International beverage pairings with French Cheese

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Friday 12 June 2015

Pairing French Cheese with Wine

Worldwide, the most popular beverage pairing for French cheese is wine. The pairing is a natural one, as cheese and wine frequently share terroir . In addition, when purchasing imported French cheese, one can generally source wine in the same locations.

 

In the United States and in most of Europe, this pairing, via influence from France, has existed for decades. The pairing of wine and cheese is seen as classic, though it is not seen as terribly unique or creative, particularly in the trend-obsessed United States. Guides for pairing wine and cheese do however continue to be published widely, both in print and online. Wine and cheese parties remain popular as well, with instructions online as to how to throw them and even tasting note guides to print and use with friends. It is interesting to note that because of the fact that wine in the US is sold by grape variety and not by region, pairings are often constructed in this manner, ideal for pairing cheeses with domestic wines but more difficult for pairing with French wines, which are sold by regional denomination first and foremost.

In Asia, wine has been the major import bringing French products to the masses, with cheese following the development of the wine market. The familiarity of wine in these markets and the accepted pairing of wine and cheese in the West has allowed for an openness towards French cheese that may not have existed otherwise in these generally lactose-adverse countries.

In the Middle East, the pairing of wine and cheese is not quite as natural as it may be in the West. Basic guides to wine and cheese pairing directed towards Middle Eastern consumers can be found online, highlighting ideas such as pairing cheeses and wines from the same regions and concentrating on white wines instead of red for cheese platters. These basic indications show that it is still early days for wine and cheese pairings in these countries.

Pairing French Cheese with Beer

Pairing French cheese with beer has become a trend, particularly in the United States, where the craft beer market is booming. Wine may be the first pairing to come to mind, but guides that explain how to pair beer and cheese are popping up in magazines and on the web. French cheeses like chèvre, Roquefort, Gruyère, and even bloomy rind cheeses and Basque Ossau Iraty can each be paired with different types of beer. While these pairings were originally intended primarily to men, this is no longer the case in the United States.

In Britain, where beer has long been particularly popular, with over 2,000 brands nation-wide, pairings of cheese and beer are growing in popularity as well. British cheeses more often paired to adhere to questions of terroir , but certain French and French-style cheese can be paired with British beers as well.

These sorts of pairings have yet to gain in popularity in Asia and the Middle East, where French cheese has been popular for much less time and where French wine has often proved to be the gateway to interest in French cheese.

Pairing French Cheese with Whisky

Whiskey is yet another beverage that is quickly gaining in popularity and trendiness, and pairing whiskey and cheese is developing quickly.

In Ireland and in Britain, as with beer, local cheeses and whiskeys are more common, though this is not always the case. Roquefort-style cheeses and Brie de Meaux are both paired with certain whiskeys in both Ireland and Britain, to highlight the stronger flavors of these cheeses and the undertones of the whiskey.

In the United States, French cheeses are far present with this variety of pairing than in the British Isles, with both international and domestic whiskeys and cheeses finding their way onto tasting platters.

While whiskey is gaining in popularity with food pairings in the West, this has actually been the case far longer in parts of Asia, particularly in Japan. Pairing whiskey and food is very common in Japan, where strong liquors like whiskey and saké are commonly served at meals, either neat or on the rocks.

At time of writing, the overlap between this traditional practice, common for centuries in Japan, and the relatively new import of French cheese has yet to be truly established. However, tastings are being organized by certain whiskey companies in Japan to highlight the unique ways in which they can be paired with French cheese. As a result, these sorts of pairings will likely increase in the coming years.