Imagine this: a perfectly warm, sunny day and a bottle of refreshing rose wine in your hands. Paradise. But beside being refreshing, this wine makes the perfect combination with almost any type of meal including appetizers, BBQs, picnics, brunch and even chic dinner parties. So, wherever you have planned to spend this beautiful day, grab a bottle of rose and have the time of your life.
When pairing rose wine with cheese, know that there are some types of cheese that pair better than others with the bracing acidity and subtle berry flavours of rose.
Goat Cheese
Goat cheese has a tangy flavour that blends well with bright and pleasantly acidic wines and pairs amazingly well with rose wines. Do not be afraid to experiment and pair goat cheese with aged wine varieties, you can never know what suites your palate until you try.
Feta Cheese
The sour, salty characteristics of Feta cheese make it a nice match with the zippy acidity of rose. Enjoy a rose wine with feta alone or combine feta, olives and hummus for a delicious appetizer.
Rocchetta
Rocchetta is a creamy, rich Italian cheese which is a combination of three milks: cow, goat, and sheep. However, it is the goat’s milk that really excels. Pair Rocchetta with a rose wine that has a nice rich fruit flavour – perhaps one from Australia.
Appenzeller
Appenzeller is a Swiss cheese that has a dense and creamy texture combined with an intense flavour from the mix of spices, herbs and alcohol rubbed on its rind as it ages. It is the cheese’s slight herbal character that makes it such a good match with rose wine – especially if the wine has a bit of spiciness. In case you are not able to find Appenzeller, look for Gruyere.
Mahon
Mahon is a Spanish cheese with unique characteristics. It is made from cow’s milk and can be found in raw and pasteurized versions. It has a creamy texture and a slightly sharp bite which makes it such a good combination with chilled Spanish rose wines. Although widely exported, there are many people who are not familiar with this cheese. If you are one of them, the next time you go to a cheese shop, instead of looking for famous Spanish cheese, ask for Mahon.
The next time you cannot decide whether to go with red or white wine, try rose. It is a crispy, invigoratingly lively wine that makes an unique and delicious pair with many types of cheese. Pairing rose wine with cheese is a good call for a hot summer day. Actually, it is an amazing choice to have throughout the whole year, not just in summertime. So, raise your glass and drink to all the amazing foods and wines we are lucky to have.
