WINE & CHEESE PAIRINGS: VANDERPUMP WINES
One of the best entertaining staples is an incredible cheese board... and, if you know how to pair them, they can be the perfect way to bring out the flavors of your wines and make for an incredible evening. Here are some of our favorite tips for creating a stunning, Very Vanderpump cheese board, and how to choose the correct cheese to complement your wines! We have, of course, paired our wines with our family’s offerings from Vanderpump Wines, and you can find the links to them within the article, however, these pairings will go with other similar wines too!
TIPS & TRICKS FOR A STUNNING BOARD
Don’t forget your visuals. Opt for cheeses with fabulous colors or something interesting about them. Try different textures for a well-rounded platter – creamy Bries, hard Gruyères, crumbly goat cheeses. A board that has a variety of complementary colors, textures and accoutrements will help your guests eat with their eyes first!
Accoutrements can also be stars. Don’t just stop at cheeses! There are some gorgeous and decadent trimmings out there, so look around for crackers that have nuts or dried fruits pressed into them; beautiful fig spreads; delicate prosciutto layered in loose, sexy piles; fresh fruits; candied nuts; microgreens.
Think local. When trying to pair your wines with cheese, the best place to start is locally. Often, the area your wine comes from will already be host to its perfect cheesy complement – plus, it’s a great way to really appreciate where your wine hails from!
ROSÉ
Our Vanderpump Rosé is a classic Provence rosé, with a nose of red currant, pepper and light citrus. On the palate it has a touch of strawberry, tangerine and peach in a dry, classic style.
This pairs incredibly well with fresh cheeses, where the mild, creaminess will complement the delicate strawberry notes in the wine. The acidity of the rosé will whisk the creaminess right off your tongue, so that you can immediately indulge in another bite without your taste buds being overpowered. Try mild cheeses like Burrata or Fresh Mozzarella, delicate salty cheese like Feta, and raw-milk Alpine cheeses like Comté.
What else to add to your board? Rosé is a great wine to pair with almost anything – but it’s also the perfect way to experiment with other flavors. Dying to try a truffle-goat cheese or truffled almonds? Rosé is your pairing partner! Similarly, Rosé is a great way to pair some lighter, saltier meats like Prosciutto.
What to Avoid? Avoid cheeses that will completely overpower the wine – extremely aged or rind-washed cheeses – save those for the Cabernet course!
Think local. When trying to pair your wines with cheese, the best place to start is locally. Often, the area your wine comes from will already be host to its perfect cheesy complement – plus, it’s a great way to really appreciate where your wine hails from!
CHARDONNAY
Our Vanderpump Chardonnay has beautiful notes of citrus, pear and crisp apple, that are lined with floral notes and hints of brioche and toast.
This pairs incredibly well with mild cheeses that don’t overpower the delicate flavors of the wine. One of our favorites is Camembert – the buttery texture goes perfectly with the creamy, soft finish of Chardonnay. We are partial to French Camembert but any work well! Also try Robiola or Brie for a beautiful buttery finish.
Other cheese pairings that complement Chardonnay are high acid cheeses like fresh goat cheeses; cheeses like Humboldt Fog will have your taste buds tingling!
What else to add to your board?
Lightly toasted, salty elements can pair nicely with our toasted brioche finish – try some toasted pine nuts, lightly grilled artisan breads or slightly nutty crackers!
What to Avoid?
Avoid cheeses that will compete with this wine – you want to bring out the flavors, not strangle them! Avoid rind-washed cheeses, pungent cheeses, overly aged cheeses etc.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Our Vanderpump Cabernet is complex with dark fruit flavors like blueberry, rich plum, and red raspberry. The lush tannins give it a long elegant finish, perfect for pairing with a rich and delicious cheese board.
Semi hard and aged cow’s milk cheeses are the way to go – the nuttiness and rich flavors pair perfectly but aren’t overpowering for the wine. Think aged cheddar – the fattiness of the cheese will work perfectly with the tannins in the Cabernet for a bold complement. Gruyère is also delicious!
This is also the time to experiment with some earthy flavors in your cheese! Cheeses with dried herbs in the rind or truffles can add a delicious element to your cheese board and will bring out the berries in the wine.
What else to add to your board? This is where you can have some fun! We love adding thick, beautiful grilled breads, and smoky meats like salami. Herbed crackers will bring out the flavors of the Cabernet beautifully – and this is definitely the time to indulge in some mild Castelvetrano olives!
What to Avoid? Skip the young, fresh cheeses – things like soft goat cheeses are high-acid cheeses that will only serve to bring out the alcohol in the wine, not the flavors! Also, save the Camemberts and Bries for your Chardonnay – they might bring out some bitter notes in your Cab.
