Fine Pairings on National Cheese and Wine Day

By Iheoma Okoroma | July 24, 2020 0 Comments

Did you know there are over a thousand types of cheese currently produced worldwide?

Since Saturday 25^th July is National Cheese and Wine Day here’s some fun cheese dishes that are easy to make at home, accompanied by flavoursome wines from Laithwaite’s that pair well. Laithwaite’s supply wines for drinkers of both red or white, as well as sweet wines like Midnight Frost Vidal Icewine to accompany your cheese based desert. Prices shown are per bottle.

Cheese facts:

Cheese is a dairy product, made from coagulation of the milk protein casein during an acidification process. The resulting solids (curd) are separated from the liquid (whey) and pressed into the final form or mould. Milk from mammals like cow, buffalo, goat or sheep is used for making today’s cheeses, which come in a huge range of flavours and textures. Additives like fruit, herbs and spices create more variety and appeal. Cheese’s yellow appearance is achieved by adding annatto, an orange-red condiment and food colouring native to south America.

Nutritionally cheese tends to contain a high percentage of *fat from the milk. Dietary plusses however include valuable protein (20%-26%), calcium, and a host of vitamins and minerals. Cheese has a longer shelf life than milk, particularly if it is of a hard form such as Parmesan, rather than a soft variety like Ricotta. Today modern cheesemakers use techniques like vacuum packaging for mass storage and prior to distribution.

*Fat content is typically 30-36%. Look out for lower fat (10-19%) varieties of your favourite cheeses or try cottage cheese (typically 5%) if on a diet.

Make your own cheeseboard and share with friends

If you don’t fancy pairing a wine with a cheese dish, why not experiment to find what works for you by buying a range of different cheeses such as Red Leicester, Cheddar or Stilton to try with a wine(s) of your choice. Keep some dry biscuits like crackers handy for cleaning the palate in between tastings.

Find more luscious wines from Laithwaite’s here: https://www.laithwaites.co.uk/. Laithwaite’s is an award winning company supplying wines globally for more than fifty years.