Wine and Cheese Pairing, Feb 11th

Wine/Variety 1: 14 Hands Merlot

Wine/Variety 2: JaM Cellars Butter Chardonnay

Wine/Variety 3: Yellow Tail Jammy Red Roo (Blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and others)

Cheese 1: Old Croc Grand Reserve Sharp Cheddar

Cheese 2: Emmi Roth Fontina

Cheese 3: Roth Kase Havarti

Joining this class, I was extremely excited about the idea of drinking wine and eating cheese for credit. And now, here I am, actually earning points for it. With one of my roommates also taking this class, we decided to take advantage of a snow day and put together a great selection of on-sale cheeses and wines. Our choices included a Merlot, a Chardonnay, and a red blend, which we hoped would provide a nice variety of red wine styles along with a balanced white. For the cheeses, we selected sharp cheddar, Havarti, and Fontina to get a good mix of sharpness and texture.

14 Hands Merlot

The first wine we tried was the 14 Hands Merlot. I really enjoyed its deep, dark flavors—it was quite dry but still maintained rich notes of cherry and plum. My roommate noted a smoky finish, which I also picked up as an undertone, along with hints of chocolate. I found this wine enjoyable on its own and was especially excited to pair it with the sharp cheddar, as I felt their bold flavors would balance each other well. I'm also looking forward to having this wine with the beef stew we’ll be eating later.

For our first cheese pairing, we tried Fontina with the Merlot. The cheese had a very milky, neutral flavor—neither sharp nor funky. I expected it wouldn’t hold up well against the dryness and bitterness of the Merlot, and after tasting, I was proven right. The cheese was so smooth and mild, almost like a low-moisture mozzarella, that it was completely overpowered by the wine. While still enjoyable, I think this Fontina would pair better with a lighter-bodied red.

Next, we tried the sharp cheddar. I had high expectations for this pairing, and I was not disappointed. The cheese was just as sharp and nutty as I had hoped, and after taking a sip of the wine, the combination was fantastic. The cheddar’s sharpness cut through the wine’s dryness, allowing the flavors of both to shine even more. This cheese was absolutely delicious, and I was surprised to find it on sale. This pairing was a standout, and I would love to try it again.

Finally, we tried Havarti. This was a funky and creamy cheese with no real sharpness. While I enjoyed its savory flavors, it didn’t have the strength to stand up to the Merlot in the way that the cheddar did. The pairing was decent, but I think this cheese would be better suited to a dry white wine or a lighter red.

JaM Cellars Butter Chardonnay

The next wine we tried was the Butter Chardonnay. On its own, I immediately picked up strong notes of apple and butter, with a bit of vanilla coming through—something I don’t usually detect, even when it’s listed in the tasting notes. The wine was well-balanced, with dryness that complemented its fruity flavors nicely.

We first paired the Chardonnay with Havarti, which is very creamy and slightly funky. This turned out to be an amazing combination! The strong apple flavors in the wine blended perfectly with the cheese’s rich creaminess, making for a fantastic pairing that rivaled the cheddar and Merlot combination. It would be tough for any of the other cheeses to stand up to this perfect balance. 

Next, we tried the sharp cheddar. I suspected it might be too strong for the Chardonnay, and I was right. While the cheddar itself was fantastic, it completely overpowered the wine, leaving only its sharp aftertaste and none of the delicate vanilla notes. This pairing didn’t work well, as the flavors didn’t complement each other.

Our final pairing with the Chardonnay was Fontina. I expected the buttery flavors of the wine to match the creaminess of the cheese, and while it was a pleasant pairing, it confirmed my growing suspicion that Fontina is simply too mild to stand up to most wines. The cheese had a nice creamy texture and a milky taste, but it lacked the lingering flavors needed to hold its own against the Chardonnay’s dryness.

Yellow Tail Jammy Red Roo

The last wine we tried was the Yellow Tail Red Blend. I hoped it would be a lighter red that would allow the softer cheeses to balance well, and that turned out to be exactly the case. The wine had strong notes of cherry and strawberry, was incredibly smooth and drinkable, and wasn’t overly dry. While it lacked a bit of depth, it was pleasant and easy to enjoy.

We started again with Fontina, and surprisingly, it was a perfect match. The mild flavor and richness of the cheese paired beautifully with the wine’s light fruitiness. Where Fontina had previously seemed too weak for the other wines, here, its smooth, milky texture blended seamlessly with the fruit-forward profile of the blend. This was another perfect pairing, and I was thrilled to find a wine that truly worked with this cheese.

Next, we tried Havarti. Unfortunately, the funkiness of the cheese didn’t pair well with the wine’s bright fruit flavors, leaving an odd and slightly off-putting finish. It wasn’t necessarily a bad combination, but the flavors didn’t enhance each other. While great pairings elevate both components, this one merely combined them without adding anything special.

Finally, we tried the cheddar. This pairing turned out to be quite nice. While the hardness of the cheddar didn’t complement the fruitiness of the wine, the nutty aftertaste blended beautifully with the wine’s lingering flavors. I hadn’t expected much from this combination, but the way the aftertastes mixed was surprisingly enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

I expected this tasting experience to be enjoyable, but I was blown away by how well it turned out. Every wine we selected ended up being very pleasant, and considering that all of our cheeses were on sale, I hadn’t expected much from them. In the end, we discovered some truly perfect pairings, making for a fantastic experience and a wonderful night—one that is only just beginning. This was an amazing assignment, and I’ll be sure to take advantage of as many as I can in the future!