Pairing Wisconsin Wine and Cheese
One of the most historically common pairings is wine and cheese. With Wisconsin being a prominent producer of each, we thought it was time to figure out exactly why these two pair so well together. Our owner, Maria, pursued the long trek to Krohns Dairy (less than a mile from the winery), to get some answers.
ROGER
When we first called Krohns they mentioned the plethora of master cheese makers that could help us out, but one in particular stood out. Roger earned his master cheese maker status several years ago and is currently working at AgroPur helping to determine the exact types and amount of cheese needed for production. Roger is backed by over 10 years in the industry and helped us learn about the process and how flavors are formulated.
SCIENCE OF PAIRING
Wine, especially from Wisconsin, contains a lot of acid. This acid helps give the wine its fruit-forward taste and sharp flavors. It is also this wine that helps cut through fatty food such as cheese to help accentuate and sometimes enhance the flavors of those foods. When it come to wine and cheese, just like most pairings, you cannot have one overpower the other or you will lose all that flavor. Just like with wine making, there needs to be balance.
TERROIR
Terroir is a set of all environmental factors that creates a sense of regionality. When it comes to wine and cheese, both products are heavily dependent on the geographical consequences a region provides such as sunshine, rainfall, temperature, soil composition and in the end, growth. With both wine and cheese coming from the earth the sense of terroir brings these regional products closer together. That’s why wine from Italy often tastes better with cheese from Italy and why wine from Wisconsin tastes better with cheese from Wisconsin.
WINE AND CHEESE PAIRINGS
Based off acidity, flavor, body and taste, here are the four pairings we tested and recommend:
- Ice Wine & Medium Aged Caraway Cheddar Cheese
- Washington Island Rosè & Your Choice of… Smoked Provolone, Fresh Cheddar Cheese Curds, or Whole Milk Mozzarella
- M (Marquette) & Hand Select Cheddar Cheese