Gone are the days of grabbing any old wheel of brie and table wine without second thought. From the Internet to Instagram we’re now surrounded by information on how to take our tastebuds  to the next level, but if like us you suffer from information overload, we’re here to cut through the clutter. With picnic season just around the corner, there’s no better time to get the inside scoop on mouth-watering wine and cheese combos. Our chef in Avignon, Youcef Djellab, provides us with decadent combinations inspired by three different regions in France.

Soft Touch – Brin d’Amour and Provencal Rosé

Brin d’amour (which translates to “spring of love”)  is an artisan cheese native to Corsica, made from the milk of young goats. The texture is soft, and the taste is rich and aromatic yet well-balanced. Its covered in drieg rosemary, and the name is meant to pay tribute to the rugged, varied landscape of Corsica with mountains and breathtaking pastures (rosemary grows wild here). Chef Youcef asserts that the bold flavors of brin d’amour reflect the personality of Corsican people, and when you try it, you’ll envision the rural beauty of France.
Pair it with: A Provençal Rosé brings a hint of sweetness while preserving the rugged taste in the cheese. Our favorite is the 2011 Ma Terré vintage from Domaine Milan in St. Remy.

Take me to Corsica

Strong Hold – Beaufort and Roussane 

Special cows make for special cheese! Beaufort Alpages des Glaciers is exclusively produced on the mountains of Savoie, where hardy breeds of cattle graze on glacier pastures some 2,500 ft up in the Alps. It’s only with the raw milk of these specific cows that Beaufort can be made; the result is creamy, rich, well-balanced and firm, and requires a whopping 10 litres of milk to yield 1 kilo of cheese.
Pair it with: A white Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roussane. Roussane is produced in the Rhône valley, an area in between Avignon and Orange. Floral, fruity notes are common when the wine is young, but it’s known to take on a more robust nutty taste as it ages. We recommend finding it somewhere in the middle – about 2 years old. You can find delicious “New World” Rousanne wines across the U.S., like Cline Cellars in Sonoma.

Take me to The Alps

Melt in Your Mouth: Picodon and Gigondas Red

Centuries ago in the Rhône, goat’s milk was used as table milk in poor areas. And while the milk used to represent impoverishment, today, it makes one of the world’s most treasured goat’s milk cheeses. Le Picodon is round and modest in flavor, and cheese makers refuse to reveal how exactly it’s made, but the process has been the same for centuries. The taste of Le Picodon varies depending how long it ages, with a lighter, fresh characteristic when it’s young, but after some five or so years taking on a more robust  flavor. No matter when you indulge, Le Picodon always retains a down-to-earth deliciousness.
Pair it with: An earthy red wine from the Gigondas wine region – in the Rhône valley just north of Avignon – matches well with Le Picodon. Our go-to is the 2011 Les Moures from Notre Dame des Pallieres, which may be difficult to find here in North America, but who doesn’t want yet another excuse to go to France?

Take me to Avignon

The post Match Made in France: A Guide to Wine and Cheese appeared first on Luxury Retreats Magazine.