Spanish Wine and Cheese Pairing
Choosing a good Spanish wine and cheese pairing is not easy! How many wines, how many cheeses do we have in Spain? Well, a lot!
If we consider that we have more than 80 types of cheese, with 23 of them classified as Protected Designation of Origin (D.O.P – Denominación de Origen Protegida), and 69 types of wine (regions) with the D.O label, according to the respected ICEX, when it comes to buying cheese and a bottle of wine, it can become a dilemma.
There are no rules about a good harmony for a Spanish wine and cheese pairing. The most important thing is to enjoy the moment with pleasure. As advice, it is important to find a wine that can go well along with different varieties of cheese so that you can serve it throughout dinner at home.
Just to mention a few local examples, with a fresh and dry white wine from the Penedès or even a Rosé, Food Lover would recommend a soft pasteurized cow or goat cheese from Cantabria or l’Alt d’Urgell.
With a red wine from the Priorat, we would suggest a strong “curado” goat or sheep cheese, and a blue cheese, like Valdeón, could also be a good option. Even more so, a fermented cheese such as a Gaztazarra.
Wine is not the only drink that can be paired. You can also pair cheese with beer, don’t be shy! For example, a good light beer can be paired with a soft cow cheese.
Oh! And it goes without saying that chocolate is also a great pairing with wine AND beer! But that’s another story…