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January 22, 2022

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The thrill of wine and cheese in Shanghai’s winter wonderland

Nothing quite soothes the chills of winter and delights the palate as much as a yummy cheese dish and a glass of wine. Cheese and wine date back to the most primitive human civilizations. The first evidence of wine dates back approximately 9,000 years, while archeologists have discovered 8,000-year-old pottery jars used for storing cheese. 

The modern romance between cheese and wine is as strong as ever but contrary to popular belief, pairing is neither an automatic nor an easy task. Many gourmets believe cheese and red wines are the best pairing but in reality acidic, whites and sparklers are often more accommodating partners. Here are a few helpful guidelines.

Cheese can be organized into three categories, namely, mild soft cheese, more pungent semi-hard and hard cheese and stinky cheese. Most food and wine connoisseurs counsel pairing soft creamy cheeses with fresh white wines or sparklers. Light acidic reds also work well. Good examples include fresh buffalo mozzarella with a Prosecco Brut, creamy Brie with a young Burgundy white or a smooth and nutty Fontina cheese with a fresh Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio from northern Italy. 

Semi-hard or hard cheeses go well with a broad range of wines from flavorful dry whites to more substantial red wines. Some lovely cheese and wine duets can be achieved by pairing Emmental with a Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, Gouda with a fresh Southern Rhone Grenache and Italian Pecorino cheese with a young Chianti.

Another winning combination is Monterey Jack cheese from the US with unoaked California Chardonnay.

Few food and wine pairing classics are as perfectly synergistic as stinky cheeses with sweet wines. The extreme pungency of the cheese and the sweetness of the wines offset and complement each other. The acidity in all well-made sweet wines also refreshes the palate and facilitates digestion. Classic combinations include Roquefort cheese with sweet Sauternes or Barsac wines from Bordeaux, pungent English Stilton cheese with vintage Ports and Italian Gorgonzola cheese with full bodied, sweet Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG wines.  

Now that you’ve properly digested my wine and cheese pairing 101 lesson, allow me to introduce two of Shanghai’s most sumptuous wine and cheese combinations. Our first stop is Bisou Bistro, a refreshingly unpretentious French restaurant serving classic French fare. This is where you can experience baked Camembert cheese from France served with potato skins. Chef Remy from Brittany created this dish especially for cheese lovers. The potato skins add a crunchy texture to the dish and serve as perfect partners to the creamy, rich Camembert cheese.

My second destination for Shanghai cheese delights is Bella Napoli, my comfort zone for authentic Italian cuisine. As a regular for over a decade, one of my favorite ultra-cheesy experiences is their four-cheese pizza, or quattro-formaggio, as they refer to it in Italian. This is truly a hedonistic dish for cheese lovers that combines Mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Fontina and Gorgonzola cheeses on a thin, crunchy pizza crust. 

A varietal wine hailing from one of the New World’s oldest wine regions partners beautifully with a plethora of cheese dishes, including the two aforementioned treasures.

Stellenbosch WO

The first South African wine was made over three and a half centuries ago in Cape Town, and relatively soon thereafter, in 1679, vines were planted in Stellenbosch. South Africa’s second-oldest settlement, is named after then Governor, Simon van der Stel, who also established the wine estate of Constantia in Cape Town.  

Winemaking began in earnest with the arrival of French Huguenots in the 1690s and several of the earliest estates still produce wine today. The University of Stellenbosch established a wine education curriculum in 1918, and in 1973, was the central organization in establishing the Wine of Origin or WO appellation designation system in South Africa. 

The Stellenbosch region benefits from hilly terrain with well-draining soils and a warm Mediterranean climate augmented by cool afternoon ocean breezes. Fine Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier wines are produced, but my cheesy wine of choice may just be the region’s most distinguished wine. 

Chenin Blanc is not only the most planted variety in South Africa and the third most planted grape in Stellenbosch but it also makes many of the best wines. The grape was introduced by Jan van Riebeeck who worked for the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century. Curiously, the grape was called Steen.  

In the 1960s, ampelographers proved that Steen grapes in South Africa were actually the Chenin Blanc variety. Over the next few centuries, the majority of Chenin Blanc grapes were used for brandy and cheap sweet wines. However, about 40 years ago a select few producers invested in the state-of-the-art technology, including stainless steel fermentation tanks. Several of these became known as Chenin Blanc specialists, who made world-class white wines.  

Today, the best South African Chenin Blanc wines typically exhibit fruit-forward flavors of green apples, melon, ripe stone and citrus fruits, along with good minerality and acidity. These exact qualities make the fresh, fruity and textured Chenin Blanc wine ideal partners for cheesy dishes.

Some of Stellenbosch best Chenin Blanc producers have wines in Shanghai including Kleine Zalze, Graniesteen, Kottabos, Metzer, Badenhorst and Secateurs. In all cases, never serve the cheese to cold or the wine too hot.

Where to buy in Shanghai




 

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