Cheese Pairings with The 2018 Louise Riesling | Charles Duque, The French Cheese Board

In true form, the 2018 Riesling “Louise” from Palmaz Winery was delivered in a “Flûte” shaped bottle reminiscent of Rieslings from Alsace, France. It also has a low alcohol content consistent with old world production. 

Louise has a bouquet of great finesse with subtle fruity aromas (melon, nectarine, peach, pear …), fennel and pepper and minerality fully expressed in its aromas – an imprint of its California terroir.

On the palate, it’s a structured wine, built around a nuanced acidity, contributing in its freshness and persistence in the mouth. In the language of wine acidity is the backbone around which balance can be constructed, making it a true gastronomic pairing partner.

When it comes to the cheese, goat and sheep’s milk revel in this fresh and expressive wine. Its long and delicate acidity echoes the tart flavor in the goat cheese and the acidity balances the oiliness of a sheep’s milk cheeses. The subtle vegetal, spicy and mineral aromas of Riesling are fully expressed with these cheese categories.

More precisely, this Riesling’s lush fruit and crisp acidity pairs well with aged goat cheeses like a bûcheron, a Ste Maure de Touraine or a Valençay. The acidity of the wine cuts through the creamy, pasty & chalky texture of the [younger] cheeses and cleanses the palate in between bites just as well as with more mature chèvres with a developed cream line.  It is a complementary pairing since both the wine and the chèvre benefit from citrusy, floral and tangy nuances, while the minerality and pepper notes of the wine add layers of flavor.

By contrast, the meatiness and oiliness in cheeses like Esquirrou, a small Ossau-Iraty, PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) cheese from the Basque region awarded World’s Best Cheese in 2018 or a tome with Espelette pepper like the Tomette Brebis a traditional cheese, an embodiment of the terroir where it is produced, it encompasses concentrated and strong flavors, mixed with fruity notes. Infused with ground Espelette pepper, it is produced near Espelette, a small Basque village famous for its pepper. The lush fruit notes in the wine complement the gamey flavor of these ewe’s milk cheeses while the acidity cuts the oiliness and fattiness.