Paul Stroede
For more photos, click gallery, above.
The holidays present many scenarios that can be easily improved with just two simple ingredients: cheese and alcohol. Whether your company is a bunch of adventurous foodies, Mom and Dad back in Pennsylvania or the love of your life, a well-curated plate of cheese and a special bottle of wine or beer can be the makings of a fabulous evening. Local cheese mongers are more than happy to share their pairing suggestions.
With its rich flavors and texture that can range from creamy to chewy, cheese begs for the carbonation and bitter hops of beer or the lively acidity of white wine. These are thus the easiest beverages to pair. For red wines, you'll want to consider body and structure: heavier cheeses can stand up to the big tannins of a Barolo or California cabernet, while a delicate pinot noir might be overpowered by such a beast.
The key is balance. As with relationships, good pairings coax out the best in each element, rather than drowning each other out. And if you can match subtle nuances in a certain wine or beer -- say, an herbaceous note or a nutty character -- with a cheese that has an equal or complementary component, prepare to watch your guests' faces light up with surprise and delight.
Scenario #1:
A Holiday Gathering With Friends
A really cool cheese can be a great conversation piece, and your friends will be doubly impressed if you can show off your pairing chops with an unexpected suggestion. If you're the host, this may result in your home or apartment becoming the Official Party Destination hereafter.
If you particularly like your friends, help them warm up from the cold with a nice Belgian dubbel (or tripel or quad, if none of them are driving and you have something resembling goblets). Goose Island Père Jacques, Westmalle and Ommegang Abbey Ale are classics. To keep the budget reasonable for a larger group, try out a robust stout such as Bell's Java Stout (because if your holidays are anything like mine, caffeine is rather important). Stout's smoky notes create the feeling of sitting by a fire in a gigantic sweater, and if it's an Ugly Sweater Party, your friends will be all the more appreciative.
Your pairing here is Dunbarton Blue. This killer blue cheese is straight out of an abbey monk's dreams: veiny, chunky and just a little funky, with a seductive caramel note that begs for Belgian ale. There's a reason Dunbarton Blue is a favorite of local cheese mongers. "It's absolutely my favorite cheese," says Lisa Martin, cheese monger at Metcalfe's. She considers it an ideal beer cheese, particularly with heartier styles.
"That caramel note really cuts through it and works so well with a porter or stout," says Steve Schaefer of Fromagination.
If your friends are more wine-inclined, Dunbarton won't disappoint with a hearty bottle of Monastrell, a Bordeaux blend or a Cotes-du-Rhone, but I recommend taking advantage of Italy's insanely good-value reds and throwing down a gooey wedge of Taleggio. The Taleggio is about as beefy as creamy cheeses get, and with the cherry-and-black-earth notes of a Tuscan blend wine (my go-to is La Maia Lina's Gertrude), you've just served the cheese-course equivalent of a steak and a martini.
Scenario #2:
A Quiet Holiday Evening
Far be it from this writer to assume default coupledom. The following suggestions are also ideal for a night at home snuggling with a cat, dog or guinea pig, or simply a heavy quilt and a great book. On Thanksgivukkah, Christmas Eve, Solstice or, if you work retail, any night after the 26th, it'll be time to celebrate with a special bottle and a worthy cheese match.
For many beer lovers, the special-occasion bottle is a cellared treasure, and often a sour -- perhaps a previous vintage of New Glarus Serendipity or Cascade Kriek Ale. With their wire-closed corks and hefty 750-mL bottles, such collectible beers carry a sense of festivity befitting the holiday season. And sour beer is simply sublime with a good cheese.
"The LaClare Farms Evalon has a heartiness and earthiness to it that will really stand up to something sour like Serendipity," says Schaefer. The Evalon has a very subtle nose, a nutty, earthy flavor and a chewy texture that begs for the playful pucker of one of New Glarus' amazing sours.
For many people, however, there's no substitute for a great bottle of red wine as a holiday showstopper. If you're of the Super Tuscan or Barolo persuasion, you can't go wrong with Piave, a hard, Parmesan-esque cheese that can stand up with the rippling tannins of an Italian stallion.
Another recommendation from Martin at Metcalfe's, this simple and elegant cheese will complement the wine without taking the focus off what might be a considerable investment.
Scenario #3:
Coming Home, Bringing Cheese
Particularly if home is a road trip or plane ride away, your family will want to taste the bounty of the Dairy State. If they're extra hip, they'll want to taste Wisconsin's wonderful beers and fascinating wines, too. And since this is a trip home, you may need them.
Best to go with the classics when you're dealing with a range of ages and palates. Hook's one-year cheddar is a gold standard with broad appeal, as well as a Madison favorite. There's nothing better than a sharp cheddar and a good IPA, so pair it with a six-pack of Hopalicious from Ale Asylum for a Madtown treat. To level up a bit, go with Bleu Mont Dairy's cave-aged bandaged cheddar and a great seasonal like Lakefront Brewery's Holiday Spice Lager.
If your folks are wine drinkers, try the striking aged Gouda Pittig and a hearty cab or red blend with appetizers, or after dinner as a dessert. It might convince them to open just one more bottle -- this gouda is tangy and intense with just a hint of toffee character. If they lean more toward whites, the aforementioned Evalon is a slam-dunk with sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio or perhaps a snappy Wisconsin white such as Fisher King's Seyval Blanc or Frontenac Gris.
The number-one rule of pairings is that there are no rules, so don't be afraid to try out combinations on your own or with friends. In fact, a selection of fascinating cheeses and well-chosen beverages can provide its own entertainment with the right group of interested tasters.
