Gaga for goat cheese

This article was originally published in August 2014

While goat cheeses are irresistible year-round, August is the officially recognized Goat Cheese Month. Fresh chèvre is the best known, but there’s a world of textures and flavors to enjoy that go beyond its delicious simplicity. To go with these lesser known, but absolutely delicious, cheeses, we chose a lesser known (and equally delicious) category of wines: Italian whites. These pairings are perfectly suited to dry, warm weather.

 

1.

Cheese: Cablanca Gouda

In this cheese, goat’s milk comes through with a mild, citrus-like brightness. This is a great choice for those new to goat cheese, and an unexpected, mild addition to a cheese plate.

Wine: Damilano Arneis

From Piedmont-region grapes that nearly went extinct in the 1960s, this lovely wine is bright and sleek, with notes of bitter almond and lemon blossoms.

 

2.

Cheese: Redwood Hill Farm Cheddar

A creamy, mild cheddar, the light, grassy finish keeps it from seeming rich or heavy. It’s great for a snack, a grilled cheese sandwich or blended into mac n’ cheese.

Wine: Raphael Verdicchio

This lovely wine balances fragrant stone fruit with honey and minerals, with a result that’s just plain delicious.

 

3.

Cheese: Sierra Nevada Feta

Rich and crumbly with just the right amount of salt, this is a feta that’s at home on a gyro but is particularly great on summer salads or grilled vegetables.

Wine: Inama Vin Soave

A creamy, lush version of Soave, with plenty of texture and a nice little lemony lift. Add some traditional feta companions like olives and roasted peppers for a perfect picnic.

 

4.

Cheese: Florette Brie de Chèvre

The texture is as creamy as Brie but with a light, clean flavor and bright white color. This is a great cheese to feature front and center on a cheese plate or at a picnic.

Wine: Pallavicini Frascati

Such a lovely cheese deserves an appropriately lovely wine. Its flavors of apricots, nuts and white flowers suit the cheese and the season.

 

5.

Cheese: Montchevre Chèvre in Blue

This sharp aged blue has an additional tanginess from the goat’s milk. Crumble it into a salad, or add a wedge to an adventurous cheese plate.

Wine: Edi Simcic Rebula Rubikon

A nice note of candied orange peel gives bright balance to this lush wine, which is made just across the Italian border, in Slovenia.

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