This post will be my first cheese board. Whenever we do Happy Hour at home or have a tapas dinner, my wife & I like to start with a cheese board. I thought I would begin with an easy one, where everything on the board was chosen to pair with one wine, in this case Prosecco (a Ruffino from Clinton Wine & Spirits). Additionally, all of the items, including the wine, can be bought within Billy’s price range (the food all came from the Clinton Hannaford).
In order to assemble this board, you need the following ingredients: Hannaford’s Sharp Cheddar cheese, Boursin’s Herb & Garlic cheese (it’s soft), Bel Gioioso’s Aged Asiago cheese, honey, crackers, and fruit. For crackers, our preference is Wheat Thins (Hint of Salt) & Kellogg’s Toasted Artisan Collection. If you like a different kind of cracker, that’s fine; just make sure it’s not loaded with salt or a specific “flavor”. This might throw off the pairing. As far as fruit is concerned, we went with strawberries and blueberries. Any similar “berry” based summer fruit would do. For me, presentation is key to a proper cheese board!
Why do these food items pair well with sparkling? Mild and/or soft cheeses tend to pair well with brut or dry sparkling wine. The same can be said for “berry” fruit, which does not have “strong” flavors or taste (like citrus fruit does, for example). Prosecco is made from the Glera grape (renamed in 2009, according to the Oxford Companion of Wine). This grape, much like the two of the three used to make champagne (Chardonnay & Pinot Munier), are moderate grapes. Hence, it pairs well with moderate appetizers. The Ruffino from the Clinton store is an excellent Prosecco. They also have one other that is just as good. If you do not live in my area, just make sure that the Prosecco you buy is a DOC or DOCG (I will explain these terms in a later post) from Veneto, Italy. This is where most Prosecco comes from.
That’s it for Blog Post #3. Next week’s will be the Wine of The Month for September. One of my favorites, that many people don’t really know much about. So, come back and check it out. Until then…….. Cheers!
2 responses to “Blog Post #3 – Food & Wine (appetizers)”
Nice reading your pairing suggestion for the cheeseboard. Thank you. Recently we have been trying Crémant instead of Champagne. How do you think this compares to Prosecco ?
As you may be aware, Cremant is made in several of France’s wine regions. So, there are many different Cremants. Although, Alsace has the oldest, Cremant du Jura is probably the best value, currently. Personally, I would keep an eye on Cremant de Limoux. Languedoc is on its way up, thanks primarily to Gerard Bertrand. He has the “Midas Touch” when it comes to wine. Otherwise, look at the grape blends in the wine. The ones that are most like champagne (many from Jura & more now from Limoux) would compare very well to Prosecco.