Pairings | Caerphilly
The best wine pairings for Caerphilly
Caerphilly - or, to be more precise - Gorwydd Caerphilly which is made by my friends Trethowan Brothers - is probably the cheese I know best. And there’s one absolutely outstanding match for it . . .
That is basic white burgundy - nothing very fancy required. I first came across it paired with a glass of Avery’s white burgundy but wines like Maçon-Villages, Chablis and other cool-climate Chardonnays would also work fine.
You could also try Chenin Blanc - I’ve also had great success with Jasnières - and other smooth dry whites such as Soave and Gavi from Italy. And crisp English white wines, especially Bacchus, go well with Caerphilly too especially if you serve it with fresh peas as I've shown here.
If you fancy a red I’d keep it light - maybe something like a Chinon or other Cabernet Franc-based red from the Loire but to be honest whites are so much nicer with this delicate, subtle style of British cheese.
So far as other drinks are concerned I’d go for cider or perry rather than beer although I know that they’ve experimented with stout which does have the virtue of a dramatic colour contrast - the white cheese next to the black drink. I find it a bit strong myself. But a dry or medium dry cider or perry is lovely.
Soft drinks are also good - apple juice or rhubarb and apple juice are particularly delicious.
Some top food pairings for pear cider and perry
Pear cider - also known as perry - has a different taste from apple cider. It’s generally lighter, drier and more fragrant, a better match for delicate ingredients like fish.
You can treat drier styles like a dry white wine, sweeter ones almost like a dessert wine. And sparkling perries like champagne. But cheaper. Good news all round!
Here are some suggestions:
* The drier styles work particularly well with simply cooked fish or fish with a creamy sauce. Avoid strong flavours like tomato and garlic.
* Fried fish like goujons or even fish and chips
* Fishcakes and fish pie
* Fresh crab
* Seared scallops though you might want to go for a medium-dry style
* Mussels in a cream sauce marinière-style but cooked with a medium-dry perry
* Prawn or seafood cocktail or salads (medium dry styles)
* Delicate or gently spiced chicken dishes: roast chicken with tarragon. Creamy chicken pies like this chicken and leek pie. Chicken salads. Chicken terrines (but watch the chutney!)
* Pork dishes with apple or pears like this dish of pork chops with apple, fennel and onion I wrote about earlier this year. And pork sausages of course. But not with onion gravy (too strong)
* English-style cold cuts like ham sliced off the bone, cold roast pork, pork pies, Scotch eggs
* quiches
* Boxing Day leftovers
* Mild cheeses - young goats cheese, Delicate regional cheeses like Caerphilly and Cheshire. Medium sweet styles work well with mellow blue cheeses like Stilton
* Vegetable soups with a touch of sweetness like carrot, pea or leek soups, especially with a little cream
* Fresh-tasting salads with peas, broad beans or fennel
* Sweeter styles, which often have a touch of honey go well with salads with fruit and milder blue cheeses and with simple puddings like a simple apple or pear tart or pannacotta and raspberries as I suggest in the Guardian today.
* Sparkling perry will go with typical party nibbles (especially cheesy and fishy ones) and with midly spiced Indian snacks.
So mild is the word with perry. Treat it gently and stay clear of fierce flavours.
Image © Yevheniia - Fotolia.com
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