What Cheese Goes With Chardonnay? Chardonnay and Cheese are two of the most well-liked and adaptable combinations. Cheese and Chardonnay are a classic pairing that will delight your palate whether you’re throwing a cheese tasting or just want to enjoy cheese and wine on its own.
But with so many varieties of cheese and Chardonnay available, it can be challenging to determine which matches would truly bring out the best in each. We’ll look at the best Chardonnay and cheese combinations in this blog post.
What Cheese Goes With Chardonnay?
Chardonnay is the most popular white wine worldwide. Cheese is quite great in and of itself. Selecting the right Chardonnay might enhance the pairing with cheese.
Chardonnay will never make cheese pairings easy. That’s because Chardonnay is a relatively neutral grape that quickly adjusts to its growing environment and winemaker’s preferences.
To keep things simple, we’ll divide it into two styles: oaked Chardonnay and unoaked Chardonnay.
Oaked Chardonnay is Chardonnay that has been aged or fermented in oak barrels. This oak treatment enhances the richness, taste, and texture of a Chardonnay.
Oaked Chardonnays are frequently described as buttery and creamy, with notes of vanilla, apples, and spices. (If you’re a nerd and want to know the chemistry behind the process, see this post about malolactic fermentation.)
Unoaked Chardonnay, as the name suggests, is fermented in stainless steel tanks rather than oak barrels. Unoaked Chardonnay has a lighter body, more acidity, and smells of green apples and lemons.
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Which Cheese Goes with Oaked Chardonnay?
Since oaked Chardonnay is itself more assertive and strong, it goes well with cheeses that are also more assertive and pungent. As a result, there is a balance of flavors and neither the wine nor the cheese overpowers the other.
Chardonnay pairs well with blue cheeses, pungent cheeses, and aged cheeses. These are our top picks.
1. Chardonnay and Aged Cheddar
Cheddar is a cow’s milk cheese that originated in England but can be produced all over the world. As cheddar ages, it becomes more pungent and crumbly. With oaked Chardonnay, use a cheddar aged at least 6 months.
2. Chardonnay and Brie
Brie is known to have a fairly foul smell—it’s been compared to feet. I will have to discuss this with my therapist as it makes it much more appealing to me right away.
The buttery mouthfeel of oaked Chardonnay pairs wonderfully with this consistency. Camembert is a nice complement to Chardonnay cheese, but it is a touch more odorous than Brie. Don’t sleep on it.
3. Chardonnay and Raclette
Raclette is a kind of cheese that is eaten in a fondue-like fashion. Full-fat Swiss cow’s cheese that melts quickly is called raclette. It’s a lusciously sweet delight. The most common side dishes for grilled or melted Raclette are potatoes, salami, and vegetables.
Meursault-style Chardonnay will go very well with this gooey combination of flavors. I strongly recommend this Raclette grill if you develop a similar addiction to raclette as I have recently.
4. Chardonnay and Gouda
Gouda is another popular cheese to have on your charcuterie board. It’s a semi-hard cow milk cheese from the Netherlands. The idea here is to balance tastes and intensity, so Gouda works best with a mid-range, not-too-oaky Chardonnay.
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Which Cheese Goes with Unoaked Chardonnay?
Unoaked Chardonnay has a lighter body and greater acidity. When oak is not used, Chardonnay’s fruit flavors shine out. It is less imposing than the oaked versions. Unoaked Chardonnay combines well with fewer pungent cheeses.
Pair these mild but exquisite cheeses with unoaked Chardonnay.
1. Chardonnay and Manchego
Manchego is a sheep’s milk cheese from La Mancha, Spain. It boasts a citrus and robust flavor that pairs perfectly with the acidity of unoaked Chardonnay.
2. Chardonnay and Mozzarella
Chardonnay goes nicely with any type of mozzarella, from burrata to semi-hard varieties. Unoaked Chardonnay pairs well with the subtle flavors of fresh mozzarella, but it can still stand up to a thick slice of pizza.
3. Chardonnay and Feta
Greek eta cheese is salted and produced from the milk of sheep and goats. Due to its tangy, lemony flavor, it goes especially well with Chardonnay. Feta is usually served with a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
These flavors are enhanced by the Chardonnay. For the same reason, Cyprus’s Halloumi would make a fantastic match with Chardonnay.
4. Chardonnay and Ricotta
Ricotta’s delicate flavors blend wonderfully with an oaked Chardonnay from Chablis. Ricotta is a whey cheese often prepared from sheep or goat’s milk, but in Italy, the most delectable is made from water buffalo milk.
Conclusion
It turns out that an excellent chardonnay cheese combination might come with a variety of accompaniments. It’s simply a matter of trying different combinations and deciding the ones you like most.
With that in mind, we propose gathering your friends, as well as a few styles and vintages of chardonnay and cheese, to host your own tasting.
Don’t expect everyone to agree on the pairings, but the end goal is to drink wonderful chardonnay, eat delicious cheeses, and spend time with friends. That is a great mix on which all can agree.