I was so delighted by the last D.O.C. distinguished wine, that I decided to try another, though this time of the more bubbly variety. The local grocery store also just so happened to be discounting a number of canned wines, which have always made me curious, so I couldn't help myself but grab a red and a still white. I felt this gave a nice variety to compare the cheeses against. The cheeses themselves were all chunks in the 'Cheeses sized to try!' bin, which was perfect for a college student to grab up for this exact purpose. Below I'll give a bit more detail about each wine on it's own, and each cheese on it's own.
The Wines:
Name: Ogio - "Select Venezia, Italy Vinyards" - Prosecco D.O.C.
Variety: 100% Prosecco
Region: Fossalta di Piave, Italy
Country: Italy
Year: Non-Vintage
Price: $3.5
My notes: Aroma: Dried grapes, lemon zest, brown sugar, and wet sand.
Tasting Notes: lychee, lemon peel, crisp, dry, mildly acidic, melon, lime juice.
Name: Free Seeker - "Select California Vineyards" - Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Tualatin, Oregon
Country: USA
Year: Non-Vintage
Price: $4.50
My notes: Aroma: Smokey, buttery, and wet hay.
Tasting Notes: Citrus peel, lots of lychee, light sweetness, lightly dry, pear, fresh green apple, very easy drinking, light tingling acidity, and a bit of an alcoholic aftertaste.
Name: Underwood - Union Wine Co. Vineyards - Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Tualatin, Oregon
Country: USA
Year: Non-Vintage
Price: $4.50
My notes: Aroma: Black cherries, dried fig, mild raspberries, light cedar, and smoldering fruit skins.
Tasting Notes: Smoke from a fresh fire, dry, low acidity, very oaky , high tannins, black currants, black cherries, cedar, and light peppercorn.
The Cheeses:
Name: Alisios
Region: Spain
Price: $2.41
My notes: Aroma: Not a very aromatic cheese, hint of paprika, nuts, and fresh churned butter.
Tasting Notes: Earthy, paprika smokiness, light amount of creaminess, dry, hay, field grass, a very light bite reminiscent of a white sharp cheddar, and walnuts.
Name: Challerhocker
Region: Switzerland
Price: $2.82
My notes: Aroma: Quite aromatic, earthy, decaying wood, butter, wet hay, and decaying leaves.
Tasting Notes: Very nutty, lots of hay, decaying field grass, buttery, oily, and very creamy.
Name: Swiss Emmental
Region: Switzerland
Price: $2.23
My notes: Aroma: Mild swiss cheese, not very aromatic, and not many other notes.
Tasting Notes: Dry, mildly swiss cheese tasting, pronounced earthiness like that of crushed gravel, it is a cheese with very few mingling flavors - a neutral party you could say.
The Pairings:
Ogio Prosecco DOC + Alisios:
Tasting Notes: Pairs quite well, in my opinion, the fruity notes round out the smokey paprika that coats the rind of this cheese, not much else than that changes, as both the cheese and the wine are quite dry - the acidity of the wine does drive you towards eating more of it though!
Ogio Prosecco DOC + Challerhocker:
Tasting Notes: Wow, this pairs phenomenally well, the two mix, dance, and mingle on your palate, almost creating an effervescent umami characteristic that is quite delightful. The creaminess of the cheese compliments the acidic dryness of the wine, and the earthiness compliments the citrus notes in a very satisfying way. Easily one of my favorite combos.
Ogio Prosecco DOC + Swiss Emmental:
Tasting Notes: I do not quite care for this combination, while I'd gladly eat the cheese, or drink the wine on their own, together they do not make a pair worth experiencing. The Swiss Emmental is very dry, even more dry than the wine itself, and as well as being quite lacking in complexity, leaving very little for the wine to work with - in the end the flavors from both seem to fight each other. This pairing leaves much to be desired.
Free Seeker Chardonnay + Alisios:
Tasting Notes: Incredible, these two go so well together is mildly surprising, my initial thought was that the smokiness of the paprika would fight the buttery notes, but no, they compliment beautifully. The bite from the cheese amplifies the acidity of the chardonnay, giving it quite the lingering stage, and the wine itself draws out even more of the white cheddar characteristics. I would gladly eat and drink this wine together all day, if given chance, but alas day drinking and school do not typically mix.
