The Rogue Valley, a small verdant area dotted with mountains, has long been home to some great local cheeses. The Rogue Creamery, the cheese producer who was nominated the World Cheese champion at the World Cheese Awards 2019/2020 in Bergamo, just celebrated its 90th anniversary.
The company celebrated with a mix of cheeses, packaged with a handful of good crackers and jams. Given that these cheeses, particularly the blue cheese—which has all that delicious funkiness of a British or French blue with more consistent body to it—can be challenging to pair with wine I sat down with Marguerite Merritt, the company’s marketing manager and cheese emissary, to get her take on the matter. All responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Liza B. Zimmerman (L.B.Z.): What types of wine are best with cheese?
Marguerite Merritt (M.M.): There’s no sure-fire best type of wine for pairing with cheese. Above all, Champagne—or other sparkling wines—pairs beautifully with just about everything: from Brie to Blue and everything in between.
In terms of white wine, pairing a medium-bodied wine with a moderately fruity profile, such as Chenin Blanc, a white Rhône blend, or even an unoaked Chardonnay. As for red wines, Syrah and Oregon Pinot Noir both tend to be very versatile.
L.B.Z.: What are your basic guidelines for pairing cheese with wine?
M.M.: Generally speaking, the most successful pairings combine wines and cheeses of similar weight and intensity. You would not want to pair a strong blue cheese with a delicate Sauvignon Blanc! If you expect your cheese to have powerful flavors, choose a wine with more body and fruit. Likewise, if your cheese is more subtle and nuanced, a lighter-bodied wine will be more appropriate.
Also, a contrasting pairing can also be very successful. So, an earthy cheese can be beautiful alongside a wine that’s bright, zesty, and acidic. Similarly, a bright, vivacious Champagne that tickles your tongue is a lovely accompaniment to an ultra-creamy cheese such as Rogue River Blue or a triple-cream cheese.
L.B.Z.: Is there a strict rule that wine or red is better with cheese?
M.M.: There are no hard rules when it comes to pairing wine and cheese! Some cheeses are better suited for either red or white pairings, but many others are versatile and can work well in both scenarios.
L.B.Z.: Are the ideal wines any different if you have the cheese before or after dinner? Or before or after dessert?
M.M.: In general, those choosing to enjoy a cheese course before dinner will probably find white or sparkling wine to be a more successful pairing; and those serving cheese alongside, or just prior to dessert, will find either red or dessert—fortified—wine to be more appropriate.
L.B.Z.: How do the accoutrements affect the wine pairing? The types of crackers? If they are sweet?
M.M.: The accompaniments we choose to add to our cheese platter are chosen to complement the cheese and not overwhelm it. Here are some guidelines:
Something sweet counters the salt and bitterness. Try jam, chocolate, or honey.
Something salty accents subtle cheese flavors: olives, salted chocolate, cured meat.
Something savory is fatty and fulfilling: salami, prosciutto, pate, etc.
Something crunchy provides exciting texture: nuts, crackers, corn nuts, baguette.
Something juicy cleanses and refreshes your palate: olives, pickles, fresh fruit.
In general, we recommend selecting an unflavored cracker or baguette to serve as your cheese carrier; otherwise, the flavor in the cracker could contrast with either the cheese or the wine. The cracker should be able to double duty as a palate cleanser between cheeses
L.B.Z.: People have said that blue cheese is hard to pair with wine because of its strong flavor, do you think that is true?
M.M.: As with any cheese that exhibits a bolder flavor profile, blue cheese can be a bit trickier to pair with wine: versus something more subtle, like Manchego or Swiss. This is particularly true when you select a more intensely flavored blue. However, a more subtle, cave-aged cheese such as Rogue Creamery’s Oregon Blue lends itself to a wide variety of wine pairings: both white and red.
Experts will always recommend a wine with a bit of sweetness alongside blue cheese because the sugar in the wine will balance out the bitter quality of the blue cheese; as such, I find Riesling with a hint of residual sugar, to be a lovely accompaniment to most blue cheeses. Viognier or Chenin Blanc can be lovely pairings as well, as can reds such as Syrah, Tempranillo, Merlot, and Zinfandel.