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A cheese course makes a fitting end to a nice meal

French Wine & Cheese with the #Winophiles

This month, our French #Winophiles group is returning to one of our favorite topics: French wine and cheese. Join us as we explore a bunch of ways to enjoy two of our favorite French products

Wine & Cheese, Yes. But When?
Wine and Cheese is a well known favorite combination in many parts of the world. In the US, we generally enjoy the combination as an appetizer, or while socializing before a meal. Only one problem: cheese is rich and filling, not really something to whet your appetite, it may just sate your appetite!

(click on any photo in the following collages to see full size, hit escape to return to the post)

Choose three from the cart after lunch!

A perfect finish to the meal, out on the patio at Logis de la Cadene in St. Emilion

In Europe, cheese usually comes after the meal, often in lieu of dessert. Pairing needn’t be fussy, as you may get the chance to choose your cheeses from the cheese cart (sigh!), and you’ll often just choose to finish up the wines you enjoyed at the meal. If you want to finish with a dessert wine, no problem. The sweet wine becomes your dessert and the cheeses still provide a rich, delicious pairing. Voila!

On long intercontinental flights, I’ve put the sweet wine with cheese as dessert to good test. Great combination every time!

Post Meal Wine and Cheese
Wine and cheese after the meal has much to recommend it. Finishing with a few rich, savory bites is as satisfying as sweets, and even better with the addition of a bit of fruit. When dreaming up your cheese board, think of a combination of different milks, different textures, and a range of intensities.

Comté is a French cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk in the Franche-Comté traditional province of eastern France. Comté is firm and smooth when young. As it ages, it acquires a bit of grit in texture.

Langres is a French cow’s milk cheese that originated from the plateau of Langres in the region of the Champagne Ardenne, France. It’s a washed rind cheese, think stinky version of brie. Stinky yes, but so luscious.

Persillé de Chèvre is an original farmhouse blue cheese made from goat’s milk. This cheese is quite sharp, a blue lover’s paradise.

Serve with a bit of fruit and some nuts

Let each person choose which cheeses and how much for their own personal cheese course.

Pairing is perhaps less important for the after dinner cheese course, as you’ll be finishing up the wine from dinner unless you decide on opening a dessert wine. As we’re in early summer, we were enjoying a Cru Beaujolais with the meal. Moulin-a-Vent is typically a serious wine, not to be confused with Nouveau Beaujolais!

I’ve written previously about Château du Moulin-à-Vent, as a winery in one of the ten Beaujolais Crus. They are very serious about their vineyard and cellar work, crafting a wine closer in style to their cousins north in Burgundy than their Beaujolais cousins farther south.

Cru Beaujolais wines age beautifully!

Château du Moulin-à-Vent Clos de Londres Moulin-a-Vent AOC 2011 (sample from the winery, online here) 13% abv
Eye: Clear, medium ruby with a garnet edge.
Nose: Clean, medium intensity nose. Dark fruit – ripe, fresh blackberries, blueberries. A touch of clean earth and leather, a bit of violet.
Mouth: Dry, medium+ intensity. Medium body, medium alcohol, medium acidity with medium tannins – showing the cru. Deep blackberries, blueberries, with earthy notes and violets. Nice medium length finish, with lingering deep fruit and a bit of tannic astringency.

I made my choices, what would you pick?

Try to make your cuts so that everyone gets a similar cross-section of the piece of cheese

The rind on washed rind cheeses is part of the flavor and texture of the cheese. Please don’t dig out the center.

For this blue, try to slice acrose the face you see, to get a full section of the rind, the outer gooey section and the firm center. Messy but worth it!

Few nicer places than a shady spot for a bit of wine and cheese.

Wine and Cheese Pairing Results
I was pleasantly surprised with the success of the Château du Moulin-à-Vent Beaujolais with the cheeses.  I knew it would be good with both the Comte and the Langres washed rind cheese. However, that Persille de Chevre goat cheese blue was very sharp and steely; I thought it may not work at all. To my surprise, the combination of the acidity in the wine with the sharp cheese was a real win! Blue cheese isn’t my normal favorite, but this pairing was delightful.

Other French Wine and Cheese Ideas from the French Winophiles

Take a look below at all the great French wine and cheese ideas from my fellow French Winophiles. Have an opinion? Join our chat on Twitter! We meet on Saturday June 15 from 10-11am CDT, simply search on #Winophiles and you’re in.  We love visitors, so come and chat!

• • Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla offers us Pretty in Pink: Raclette de Savoie Polenta, Salmon, & Le Cocagne Gris Rosé #Winophiles #Sponsored
  • Lynn of Savor The Harvest brings us “Cheese and Loire Wine Pairing with Les Vignerons du Vendômois #winophiles”
  • Pinny over Chinese Food And Wine Pairings asks us to Say Je t’aime to a Bordeaux, a Loire Valley Rosé and an assortment of French Cheese #Winophiles
  • Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles gives us  A Loire rosé, a Bordeaux from Pommerol and…..cheese #winophiles
  • Wendy of A Day In The Life On A Farm shares Life’s Simple Pleasures; Onion Cheese Soup and a Glass of Rosé
  • Jane of Always Ravenous shares Summer Inspired French Cheese and Wine Pairings
  • David  of Cooking  Chat offer tips for  Picking Cheese to Serve with French Wine
  • Jeff of FoodWineClick says we should Do as the French: Serve The Cheese After the Meal
  • Liz of What’s In That Bottle? says Smile – C’est Fromage #Winophiles
  • Susannah of Avvinare brings us Vin Jaune and Comte-A Perfect Combination
  • Cathie of Side Hustle Wino presents Wine and Cheese, the Heart and Soul of France
  • Gwendolyn the Wine Predator asks Did Someone Say French Wine and Gourmet Grilled Cheese?
  • Penny of Adventures of a Carry-on pairs Riesling and Goat Cheese, A Match Made in Heaven
  • Linda of My Full Wine Glass suggests we Try White Bordeaux and Goat Cheese Appetizer When Relaxing Outdoors
  • Deanna of Asian Test Kitchen delivers 3 Must Try French Cheese & Alcohol Pairings
  • Cindy of Grape Experiences serves up Wines from Alsace and Cheeses for Pairing
  • Payal of Keep The Peas shares French #Wine(ophiles) and Cheese
  • Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog, pairs  French Grilled Cheese and Drappier Rose de Saignee Champagne