Tuesday 1 April 2014

Wine and Cheese Pairing in the Loire Valley

One of the owners of a winery that we visit regularly with clients used to be a cheese exporter. As a consequence we often go there and find that there is cheese laid out to go with the wine. All the local wines are designed to be paired with food, so it is always more interesting to try wines that are presented to their best advantage ie with food.
It can also be an excellent demonstration of the concept of terroir, that mysterious French word that is so complex there is no adequate English translation. All the local cheeses are goat cheeses, the most famous of which are Sainte Maure de Touraine and Selles sur Cher. The goats and the vines are raised in the same countryside and share the same terroir, so a pairing of local wine and local cheese is inevitably a happy one.

If you would like to learn more about combining wine with food or about the importance of terroir, email us and we will include a wine and cheese pairing in your itinerary.