Soft and smooth. Buttery to pungent. Blanc de Blancs Champagne, other sparkling

wines, unoaked California Chardonnay, sweet

Sherry, Merlot.

Brillat-

Savarin

(France)

Cow’s

Gray-white

exterior and

light yellow

interior

Triple-cream, rich. Champagne, other sparking wines, wines of

Bordeaux, Fronsac, Saint-Emilion, red Burgundy.

Camembert

(France)

Cow’s or

goat’s

Pale yellow

with white

exterior

Soft and creamy, slightly tangy. A

slightly more robust flavor than Brie.

Rich aged Chardonnay, sparkling wines, Chenin

Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Limburger

(German)

Cow’s

Brown exterior

with light

yellow interior

Soft, smooth, and waxy. A very strong

aroma, sharp, salty, and pungent.

Beer.

Pave ́ Affinois

(France)

Cow’s

Pale yellow

interior, white-

gray exterior

Smooth with runny texture, double-

cream; slightly grassy finish.

Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre.

Pont

l’Eveˆque

(France)

Cow’s

Pale yellow

color with a

white-orange

rind

Rich and soft cheese with full-bodied

flavor and intensity; slightly piquant.

Merlot with deep and dark fruit flavors, Pinot

Noir, reds from Pomerol or Saint-Emilion, late-

harvest Riesling, Sauternes.

Saint-Andre ́

(France)

Cow’s

White exterior

with pale

yellow interior

Triple-cream, rich, smooth, and

buttery.

Champagne, other sparkling wines.

triple-cream has at least 75 percent. Soft ripened cheeses ripen quickly and are generally at

their peak for just a few days.

Many of the cheeses in this group originate in France. It is difficult to truly appreciate

the French passion for cheese. For the French, cheese is more than just a product—it also

represents a region’s geography, climate, history, culture, and cuisine. In discussing the dif-

ficulties of governing France, the late President Charles de Gaulle expressed the regionalism

and diversity of the French culture when he stated, ‘‘Nobody can simply bring together a

country that has 265 cheeses.’’^9

The soft ripened cheeses have a texture that is smooth and rich. The flavors can be

mild to intense depending on the aging process. Because of their sometimes gooey consis-