Rolf Binder Riesling Eden Valley, Australia w/ Sini Fulvi Sottocenere w/ Truffle Cheese

Rolf Binder's Eden Valley Vineyards are located on the eastern slopes of the Barossa Ranges. Together with the Barossa Valley, these sub-regions make up "The Barossa", an area that offers winemakers a variety of climates for cultivating different grapes. Eden Valley's higher elevation gives it a cooler climate that allows Rolf Binder to create its crisp floral Rieslings. Sini Fulvi's Sottocenere with truffle is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese from Venice, Italy. After being produced, it is aged in ashes to preserve it, per Venetian farmer tradition. The ash is made up of nutmeg, cloves, coriander, cinnamon, licorice and fennel.

Taste: Wine was crisp, and had powerful notes of apple with a hint of lime. The sweetness wasn't overpowering, which helped the milder cheese pairing. The cheese also helped pare down the slight boozy 'kick' of the Riesling. The truffle notes in the Sottocenere were very pronounced, adding an almost oily taste and texture to its milder, creamy base. Overall, the Sottocenere was a very dynamic and flavorful cheese. Rolf Binder's Riesling was crisp, but the single-dimension flavor and alcoholic 'bite' kept it average.

Yalumba Riesling Barossa, Australia w/ Colby Jack Cheese

Yalumba, which is also located in the Barossa region, is the oldest family owned winery in Australia. Samual Smith founded Yalumba in 1849 when he began planting the first vineyards on a 230-acre parcel of land he purchased by the southeastern boundary of Angaston. The original patch was named "Yalumba" which means "all the land around". Colby Jack, as its name implies, is a combination of Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses. This semi-soft, mellow cheese is typically produced in full-moon or half-moon shapes and has a marbled look to it. The blend is native to the United States, but is currently produced in most other regions of the world. Joseph Steinwand originally developed the cheese in the late 1800's. He named it after the town in which his family made their first dairy. Colby Jack is considered one of the first "American" cheeses.

Taste: The Yalumba Riesling started out tart and slightly bitter with zesty notes of lemon and fruit. The wine then moved into more balanced acidity with citrus and grapefruit. The finish was long and persistent. The Colby Jack was predominately sweet and creamy with moderate flavor [not too sharp]. There was no improvement from either the wine or cheese when paired.

Firestone Riesling Central Coast, California w/ Uniekaas Parrano Cheese

The Firestone family has been producing wine for over 35 years. Father and son, Leonard and Brooks Firestone, founded the winery in 1972. Firestone's Central Coast Riesling is grown at their vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. This region produces very dry winters and very little rain with a moderately warm spring season. These conditions allow for lower yields and a better concentration of flavors. In order to maintain the fruits integrity and aromatic esters, Firestone ensures that the entire harvesting, aging and bottling process is conducted under very cool conditions. Uniekaas is the largest independent cheese business in the Netherlands. Their Perrano is aged approximately five months, which allows it to develop its signature nutty Parmesan flavor while maintaining a firm, smooth texture similar to Gouda.

Taste: Firestone's Riesling was moderately sweet and tangy with a light syrupy body. The wine was very fragrant with notes of melon and honey. The concentration was excellent; rich without being overpowering. Finish was light with a slight lasting sweetness. The Parrano cheese was fairly sharp in flavor with a slight bitterness [not too creamy]. Overall, the cheese was a bit overpowering for the wine. Ideally, it would be paired with a bolder red such as Pinot Noir or Red Zinfandel. 

Hogue Riesling Columbia Valley, Washington w/ Romano Pecorino Cheese from Italy

Hogue Cellars Vineyards, located in Eastern Washington, boasts warm summer days followed by cooler nights. These conditions ensure the grapes ripen fully while maintaining their characteristic acidity. Their Riesling, as well as other Washington State Rieslings, has a trademark apricot and tangerine flavor.  Romano Pecorino is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. Originally produced in Latium, Pecorino's distinctive salting process was prohibited by the city council causing cheese producers to move their operations to the island of Sardinia [it was produced exclusively from the milk of sheep raised in the plains of Lazio and Sardinia]. Today, the majority of Pecorino Romano is still produced on the island.

Taste: The wine was immediately rich and sweet with bright apricot and peach flavors. The acidity was a bit too low to counterbalance the syrupy sweetness, however, the flavor was excellent.. The Pecorino cheese was overwhelmingly salty at first taste, although this was tamed by pairing with crackers. The flavor was also very sharp, similar to Parmesan. Overall, this pairing was either too sweet or too salty.

Trefethen Riesling Oak Knoll Napa Valley w/ Emmi Kaltbach Cave Aged Gruyere Cheese

Located in the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley American Viticultural Area [southern end of Napa Valley], Trefethen Vineyards has one of the coolest climates in the region. This allows their cooler weather grapes, like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, to excel. The soil in this area derives from the Dry Creek alluvial fan. The grapes benefit from a cooling afternoon breeze that originates from San Pablo Bay. This regulates the ripening process and help support a broad range of varietals including Riesling. The raw cows milk Gruyere from Emmi, is cave-aged for 12-14 months, resulting in a much more robust flavor profile. In addition, the aging process creates unique protein crystals that give the texture added dimension.

Taste: Wine was very dry [similar to a Chardonnay] with low-level sweetness and a slight tingle on the palette. The cheese started out very mellow with rich, creamy texture and quickly moved into an explosion of robust, grassy flavors and sweetness. Excellent cheese, however, it didn't compliment the wine very well as it overpowered the subtleness of its flavors. In addition, the wine tended to taste more "boozy" after sampling the Gruyere. 

Verdict:

In general, there was a great deal of variance in the taste, body, acidity and sweetness of all the wines selected. In addition, the cheeses also varied, complementing some wines more than others. Ted Perez + Associates selected the best individual wine, individual cheese and best wine/cheese pairing.

Best Wine: Firestone Riesling Central Coast, California 2007 - Overall, Firestone's Riesling contained the best balance of sweetness, fragrance and body. The flavors were rich, without being overpowering on the palette [most Rieslings tested were a bit too sweet].

Best Cheese: Sini Fulvi Sottocenere w/ Truffle - This cheese was perfectly creamy and balanced in flavor. The smooth, almost oily mouth feel was complimented by the subtle flavors of black truffle [this gave it a more dynamic flavor].

Best Pairing: Trimbach Riesling with Morbier Raw Milk Cheese - Although other wines and cheeses fared better on their own, this combination yielded the greatest level of complimentary flavors. The cheese tamed the tartness of the wine and brought out fruity notes that were previously undetectable. The Riesling also helped bring out more of the creaminess in the cheese.