Wine Guy: For wine and cheese pairings, here are a few to try

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Care for a little cheese with your wine? Or perhaps a little whine with your cheese? Either way, the two make an indefatigable pairing. So classic, possibly, that it’s easily overlooked in favour of more complex or trendy food and wine matches. But whether part of a meal or a meal unto itself, a hunk of cheese and a glass of wine remains an easy menu.

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Yalumba The Y Series 2022 Viognier, Australia

($19.99, #624502)

While there’s no need to get pedantic, there are a few general guidelines to consider when pairing cheese and wine. For example, a floral and fruity, rich and highly expressive white like Viognier tends to fare well with creamy cheeses — though the wine has enough body to also handle some spice. Yalumba’s perennial crowd-pleasing Y Series Viognier brings an abundance of floral and stone fruit notes, with a soft entry leading to good overall freshness and a slightly off-dry, tropical fruit kiss to finish. Cheese-wise, it’s tough to go wrong sipping this friendly white along with double-cream Brie topped with apricot chutney.

Bottom line: B, Alt cheese option: Bleu d’Auvergne.

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Lagares de Penalva 2021 Dāo Tinto, Portugal

($14.99, #434848)

Robust reds from Portugal continue to land on our local wine store shelves. In this case, Lagares de Penalva arrives from the mountainous Dāo region in the Northern part of the country. A blend of classic Dāo grapes Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Jaen (also known as Mencía in Spain), it brings aromas of berry, dark fruit, and black licorice in a rich and smooth style overall before a soft and balanced finish. The classic cheese play with a gutsy red like this is to keep things firm and stronger, say an aged cheddar or sharper, mature Comté. 

Bottom line: B-, Alt cheese option: Pecorino Pepato.

Haywire 2022 Pinot Noir, B.C.

($32.99, available through the winery and select private wine stores)

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More ephemeral reds like Pinot Noir typically call out for more nuanced cheese. Haywire’s most recent vintage Pinot Noir is elegantly expressive: cherry berry with savoury undertones in a leaner, bright style that leads to supple tannins on an herby, dry finish. It’s 100% Pinot Noir sourced from three vineyards around the Okanagan Valley that undergoes natural fermentation before aging in concrete and large oak foudre. It’s certainly food and social occasion ready. The back label suggests that the wine pairs well with soft cheeses, and there’s no denying that chèvre or burrata would marry well with this red.

Bottom line: A-, Alt cheese option: Earthy Morbier.

The Swirl: Fraser Valley Wine Passport

Running through the end of June, holders of the The Fraser Valley Wine Passport can take part in unique experiences and exclusive tastings at 18 wineries spread across Abbotsford, Langley, Richmond, and Surrey. There’s also a special prize draw. The passport costs $50 and is available to purchase at any of the participating wineries. For complete details head to tourism-langley.ca. 

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