By Ray Spaziani
Wine Talk
Ray Spaziani
The old adage goes, “When selling wine, always serve cheese. When buying wine, always eat bread.”
These were the words of California winemaker August Sebastiani when he was asked to describe the relationship between wine and cheese. He believed that cheese always makes wine taste better and should be served whenever wine is poured. While Sebastiani died in 1980, his words have certainly proven prophetic.
The similarities between cheese and wine are amazing. According to an ancient legend, cheese was made accidentally by an Arabian merchant more than 4,000 years ago. A supply of the merchant’s purchased milk was put into a pouch made of a sheep’s stomach when he set out on a long day’s journey across the desert. The natural rennet in the lining of the pouch, combined with the heat of the sun, caused the milk to separate into curd and whey. He found at nightfall that the curd satisfied his hunger and had a nice flavor.
Throughout the world cheese is made wherever animals are milked. Cow’s milk is used more than any other milk in making cheese because this animal is milked more than any other. Some cheeses are made from the milk of goats and ewes, as well as other animals such as camels, asses, mares, buffalo and reindeer.
Cheese has proven to be highly nutritious and palatable. It usually contains almost all of the protein and most of the fat of milk, as well as essential minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. And it keeps longer than milk.
Travelers from Asia are believed to have brought the art of cheesemaking to Europe, where it was made throughout the Roman Empire. Both wine and cheese were common foods in the Middle East during the time of Christ and in much of the civilized world since then.
Many people don’t realize that many similarities exist between wine and cheese. Consider the following:
Cheese: Cheese is produced by microorganisms through natural fermentations. Cheese is an ancient discovery, several thousand years old, which became a widely used human food whose production enabled people to store perishable milk for many months. It was a common food in biblical times.
Traditionally, cheesemaking was a local farm industry. Accidental modifications in the cheesemaking process over the centuries were largely responsible for the developments of different kinds of cheese. It was long considered an art form before becoming a science.
About 2 billion pounds of cheese is produced in the US. Annual per capita consumption in the US has doubled in the last 20 years to about 14 pounds.
Wine: Wine is produced by microorganisms through natural fermentations. Wine is an ancient discovery, several thousand years old, which became a widely used human food whose production enabled people to store perishable grapes for many months. It was a common food in biblical times.
Traditionally, winemaking was a local farm industry. Accidental modifications in the winemaking process over the centuries were largely responsible for the developments of different kinds of wines. It was long considered an art form before becoming a science.
About 400 million gallons of wine is produced in the US. Annual per capita consumption in the US has doubled in the last 20 years to about 3 gallons.
Why not have a wine and cheese tasting? Get some of your favorite cheeses and match them with your favorite wines. See who likes what with what. Remember: a day without wine is like a day without sunshine.
Ray Spaziani is the former chapter director for 25 years of the New Haven Chapter of the American Wine Society. He is a certified wine educator who worked for the American Wine Society, Amete de Vino and Winemaker Magazine judging wines and conducting wine judging. He is an award-winning home winemaker and has written wine articles for newspapers and magazines for the past 20 years. Spaziani teaches wine classes for the Milford Board of Education at Citrus Restaurant in Milford. Email Ray with wine questions and anything wine at realestatepro1000@gmail.com.