by Sophia Stern
To go with our Alpine feature this week (15% off all Alpine cheeses this weekend!), we have a pairing guide for the Apine styles in our cheese case. Alpine style is a large family of cheese (pun intended- these wheels are often 75 to 200 pounds). There are many iconic members of this style, like Gruyère, Comté, ‘Swiss Cheese’ and other cheeses you may know and love like Challerhocker or Pleasant Ridge Reserve. These firm cheeses tend to be large in scale, nutty and rich in flavor, with a closed or smooth texture.
While each Alpine style has its own defining aromas, texture, and story, these cheeses do have a few things in common. They are either made in the mountains or made following the methods mountain dairies have implemented for centuries. They almost always are made with raw milk from cows. These cheeses are the result of a significant process, where the cheesemaker “cooks” or heats the curds before pressing them into their final molds. This results in a firm yet elastic texture that melts beautifully.
We’ve written about this revered style many times if you’d like a deeper dive. We’ve even Adopted an alp! But for now, know we’re referring to cheese made in or inspired by the Alpine traditions of Mountain dairying. This is a complicated definition, but works for our purposes of finding perfect beverage pairings.
Alpine style cheeses are rich in their flavor. A mellower style might be rich in flavors of cream, butter, and savory nuttiness. Another, like Gruyere, might have stronger flavors of beef stock and caramelized onions. Some smaller wheels might get funkier, with distinct barnyard notes. Older wheels concentrate in flavor, amplifying their richness. The bottom line is: even milder Alpine cheeses have an intensity which a pairing will have to match. Wines with good acidity, strong aroma and flavor, and good structure should be able to handle a rich Alpine style cheese.
To take your pairing further, you can either go for a contrasting or complementary pairing.
A contrasting pairing works because the cheese and wine have different qualities that result in a balanced, enhanced flavor and texture for both products. Acidic, dry white wines with green notes like green apple, pear, and even herb notes work well. Think Gruner Veltliner, Reisling or Txakoli.
A complementary pairing works because the cheese and wine have defining features that are similar and desirable, while still being well balanced. A complementary pairing for Alpine cheese might focus on buttery, nutty notes. Finding a wine with elegant use of oak will draw out the decadence in the Alpine cheese, while the wine’s good acidity and structure will stop the pairing from being too much. A Chardonnay or Cabernet Franc that has seen some oak provide a velvety match to the Alpine cheeses.
Of course, each cheese has its own unique qualities that call for specific needs in a pairing. Here are some recommendations for each Alpine style in our case:
French Mountain Cheese (Comté, Comté Sagesse)
From the Jura Mountains, we have buttery, nutty Comté. Different qualities and age profiles of this large mountain cheese have differing dominate flavor notes and textures, but you can always depend on a firmer texture and a savory cultured cream flavor profile. Comté needs acidity to cut through the richness.
Pairings to try:
Marcel Petite’s Comté + Mokoroa Txakoli or Stadt Krems Gruner Veltliner
The Marcel Petite Comté we have year-round has a firm but supple texture and an easy-going flavor with notes of cream. The younger profile works great with an acidic, white table wine.
Comte Sagesse + Trefethen Chardonnay
The older profile we carry is extremely limited. Only available in the late fall and winter, Comté Sagesse is a 24-month Comté, chock full of crystallization and packing dense flavor notes of almond liquor and cultured butter. The more intense older profile needs a wine with more body and some richness to match.
Swiss Mountain Cheese (Gruyère, Emmentaler, Appenzeller)
On the Swiss side, we have a trio of mountain cheeses most famous for their use in Fondue! Gruyère is better known in the United States for its use in recipes and on menus. It’s often the cheese used in French Onion Soup, in savory pastries, and even on pizza. Though from Switzerland, Gruyère tastes nothing like what most in the US would associate with Swiss cheese. What we call Swiss cheese is a giant called Emmentaler (which is ridiculously hard to pair). Finally, we can’t talk about Gruyère and Emmentaler without Appenzeller. While Gruyère and Emmentaler are physically huge cheeses, Appenzeller is made in a smaller format and has a funkier flavor with notes of beef stock. The flavor intensity is matched by a dense and deliciously rich texture.
Pairings to try:
Gruyere 1655 + Oberto Dolcetto D’Alba or Red Tail Ridge ‘Frost Smoke’
Gruyère has a beefy, sweet flavor full of allium notes like caramelized onions. Fruity red wines with an earthy undertone pair well, drawing out the fruity notes the cheese and pairing richness, without drowning the subtleties in the cheese.
Appenzeller + Ravines Dry Reisling
To pair rich, funky Appenzeller, you can either go for light sweetness or go for a floral, fruity white.
Emmentaler + Domaine des Ouches Bourgueil 'Cuvee 20'
If you want to pair Emmentaler, you’ll need wines with lighter, fruity acidity or you’ll risk drawing out the metallic notes in the cheese. This pairing draws out smokey, meaty flavors in the cheese, reminiscent of Speck from Italy. Yum.
Other Excellent Alpine Styles
In the wider family of Alpine style cheese, we have cheeses inspired by the traditions of these mountain cheeses, but what we would call ‘originals. These wheels are unique to the creamery that makes them, rooted in the land the animals graze on and the methods each cheese maker employes. All these cheeses have a semi-firm to firm texture. They all have a savory, rich, nutty flavor profile with varying levels of sweetness and funk.
Pairings to try:
Pleasant Ridge Reserve + Red Car Chardonnay
Pleasant Ridge is a hero cheese in our case. The most-awarded American cheese, Pleasant Ridge is firm, savory and fruity. It’s crafted with care in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin and pairs well with a Chardonnay with some light oak and lots of acidity
Alex + Von Winning Winery’s Pinot Noir Rosé/Elk Cove Pinot Rose
Alex is a firm German cheese with an herbaceous washed rind. It has funk towards the rind, but the majority of the flavor is complex, intense, and rich. A beefier rosé is an excellent pairing, as the boldness of the wine matches the cheese but doesn’t drown the nuanced notes of clover, herbs, and hay.
Wrangeback is the most northern cheese in our case and our only Swedish offering. It has a softer texture than most of these other cheeses and a brightness like you’d find in cheddar. Still, the savory, beefy notes of an alpine style cheese are unmistakable. Bubbles really help balance the texture of this cheese and the juicy lambrusco offers a jammy experience that enhances both cheese and wine.
A longtime fan favorite, Challerhocker is an iconic alpine style cheese known to be intriguingly delicious and perfect for a crowd. You can either pair complementary and go for a bolder, rich white for more savory notes, or opt for an acidic white to cut through the cheese’s intensity.