Free Seeker Chardonnay + Challerhocker:
Tasting Notes: Another lovely combination, the two together, sharing such similar characteristics, amplify each other beautifully, drawing out more of the citrus and fruity characteristics of the wine in the front, while hay and fresh churned, grass-fed, cow butter erupts in the back, and the middle tingles in a way that is very satisfying, leaving your mouth watering for more. It might just be the wine kicking in, but I'm starting to feel like this might be the perfect wine for the selection of cheeses I picked out.
Free Seeker Chardonnay + Swiss Emmental:
Tasting Notes: I'm not blown away by this pairing, but I feel that it works. It's very unoffensive tasting, unlike when paired with the Ogio Prosecco D.O.C., something that you could probably take to a family gathering and everyone would enjoy. No, it wouldn't wow, but no one would complain either - the only thing I can say that this paring lacks, is a neutral, salty, cracker. I feel that might be the root problem with this cheese, it could use a bit of salt to amplify flavors.
Underwood Pinot Noir + Alisios:
Tasting Notes: Initial reaction, this do not pair well together at all, the cheese pretty much acts as neutral party between the mingling of wine and cheese. It's kind of like the wine is dancing and trying to motivate the cheese, but my god, this cheese just doesn't want to be on the dance floor at all. It's like a wallflower being pulled onto stage at a concert, it's just awkward for everyone, and even more so for the cheese. It adds nothing, compliments very little, specifically with a light amplification of the smokiness of the wine, but just disappears so quickly as the wine washes over, completely dominating in every way - if anything, this cheese amplifies the boldness of this Pinot Noir. Once again, just as the Free Seeker Chardonnay + Swiss Emmental combination was unoffensive, so does this pairing follow, do not worry about bringing this cheese and wine to a party, no one will complain.
Underwood Pinot Noir + Challerhocker:
Tasting Notes: That's it, I'm declaring a winner, this cheese is the best of the three, in terms of versatility. It stands on it's own, it is bold, it dances with the best, it's that guy you see at a party that can talk to anyone, make anyone laugh, just the true life of the party. The hay notes play so well with the bold smokiness of this wine, complimenting each-other in a way that sounds off-putting at first - just take the plunge, and you will enjoy yourself. I will gladly be the first to admit that at this point the wine is definitely talking, but I just don't care, this cheese is wonderful. The creamy, lightly sharp, nature of this cheese does wonders for the deeply bold tannin presence within this wine, rounding and smoothing it out beautifully.
Underwood Pinot Noir + Swiss Emmental:
Tasting Notes: I believe that finally, we have a pairing for this cheese, that works. I know, I know, you're probably shouting at the screen at this point "Why did you even pick a swiss cheese in the first place?!" and honestly, I couldn't give you an answer initially! But now, oh yeah, now, I can stand up and slam my hands on the table, and then point at this can of Pinot Noir. This swiss, just as the Challerhocker did, takes the edge off, it rounds, it softens, it finally has found it's place on stage. It lingers along the sides of your tongue while the wine washes over, it doesn't become overpowered and disappear, it mingles with the smokiness, almost amplifying it in the process - but not in an offensive way. I could say more, but, at this point, I just want to continue to enjoy these wines and continue to eat cheese.
Overall, this was a very interesting setup, I didn't really think about the wines when picking out the cheeses, but rather looked at the grocery store info signs about them, and chose on that basis alone - I have no complaints. As I stated before, Challerhocker was easily the winner of the three, Alisios following as a close second, and the Swiss Emmental just barely dodging disqualification in 3rd place. Of the wines, the Free Seeker Chardonnay took the top podium with ease, pairing well with every cheese I threw at it, while I'd have to say second place would be a toss up between the Underwood Pinot Noir and Ogio Prosecco D.O.C. - it would really have to come down to mood, time, and place for me, in terms of picking between the two. As for pairing, hands down, no contest, Free Seeker Chardonnay and Challerhocker. Yeah, there were 8 other options, but I feel my tasting notes speak for themselves.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a can of Free Seeker Chardonnay and a chunk of Challerhocker to finish.
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