Wine and Cheese Pairing

Mbali
Chenin Blanc
South Africa
2018
$4.99 at Trader Joe's

Wine Searchers Tasting notes: "On the drier side like A typical South African Chenin Blanc and Viognier mix. Light lemon almost translucent in color. Scents of grapefruit, yellow apple and mango with jasmine. Taste was grapefruit, yellow apple and mango followed by tangerine and jasmine and a drier finish of chalk and ginger."

Emma Reichart
Rose - Pinor Noir
Germany
2018
$4.99 at Trader Joe's

Wine Searchers Tasting notes: "Light and tart, indeed! (Coincidentally my dating profile 2013-2015.) This rosé is jam-packed with Jolly Rancher-esque fruit flavor: There’s a borderline sour cherry vibe (in a good way, not a gross way), and a refreshing bit of minerality under there. All of it culminates in a lasting splash of watermelon that can only be described as… watermelon-y."

Oak Leaf
Pinot Grigio
Colombard
$4.50 at Trader Joe's

Wine Searchers Tasting notes: "This light-bodied, crisp Pinot Grigio has a vibrant citrus nose, hints of apple and peach, and a refreshing finish. This light-bodied, crisp Pinot Grigio has a vibrant citrus nose, hints of apple and peach, and a refreshing finish. Pair with Rotisserie Chicken.
Oak Leaf wines are full of flavor, rich in color and smooth in taste – the perfect accompaniment to any meal."

Joseph Handler
Riesling
2018
Germany
$5.99 at Trader Joe's

Wine Searchers Tasting notes: "On the palate: semi sweet and medium plus acidity. Medium body. Green apple, pear, candied lime, and grapefruit. Maybe a touch of honey. Short clean finish."

Wine and cheese pairing here we go! So many flavors and so much fun. This past weekend my work celebrated a Friendsgiving, so why not knock out a little homework while we were at it. The four wines we had are listed above, which include Mbali, Emma Reichart, Oak Leaf, and finally, Joseph Handler. The three kinds of cheese we enjoyed with the wines are Red Wine soaked Goat cheese, Cabot Cheddar, and Monteau Alpine.

I know when you pair wine and cheese, you usually think of red wine, but I am more of a white wine girl. Even though the white wine may not have been the ideal pairing, the combinations were still delicious. The high fat of the cheese balanced the tannins of the wine.

While I drank the Mbali wine and thought that the Red Wine soaked Goat cheese paired best.  The red wine taste on the cheese and the white wine flavor of the wine had a great pairing — the fruit-forward character of the wine and the fatty taste of the cheese paired in a significant way.

As I drank the Emma Reichart Rose, I needed something with a sharper flavor. In my opinion, I liked the Alpine cheese with the Rose. The sourness of the wine paired great with the Alpine cheese. The cheese had a smokey flavor that cut the wine in a great way.

Next, I enjoyed the Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio with the Cabot Cheddar cheese. Oak Leaf is a has a very sweet taste, and the sharpness of the Cheddar was a yummy pairing.

Finally, the last pairing I had was Joseph Handler's Riesling with the Alpine cheese. I loved this Riesling it was one of my favorite riesling's I've had to far. The cheese and the almost sparkling flavor of the wine paired very well.