Bollini Rosato Pinot Grigio IGT
Despite the extremely light-bodied rosato, there are a few delicious cheese pairings that don't overpower it. The wine has notes of raspberry, light currant, pomegranate, white peach, and a slight pithy bitterness - all while maintaining a juicy minerality.
Cheese to Pair With:
- Fresh to Bloomy Rind Goat Cheese such as Merry Goat Round or Signal Rock, which bring out notes of tangerine citrus when paired together.
- Semi-Hard Sheep or Cow-Sheep Blend Cheese, preferably a basque style like Vermont Shepherd's Invierno. This style of cheese is buttery, robust in milk fat, and rich with notes of honey that in turn mellow the natural bitterness of the wine.
- Semi-Hard Goat Milk Cheese with a Natural Rind such as Roe Jan Reserve. The cheese is dense, nutty, a little crystalline, and the wine brightens the natural flavors of hazelnut praline present in the cheese.
- Semi-Soft Wine Soaked Cow Milk Cheese such as Wino Red is balanced and mellowed by the wine, also accentuating notes of hazelnuts.
This wine cannot take funk well, so we recommend pairing it with cheeses of the more clean and buttery variety - the more musty and earthy cheeses clash with the bitterness of the wine.
Tenuta Di Salviano Pinot Nero Rosé Umbria IGT 2017
This wine is a little more floral and has more tang than the first - with notes of jasmine and sour raspberry candy. The wine also contains slightly less minerality, opening it to a couple more categories of cheeses. The fruity flavors of the wine and cheese really come to life when they are paired together.
Cheese to Pair With:
- Fresh to Bloomy Rind Goat Cheese such as Merry Goat Round or Signal Rock, which bring out an absolutely stunning lemon drop flavor.
- Semi-Hard Sheep or Cow-Sheep Blend Cheese, preferably a basque style like Vermont Shepherd's Invierno. This style of cheese is buttery, robust in milk fat, and rich with notes of honey that bring out amazing fruitiness in the cheese and wine - such as a berry syrup and pineapple.
- Semi-Hard Goat Milk Cheese with a Natural Rind such as Roe Jan Reserve. The cheese is dense, nutty, a little crystalline, and the wine brightens the natural flavors of hazelnut and raspberry present in the cheese.
- Semi-Soft Wine Soaked Cow Milk Cheese such as Wino Red brings out the blackberry characteristics of the wine.
- Dutch Style, Semi-Hard Cheese such as Teffenhardt or a Gouda style becomes more grassy when paired with the wine.
- Only a Very Buttery, Rich Blue with minimal veining (such as Fourme D'Ambert) will stand up to this wine.
Again, avoid the funk here to avoid overpowering the wine.
Feudo Maccari Rosé IGP 2018
This wine has more body and a natural carbonation. It is very citrus forward - with notes of juicy tangerine, cara cara oranges, and grapefruit. Although the wine is more medium-bodied, it does not pair as well the previous two styles.
Cheese to Pair With:
- Fresh to Bloomy Rind Goat Cheese such as Merry Goat Round or Signal Rock, are mellowed by the wine - the cheese's natural metallic quality is transformed into sweetness.
- Semi-Hard Sheep or Cow-Sheep Blend Cheese, preferably a basque style like Vermont Shepherd's Invierno. This style of cheese is buttery, robust in milk fat, and rich with notes of honey and the wine brings out notes of pine nuts in the cheese.
- Semi-Soft Wine Soaked Cow Milk Cheese such as Wino Red is salty on its own, but mellowed by the wine pairing.
With the other categories of cheese, we discovered a lot of clashing flavors, so we advise sticking to clean, fresh, and buttery cheeses for the best experience, with some fresh berry and citrus accompaniments.
Masi Agricola Rosa Dei Masi
This wine is the deepest and fruitiest of them all with notes of blackberries. Again, this part of the tasting took a surprising turn when we discovered that there is no direct rule of thumb between fruitier, berry forward wines naturally pairing better with more cheese styles. We think it's because the flavors are not contrasting enough to find that balance between flavor and texture.
Cheese to Pair With:
- Fresh to Bloomy Rind Goat Cheese such as Merry Goat Round or Signal Rock, are mellowed by the wine - the cheese's natural metallic quality is transformed into sweetness.
- Semi-Hard Sheep or Cow-Sheep Blend Cheese, preferably a basque style like Vermont Shepherd's Invierno. This style of cheese is buttery, robust in milk fat, and rich with notes of honey and brought out blackberry characteristics in each.
- Semi-Soft Wine Soaked Cow Milk Cheese such as Wino Red was accentuated by the wine, bringing out the deep red-wine flavor of the rind.
- Semi-Hard Goat Milk Cheese with a Natural Rind such as Roe Jan Reserve. The cheese is dense, nutty, a little crystalline, and the wine brought out the deeper, nuttier qualities of the cheese.
Avoid blue and musty, earthy cheeses as well.
How should rosé be served?
Rosé should be chilled when served, ideally between 50-60 degrees. The wine expert, Jennica Ossi, at Kobrand Wines recommends serving them between 55-60 degrees so that you can smell and taste the flowers and the fruit more prominently.
Where can I buy these wines?
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How should cheese be served?
Cheeses should be served at room temperature, below 70 degrees. If you do not store your cheese in a Cheese Grotto at 70 or below, then you should take your cheese out of the refrigerator at least an hour beforehand. The flavors and textures of cheese open up the more it warms up, so you can really maximize the pairing experience.
How should a you store cheeses in the spring and summer?
