In This Issue:

Grilling Flavor Gets Boost with Wisconsin Cheese

Savor the summer season all year long....

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Wisconsin Cheese Builds Brunch Success

Update weekend brunch offerings with comfort and flavor...

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Freshen Up Your Menu

Cool, creamy flavors for warmer weather cuisine...

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Beverages and Cheese Pairings Offer Check-Enhancing Options

A carefully selected glass of wine, beer, spirit or a cocktail can enhance a meal and helps raise check averages. Cheese-friendly menu items offer the ideal opportunity to pair beverages. From sharp Cheddar to smooth and creamy Gouda, Wisconsin’s more than 600 varieties, types and styles of cheese provide endless pairing options for customers to enjoy.

Basic Beverage Pairings
Beverage pairings for cheese should not be limited to wine. In fact, beer, port, cordials and cocktails also enhance and complement cheese.

Cheese & Wine – Strive for balance based on complementary or contrasting flavor combinations. White wines, such as Riesling, are less acidic and fruitier, making them easier to pair with cheese. Serve red wines, such as Pinot Noir, with more full-flavored cheeses. Pair strong, salty cheeses, such as a Wisconsin Blue, with dessert wines such as port.

 

Cheese & Beer – Beer pairings should complement the cheese’s age and flavor profile. Pair mild cheeses with a lighter beer and strongly flavored beer with an assertive cheese. The subtle grain flavor of a Pilsner complements the smooth creaminess of Havarti, while a robust stout plays well with mildly earthy Brick Cheese.

Cheese & Spirits – Pairing cheese with spirits offers customers a satisfying after-dinner course. Play up the smokiness of a Scotch by matching it with a sharp Wisconsin Cheddar, or team up a smooth Brandy with a light, buttery Gouda.

Adding Accompaniments
When choosing beverages to serve with a cheese course, add flavor and dimension with carefully selected accompaniments. For example, pair a Chardonnay and softrind cheeses, such as Wisconsin Brie, with pickled white asparagus, or a scotch and hard cheeses, such as a Wisconsin Parmesan, with honey preserved almonds.

Use these simple guidelines for cheese and accompaniment pairings:
Pair similar flavored cheeses and foods such as strong cheeses with assertive foods, subtle cheeses with mild foods.

• Contrast cheese and pairing textures; serve smooth, soft Brie and sweet Port with crisp crackers, or chewy Medjool dates with an aged Gruyère.
• Be willing to experiment and take chances – there are no absolute right or wrong decisions when it comes to cheese pairings.

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board offers a new beverage pairing Web site, www.CheeseCupid.com. For additional Wisconsin Cheese recipes and information, visit www.EatWisconsinCheese.com.

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