Wine and cheese are one of the most basic, yet classic food-and-drink pairings. One of the most pleasant experiences around is sipping a savory red or white between bites of nutty or creamy cheese on a cracker. That was the reason why on July 25, wine lover and freelance writer Jace Shoemaker-Galloway created National Wine and Cheese Day.
Make this a day to get together with friends, bring out some whites and reds, ports, chiantis, blushes, and champagnes together with Roquefort, gorgonzola, Limburger, and mizithra, and have some fun. Do not limit yourself to two-buck Chuck and sliced sharp cheddar on a Ritz while watching Netflix, although it is very pleasant to do so. Try to broaden out and socialize.
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Timeline of National Wine and Cheese Day
6000 BC (Europe gets cheesy) – Appearing at Neolithic sites, evidence included ceramic remains of rudimentary cheese strainers.
1500-1800 (Regional cheeses appear) – In 1500 showed up Cheddar, in 1597 Parmigiano-Reggiano, in 1697 Gouda, and in 1791 Camembert.
1864 (Cheese for the masses) – After Louis Pasteur discovered pasteurization, mass manufacturing of cheese started.
2015 (Italy’s the wine champ) – Italy became the world’s largest exporter by pulling ahead of France to produce the largest amount of wine.
Activities on National Wine and Cheese Day
Learn what goes together
There are many ways to learn about what pairings of wine and cheese you and others will enjoy. Vinepair’s illustrated guide to pairing is a fun way to get going, if you are just getting started, and you may want to dive into cheese expert Janet Fletcher’s extensive and sophisticated book Cheese and Wine: A Guide to Selecting, Pairing, and Enjoying, if you have some experience.
Gratify yourself at your local wine shop
Why not head out to your local wine shop and get some tips from the owner after you took some notes as to what pairings might appeal to your taste.
Have a pairing party
It makes sense to get social with your pairings as sharing is caring. Bring some friends together at either a local meetup or your home concentrated on some of the best that the wine and cheese industries have to offer.
3 Ways to Improve Your Wine and Cheese pairings
Keep the tannins low
Get guidance on which wines have a low level of tannins — which can overpower your pleasure of an accompanying cheese.
Balance sweet and salty
Pairing a dry wine with a good quality blue cheese, Gouda, or feta, might provoke a pucker and lessen your enjoyment.
Add nuts and fruit to your pairings
Top off a Merlot with berries and brie. Cheddar, walnuts, and a Cabernet are another winsome combo.
Why Do We Love National Wine and Cheese Day?
Wine and cheese are tasty together
Most of this has to do with the way foods feel in the mouth or “mouthfeel.” Well-selected foods that have opposite complementary flavors (such as the rich, astringent flavor of wine vs. the fatty, creamy flavor of cheese) can form a pleasant sensation and instill a delicious match in the mind. According to some researchers eating cheese while drinking wine can even improve the experience you get from both.
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Pairing is an amusing way to learn about Europe
For many generations, Europeans have served wine and cheese, produced in their regions or villages, together. One of the more famous combinations is light-bodied Beaujolais red wine from the Brie region in northern France and creamy Brie cheese. The pairing of rich Chianti or oaky Brunello and nutty Asiago cheese originates in the central Italian region of Tuscany.
Even soldiers drank wine
French soldiers, during the first World War, were given a daily ration that included a half-pint of red wine and one Camembert cheese. It was done for a practical reason, though it may seem indulgent for fighting rations. The reason was that polluted water supplies made bottled wine safer for soldiers to drink.
