Regional cheeses and Bourgogne wines: Some gourmet combinations

Like wine, cheese production in the Bourgogne region is closely linked to the notion of terroir. If you begin your journey at your local cheese shop, you will notice that there is a wide variety of cheeses available. Here, we will suggest a few examples of cheese and wine combinations, but feel free to continue the exploration yourself, following the advice of your favorite wine store specialist.

Endless delicious combinations

Dôme de Vézelay

Goat milk cheese and white wines

Dôme de Vézelay is a cheese made from unpasteurized goat milk, originating from the town of Vézelay located in the Grand Auxerrois region. It is a soft cheese with a creamy taste, underscored by some sharper notes.

Bourgogne white wines made from either the Chardonnay or Aligoté grape make a perfect match for this type of fresh goat cheese. Opt for a young wine for its lively fruit. The acidity of the white wine will bring out the sharpness of the goat milk, making for a harmonious combination. The crispness of the wine will also serve to cut through the cheese’s rich creaminess.

Suggested white wines :                                                           

♥♥♥ Saint-Bris                                                                               

♥♥    Bourgogne Aligoté, Bouzeron, Petit Chablis, Chablis

♥       Bourgogne Vézelay

Similar cheeses :  Mâconnais, Crottin de Chavignol, Picodon, Chabichou

 

Charolais

The name is misleading. Despite Charolais being the name of a famous breed of cow, the cheese of the same name is made from unpasteurized goat milk. Produced around the small town of Charolles in the Saône-et-Loire, it belongs to the family of aged goat cheeses.
As they mature, goat and tomme cheeses become saltier, and also develop greater aromatic intensity that lasts longer on the tongue than a fresh goat cheese.

The ideal wine accompaniment is a smooth, powerful Bourgogne white. Choose a wine that is a few years old, so it has acquired its full breadth whilst retaining a certain vivacity. The fatness of the wine will go perfectly with the fat in the cheese. The aromatic power of a great white Bourgogne wine will be able to stand up to the pronounced character of this ripe goat cheese.

Suggested white wines :                                         

♥♥♥  Viré-Clessé                                                          

♥♥    Chablis, Saint-Aubin

♥       Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits

Similar cheeses : Tome de chèvre, Selles-sur-cher

 

Cîteaux

Cîteaux cheese, also known as “Trappiste de Cîteaux”, is only produced in the celebrated abbey of the same name, located a few kilometers east of Le Clos de Vougeot. It is a soft farmhouse cheese made from cow’s milk, which requires a three-week phase of ripening in cool cellars before it is ready to eat. Cîteaux is highly appreciated for its delicate fruity flavor.

Rich and creamy in the mouth, with powerful, sustained aromas, it goes wonderfully with a light and aromatic Bourgogne red wine, which should be quite a young one so its fruity character will flatter the flavor of the Cîteaux cheese.

Suggested red wines :                                                 

♥♥♥ Saint-Romain                                                        

♥♥   BeauneBourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits

♥     Côteaux Bourguignons

Similar cheeses : Saint-Nectaire, Cantal, Reblochon

 

Brillat-Savarin

Cow’s milk cheese and sparkling wine

A ripe Brillat-Savarin from the Bourgogne region is a soft cow’s milk cheese with a bloomy rind. It is enriched with cream, earning it a reputation as “the foie gras of cheeses”. It requires a three-week maturation period before being ready to eat. Its subtle fruity flavor is underscored by a slight acidity that fades over time. In the mouth, it develops aromas of dried fruit with oaky notes. It is a cheese that is eaten while still soft and young.

Brillat-Savarin makes an ideal accompaniment to a Crémant de Bourgogne Brut, as the acidity of the wine counters the richness of the cheese.

Suggested white wines:

♥♥♥ Crémant de Bourgogne

♥♥   Puligny-Montrachet, Chablis Grand Cru

♥      Rully

Similar cheeses: Chaource, crémeux de Bourgogne, Brie de Meaux

 

Mont d’Or

Soft cheeses with a washed rind such as Epoisses, Soumaintrain and Ami du Chambertin have a very strong flavor. These powerhouses can overwhelm any wine. In the case of a full-bodied red wine, the results are not optimal: the fattiness in the cheese will make the tannins in the wine harsher, and may leave a disagreeable bitter aftertaste.
There is one exception: Mont d’Or. It is one of the few washed-rind cheeses that go well with wine, thanks to its gentler character.
Mont d’Or is a cheese produced from cow’s milk. It is very creamy, liquid even. In the mouth, it has an oaky flavor, with notes of hazelnut, fall fruits and mushrooms.
You will enjoy this cheese best with a young, fruity, well-structured Bourgogne red wine.

Suggested red wines:

 ♥♥♥  Rully

♥♥     Savigny-les-Beaune

♥       Givry, Côte de Beaune

 

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Cheeses and wines from the Bourgogne region

Cheese and wine pairing
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