Wine and Cheese - Pairing Wines and Cheese

One of the great combinations is good wine and good cheese. The pairing is subjective of course. Both in wines and the cheeses we like. I'd like to focus more on the cheese pairings for now. I personally like flavorfull but not overly sharp cheese when having it with red or white wine. In my opinion when the cheese is too strong, it really overpowers the wine you are drinking. Now if the wine you happen to be having is not that great - then by all means... :)

Chedder Cheese - while not "sophisticated" for some (whatever that means) really works great with red wine. Actually [don't laugh] but even good chedder snacks and crackers like Cheese-itz will hit the spot! Hey - when u got kids, you grab lol. On a more serious note, there are many quality and taste variances with cheeder. There's white chedder, traditional yellow, sharp, very sharp etc. But all in all, I think chedder cheese really pairs solidly with most wines.

Fiore Di Sardegna Cheese - A personal favorite of mine that many people are not aware of. It is condsidered a medium hard cheese in texture but has great creamy flavors. It is a wonderful Italian cheese - with or without wine. But why have it without wine? :)

Provolone Cheese - Ok, don't get all flamey on me, but I am not a big fan of hard provolone cheeses. Just not my thing. It's a little strong, the flavors don't really work for me straight up and it has an aftertaste. I love grating it over cooked food and I really love sliced provolone (as a cold cut), but for a hunk of nibble with wines - it doesn't work for me. For most it does. Again - like wine, it is subjective!

Parmesan Cheeses - Like chedder, there are many types but when I'm in the mood for a good hard salty cheese, I love them!

Ok folks - feel free to chime in. Wine and food bring great debates! Share your favorite combinations and pairings ;)

Nick