Wine pairings can often be a tricky part of the wine experience. One has to be hard and sharp when creating the best wine accompaniment. Being from Wisconsin, isn’t it customary to pair everything with cheese? I think back to the traditional and expected cheese & cracker plate I bring to every family event, the mozzarella sticks I ordered with my cheeseburger last week, and how I begged and pleaded my elderly grandmother to bring her perfected cheesy-potato casserole to my birthday party that I am officially too old to still be having. Oh well, you only turn 35 once, right? But here I am, with a fridge full of Parmesan, Gouda and Sharp Cheddar, yet according to the instruction manual that came with my bottle of Pinot Grigio, I need something soft.. something silky… and something tells me that my bedsheets are not what they are alluding to.
Well, if it’s acceptable to have a wine cellar, the argument should be made to also allow the acceptance of cheese cellars. Now, I know what you all may be thinking, “No Way!,” right? Cheese cellars? Well, yes way! And yes, whey! Bring on the cheese! Because, frankly, a “wedge” of cheese is never nearly enough anyways during a wine pairing; so why not have an entire cellar worth?
Buy all the soft Brie your heart desires to pair with your von Stiehl Chardonnay, or insist on an entire palate’s worth of creamy Muenster for your case of Gewurztraminer and Hard Apple Cider. Don’t have a cellar? No problem! Commandeer the bathtub to house a few cases of Parmesan and a few bottles of our Cabernet Sauvignon. You’ll thank us later when your next utility bill comes due. And now that you mention it, little Tommy’s old baby crib is looking a bit unused.. Give a cozy purpose to the crib again by nuzzling packages of robust Gouda with a case of von Stiehl Syrah. Doesn’t it look so precious, just laying there? You wonder what it’s dreaming about. As for me, the filing cabinet is doing a great job of organizing financial statements and the arranged slices of Provolone for my much needed bottle of Pinot Grigio.
So, if you feel alone in the world of cheese and wine pairings, don’t! There is always a helpful staff over at von Stiehl winery that will assist you with all your pairing needs, with directions to Renards Cheese and Wienke’s Market if necessary. But if leftover cheese is your biggest concern, plan ahead for that next family outing, or offer grandma the cheese to be added to her secret family recipe of cheesy-potato casserole. The newly 36-year-old you will thank you for it.
