Goat Cheese & Wine

When the butteriness of a cheese gets cut by the acidity of a sip of red wine, it's like a new door of appreciation is opened for what the two bring together.  Of course, that kind of magic depends on the pairing.  Each wine and cheese combination is different and some work better than others.  In general though, the satisfaction derived from the experience relies on the acidity of the wine being neutralized by the butteriness of the cheese.  Every other characteristic in the exchange seems to take a back seat to that action.

With goat cheeses the equation changes a little and things get a bit more complicated.  Goat cheeses, themselves, are acidic and the latent butteriness and characteristics like minerality or fruitiness/herbaceousness may be subdued.  It's the acidity that needs to be reckoned with in this kind of wine pairing. 

Unlike the dominant richness of cow cheese, the acidity of goat requires a high acid wine to go head to head with it.  In the Loire Valley of France where a goat cheese/wine culture thrives, the reigning regional red and white wines of choice are Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.  The Cabernet is a lighter style, herbaceous, tartly acidic version.  The Sauvignon Blanc is the familiar mineral-driven, citrussy style.  In both cases the acidity is the paramount quality needed to face up to the acidic cheese.

Just because every wine-cheese combination is different, that doesn't mean there isn't a familiarity with the experience that we all know.  Once our mouths get coated with cheese, every ensuing bite/sip reinforces an increasingly comfortable experience.  It's kind of like enjoying really stinky cheese.  Once you get it past your nose, it's smooth sailing.  You just let your taste buds do the rest.

So what are the wines to pair with goat cheese?  For acidity you definitely want to go European and as is so often the case, it's Italy that seems to get it right.  Virtually any Italian red or white would work with goat cheese.  With whites it's wide open.  Virtually any Euro dry white wine has the acidity to stand up to the wang of good goat cheese.

What prompts this post?  Well, it's the new cheeses in the store, of course.  They include a goat brie and a couple soft goat logs.  AND our incredible European wine selection!  So stop in!