SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
by WINEMAG.CO.ZA
A platter of cheese: the tastiest braai day accessory
A board of cheese is the perfect addition to any braai – especially when paired with your favourite tipple, either as a starter or a dessert. Deliciously soft and creamy or pungent and crumbly, cheese can inspire rapturous emotions in those who love it. “Milk’s leap towards immortality,” an enthusiast once memorably exclaimed.
We love the versatility of cheese, in that it can be served savoury to subdue hunger pangs before a meal or with sweet condiments at the end of a meal to leave the palate with something to linger on. Combine it with a glass of something with body and character, and you’ll start thinking you’ve cracked the secret of deep inner happiness.
Above all else, cheese retains its appealingly modest, unpretentious character: the perfect addition to any rainbow nation gathering.
A cheese is born
All cheese does, of course, start as milk (cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s). Rennin or special bacteria is then added to promote fermentation and thickening. Once the milk separates into a liquid (whey) and semisolids (curds), the whey is drained off and the curds are drained or pressed into different forms, depending on their variety. At this stage, it’s called a fresh cheese. Examples include cottage cheese, cream cheese and mascarpone. To become a ripened cheese, the curds are cured either through heat, bacteria or soaking, and possibly flavoured with salt, herbs and spices. After curing, it’s stored under controlled conditions.
- Soft-ripened cheeses are subjected to bacteria that ripen the cheese from the outside in, creating a powdery white rind as in brie or camembert.
- Semi-soft cheeses are pressed, forming a soft, but firm texture, as in gouda, edam, emmenthal, fontina, havarti, muenster and tilsit.
- Semi-firm cheeses are cooked and pressed, for example, cheddar, gruyre, leiden and jarlsberg.
- Hard cheeses like parmesan are cooked, pressed and aged for at least two years until hard, dry and grateable.
- Blue-veined cheeses like roquefort and gorgonzola are inoculated or sprayed with mould spores (penicillium roqueforti or penicillium glaucum).
- Pasta filata cheeses are those in which the curds have been given a hot whey bath and stretched to the desired pliable consistency. Examples include mozzarella and provolone.
- Whey cheeses like ricotta are made from coagulated reheated whey (drained from other cheeses) and rennin.
Pairing cheese and wine
Wine and cheese appear to be a perfect match – but to paraphrase George Orwell, some matches are more perfect than others. . .
- Fresh young cheeses, high in lactose and umami (the fifth taste element behind salt, sweet, bitter and sour) – such as brie, ricotta and mozzarella – make wine taste stronger. Best match? Lighter wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, unwooded Chenin Blanc and lighter Chardonnays, with possibly even a light red – like a Gamay, Pinot Noir and even Merlot.
- Goat’s cheese, high in acidity and umami but low in salt, effectively softens high acid wines like Vinho Verde or even Sauvignon Blanc.
- Mild to sharp cheddars and even feta or aged goat’s cheese moderate in salt and acidity suit a range of wines. They go with most wines, highlighting the fruit flavours and softening tannins.
- Aged cheddar, parmesan and blue cheeses like stilton and roquefort, which are high in acid and salt, make lighter reds taste astringent and vaguely metallic. They are best matched with stronger wines and those with a certain sweetness. Think about the Port and stilton marriage – or noble late harvest and blue cheese. The other match is with high alcohol reds – like Zinfandel, Shiraz, jammy Cabernets and Pinotage.
Great destinations for cheese lovers
Fairview in Paarl: An extensive selection, including a lovely Havarti and exceptional goats cheeses. Tel (021) 863-2450.
Anura Vineyards in Klapmuts: look out for the mozzarella/edam blend if you want to try something different. Tel (021) 875-5360.
Dalewood Fromage on the Simondium/Franschhoek Road: apart from their award-winning camembert, expect a wide range of exceptionally made cheeses. Tel (021) 875-5725.
Simonsberg cheese factory shop in Stellenbosch: simply for their great bargains and reliably good cheeses. Tel (021) 809-1017.
Klein River Cheese outside Stanford: Dairy farm in the Overberg producing, among other heavenly products, SA’s only gruyere. Tel (028) 541-1274.
Gay’s Dairy in Prince Albert: Treat yourself to feta, mozzarella, parmesan and Prince Albert Royal, a well-matured, well-respected gouda. Tel (023) 541-1538.
Marrakesh Cheese Farm Rosetta, KZN: The biggest selection of goat’s cheeses in SA, including exotic Middle Eastern and Bedouin varieties. Tel (033) 263-7258.
Swissland Cheese in Balgowan, KZN: Home to a herd of Saanen goats milked daily between 3 and 5pm. Tel (033) 234-4042.
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