The Best Cheese Pairings for Copia Wines
If you’ve visited us and enjoyed our charcuterie boards or culinary provisions, you know we love pairing our estate wines with artisanal cheese. Each cheese brings its own character to the table, and the right pairing can reveal something new in the wine.
So why are wine and cheese such natural companions? Part of the answer lies in tannins. Found throughout nature, tannins in wine come from grape skins, seeds and stems, as well as oak barrels. They give a wine structure and texture, and can leave a drying sensation on the palate.
Cheese can soften that sensation. Its fat and protein help temper the perception of astringency, making a tannic wine feel smoother and more supple. A bite of cheese before a sip can take the edge off the tannins and let the wine glide across the palate. The right pairing can also bring a wine’s fruit and aromas into sharper focus.
The Story (Grenache)
pairs with Spanish Manchego from La Mancha, Spain
This buttery sheep’s milk cheese from La Mancha, Spain is the perfect match for Grenache or its Spanish clone, Garnacha. The tannins in Grenache are easily softened but the acid cuts through the fats and proteins in Manchego. While The Story has a forward fruit profile, that’s highlighted by the nutty and savory quality of this cheese.
The Anchor (Mourvèdre)
pairs with Ossau-Iraty from the French Basque Country
Mourvèdre has intense earthiness and rustic spice qualities that give it a broad variation of sheep’s cheese pairings. Similarly to The Story, The Anchor has firm tannins that can be softened with a cheese like Manchego, or Ossau-Iraty due to their rich, nutty flavors. With the age on these cheeses, they all have subtle earth and mushroom characteristics that compliment The Anchor’s depth.
The Cure (G-S-M)
pairs with Aged Pecorino Romano from Lazio, Italy
A bold, Syrah-forward Rhone blend like The Cure, features the perfect combination of pepper, well-integrated tannins, and dark fruit to stand up against the aged, salty character in an aged Pecorino Romano. This Italian cheese classically has elements of spice and pepper that support the natural notes in the wines.
The Source (Syrah)
pairs with Beemster XO Gouda from North Holland
The Source is composed of 100% estate-grown Syrah from the Westside of Paso Robles which brings deep structure and intense tannins. The perfect cheese pairing comes from an extra-aged cow’s-milk Gouda in North Holland named Beemster XO. The small, salt crystals and crunchy protein in this Gouda along with its butterscotch and caramel notes reinforce the peppery, dark fruit in The Source Syrah.
Cabernet Sauvignon
pairs with Kilchurn Estate Krystal Pure Cave Aged Cheddar
This extra-sharp English cow’s-milk Cheddar is an excellent option to pair with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon. The creamy texture and calcium crystals in the cheese support the weight, spice, and tannic structure of a Paso Robles Cabernet. To bridge the divide between the fruit characteristics and the savory quality of the cheese, adding a sweet jam or preserve will help highlight those notes in the wine.
