Match of the week
Jasnières, Gorwydd Caerphilly and apple, pear and ginger jelly
With the icy weather it’s been a week for staying duvet-wrapped indoors as much as possible so I haven’t encountered my usual range of stimulating food and wine matches but this was a top one, facilitated by my friends Todd and Jess of cheesemongers Trethowan's Dairy.
They’ve just brought out a range of jellies to pair with their most popular cheeses and brought along the apple, pear and ginger jelly that goes with their own Gorwydd Caerphilly.
We partnered it with an off-dry Chenin Blanc, a Jasnières from Domaine Le Briseau and it was just lovely, the pear note in the wine blending harmoniously with the pear in the jelly, both complementing the subtle flavours of the cheese.
A good example of when a single cheese and the right accompaniment can be much more satisfying than a whole board of big-ego cheeses. And further proof, if proof were needed, how white wines can often out-perform reds.
British cheeses and cider
I suppose I shouldn’t say this coming from the West Country but I often forget about cider when I’m thinking about cheese pairings. Not that I don’t enjoy it but there always seem more complex drinks with a wider range of flavours to experiment with.
But last week I was tasting a range of Somerset-based ciders from a producer called The Orchard Pig with cheese and was struck by just how well they went.
Standout matches were their Dry Table Cider with one of my favourite cheeses Gorwydd Caerphilly, Medium Table Cider with Keen’s cheddar (although I thought it would have worked still better with a slightly milder, mellower cheese like Hafod or Lincolnshire Poacher) and most interesting of all a new lighter 4.2% sparkling cider (the others are 6.5%) with Stichelton, an unpasteurised version of Stilton. (I wouldn’t draw the conclusion from that that all light ciders go with blues: Stichelton is exceptionally creamy in texture which worked particularly well with this palate-cleansing style)
The Orchard Pig also has a range of apple juices, one of which - an off-dry blend of Jonagold and Bramley - was absolutely delicious with the Keen’s.
Gorwydd Caerphilly and white burgundy
Cheese and wine is always a bit of a minefield so it’s good to find a partnership that works really well. This was one of six pairings laid on for the launch of the Bristol Wine and Food Fair which takes place next month (and at which I’m holding a number of Cheese and Wine Masterclasses, so do come along).
I’ve been a fan of Gorwydd (pronounced gor-with) Caerphilly for a while. It's made at Gorwydd Farm, Llanddewi Brefi, near Cardigan and is delicious: delicate, lactic, slightly creamy and crumbly - wonderful in spring and early summer salads with vegetables such as peas, broad beans and asparagus. (Celebrity chef Mark Hix is a big fan.)
It wouldn’t clash with a red wine but would be overwhelmed by most so the creamy Avery’s Fine White Burgundy with which it was partnered was pitch perfect - a textbook example of where the similarity in texture between food and wine makes a match work.
The Trethowans also have a shop in St Nicholas market in Bristol where they sell other classic modern British cheeses (as well as some fantastic toasties and Raclette). You can read about the other pairings on my blog The Cheeselover.
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