Raise your cheese experience to a new level with the right drink

7.5.2020

You can create mouth-watering combinations of cheeses and drinks by choosing balanced flavour pairs.

Serve compotes, honey, roasted nuts, olives, and white bread and crackers with the cheeses. They accentuate the cheese’s flavour and make for a festive setting.

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Wine makes cheese sing

The flavours of cheese are often fatty, acidic, and salty. The general rule of thumb is that fatty and hard cheese goes well with a full-bodied wine. Saltiness is another important element when planning the combinations. When salt reacts with wine, the flavours grow stronger.

You could accompany Le Gruyère AOP with a bottle of full-bodied red wine. Amarone from north-eastern Italy combined with a piece of strong-flavoured hard cheese will charm even the most demanding dinner guests. Those who prefer lighter red wine will love cheese with New Word Pinot Noir wines.

White wine with both sweet fruitiness and sharp acidity is perfect with hard cheese. Try Le Gruyère AOP with demi-sec German Riesling.

Sweet wine is a classic companion to salty and strong cheese. One of the best-known combinations is cheese and port. Trendsetters are now combining intense and aromatic Le Gruyère AOP Réserve, matured for at least ten months, with sweet and spicy red vermouth.

Beer and cheese are best friends

Many believe cheese tastes best with beer.
While wine’s acidity and tannins balance the flavour and fattiness of cheese, the pungency of beer created by hops does the same. A less mature Le Gruyère AOP goes well with a mild, less bitter beer, while older cheese works better with stronger beer.

Dark malt makes the beer’s aroma resemble caramel, coffee, and chocolate, which accentuate the cheese’s mature and salty flavours. Higher alcohol content makes the beer’s flavour fuller and cuts the fattiness of the cheese.

* Amber Ale is a fruity type of beer which may have a slightly flowery flavour. These beers are usually less hopped. Try it with classic Le Gruyère AOP.

* Bock is a strong lager with sweetness and roundness induced by the higher alcohol content. Try it with classic Le Gruyère AOP.

* ESBs are fruity, strongly hopped beers. They are soft and malty, while hops provide a herbal flavour. The carbon dioxide content is fairly low. Try it with any Le Gruyère AOP cheese.

* Strong Ales have higher alcohol content and a stronger flavour, as the name suggests. They are malty and full-bodied. They are excellent when paired with Le Gruyère AOP Réserve.

Cider’s fruity flavours emphasise the saltiness of cheese

Cider is also an excellent partner for cheese. The earthy and apple-like flavour of authentic cider is elegantly accentuated by cheese. Slight natural sweetness is not a bad thing in a cider when served with strong cheese, while dry and acidic cider cuts the fattiness of cheese similarly to white wine.

Try Le Gruyère AOP with ciders from different countries, such as France, Spain, Great Britain, or your own country.

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Hot tea makes the hidden aroma of cheese surface

An alcohol-free alternative to serve with cheese is a cup of high-quality brewed tea. Like wine, tea also has a varying amount of tannins. Similarly, the warmth of hot tea emphasises the hidden flavours of cheese. People in Switzerland often drink tea with delicacies such as cheese fondue.

Try the Bombay Chai tea with Le Gruyère AOP. It’s a black tea seasoned with green tea and traditional chai spices: cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and black pepper.

Le Gruyère AOP Réserve finds a surprising friend in Assam TGFOP Hatidubi Fu Soonga, a black tea with a slightly smoky flavour.

If this is not your cup of tea, try freshly squeezed apple juice, homemade lemonade, or a drink made of blackcurrant leaves with the cheese.