Even the avid wine lovers among us have probably found themselves more than once faced with countless red, white, pink and orange bottles lying on the wine shelves in a store shrouded in the smell of liquor and not knowing what to choose. True, you can always ask the seller which of the bottles is a "good" wine, but there is no doubt that this depends mainly on personal taste and the suitability of the drink for Ocean and the food.
Apparently, many of us will find ourselves hanging out in wine shops for the festival of debuts. Beyond the fact that vine is one of the seven species, the truth is, it is simply necessary to combine wine with cheese. For this reason, wine expert and CEO of the "Grape Man" company, Haim Gan, explained to us how to choose wines - whether for a picnic, a light meeting with snacks on the balcony or at the holiday table.
Haim Gan, Photo: Grape Man
"Just like you put perfume on in the morning and fifteen minutes later you don't smell it anymore, so too when eating - usually the first bite is full of flavors, the second bite is nice and the third bite becomes standard. Drinking wine neutralizes the taste of the food, loosens the palate and increases the flavors again," Gan explains, adding that "it is important to match wine with food. For example, one of the most classic adaptations in the world is foie gras with dessert wine - the wine cleanses the mouth of the liver's oiliness and the sweetness compliments the dish."
Is the myth that white wine is better suited to dairy foods true?
"Generally, yes, but what's delicious is what matters. After all, it is inconceivable to eat entrecote and drink canelli nutmeg wine. The taste and texture of the wine needs to be matched to the food. However, there is also room for flexibility and there are areas where red wines will go great with fish and white wines will go with meats."
Drinking wine,
Shavuot also symbolizes the spring season, a time when we often go out into nature, spread out a mat and improvise a picnic with fruits and cheeses or sit on the balcony and snack on light dishes in a pleasant breeze. "These experiences are usually linked to dry white wines and rosé wines. Those whose price ranges from NIS 35-100," Gan says, detailing: "These are wines that are easy to drink and Ephraim - they don't pick up or lower. Similarly, we prefer to eat vegetable or fish salad instead of hamin or meat this season. Even in wine, we're looking for something refreshing that is served cold."
Teperberg's white and rosé wines,
How should wine be incorporated into a holiday dinner served around a table?
"Here I propose to create a mix of several wines. Spicy dishes and dishes with dominant flavors with intense seasoning will be suitable for semi-dry white wines because the sweetness of these wines creates a contrast and neutralizes the spiciness. For fish dishes, dry sparkling wines and young white wines, such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, are suitable for fish – lemon is suitable, so white wines with a pronounced acidity will be a good combination. It is important to buy such wines from the last vintage of 2022."
What about dishes like cheese pies, heavy sauces, mushroom and eggplant dishes?
"Such dishes we will strive to combine with light red wines, those that are affordable for everyone, wines that do not have barrel flavors - not aging wines. For such a situation, wines from the Mount Hermon series of the Golan Heights Winery, wines of the Kasit series of Barkan Winery, Essence series of Teperberg and so on will be suitable."
Mushroom pie, photo: Gettyimages
What is suitable for last dishes, cheesecakes?
"There is no doubt that dessert wines will be suitable for desserts - these are sweet and fortified wines. There are different types of dessert wine. The amounts of sugar in these wines are high, so we will find that they are also tart because acid is added to them to balance the sweetness. A chocolatey dessert, for example, will go well with port or sherry - from such a combination we will get a delicious contrast in the mouth between the sweetness and the alcoholic spiciness like you can feel in pralines with alcohol."
Cheesecake with berries, photo: Gettyimages
Some people declare that they do not like white wine - what can you say to them?
"Grow up. There are powerful white wines, ones that if we close our eyes, we can define as red wine. The variety of white wines is endless and at the edges of the white world there are wines with bold flavors that are even more extroverted than the red ones."
Matching wine with cheeses
Soft or semi-soft cheeses - such as mozzarella, halloumi, Safed, etc., will be more suitable with simple, light and neutral white wines with a delicate sourness, such as: Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gri or Roussan. We can also pair them with white wines from local varieties, such as Hamdani, Jandali and Marawi.
Which wine will be suitable for Safed cheese?, Photo: Gettyimages
Goat cheeses - they are more intense and "animal" (animalistic) in taste. Therefore, for young women, wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or dry Riesling, and for adults, who have a strong smell, mature red wine is more suitable.
Hard cheeses – for example, beef gouda, can go with young Chardonnay wine because usually its enhancement process gives it a "roasted" taste that blends well with the flavors of the goudes. Dry white wines such as Riesling, Pinot Gri, Silvner and Viognier will also suit such cheeses.
What wine will we combine with blue cheese?, Photo: Gettyimages
Aging cheeses - for example, Roquefort and Gorgonzola - can be paired with dessert wine and sweet wines - port, sherry or semi-dry white wine. They will suit an old wine with sweet, spicy flavors, which has lots of wood, seasoning and smells of moss and mushrooms. Such wines combine beautifully with the spiciness of the cheese and its high fatiness. Spicy food works well with aromatic wines.
Garden Tip: If you take a teaspoon of Roquefort or Gorgonzola, open the cheese like chickpeas and pour in a little port, you get a delicacy.
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