Wine and Cheese

Wine and Cheese pairing

Aged White Cheddar and Malbec:

Wine: Wellsley Farms Malbec

Variety: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2021

Price: $14.97

Cheese: Kerrygold Aged White Cheddar

Kerrygold White
Cheddar Cheese

After sniffing the wine, I got a pepper and smoky scent. Once I took a sip, these aromas held strong and the wine tasted like pepper to me. This aligns with the description on the back of the bottle because they describe their wine to be a "powerful yet balanced red with hints of smoke, spice, and vanilla". The aged white cheddar was rich in flavor and creamy. The Wine Folly textbook suggests that you pair fruity, umami cheeses (like cheddar) with full-bodied reds like this Malbec (page 69). When paired together, the cheese feels creamier since the Malbec is tannic, and it almost feels like eating butter. I felt that the wine started to taste more sour when I ate more cheese. Because of that, I found myself craving the cheese after each sip because the wine was smoky and dry. The wine masked the saltiness of the cheese, while the cheese enhanced the smoky and peppery flavors of the wine. I think the wine overpowered the cheese a bit with its flavor. I would rate the wine a 5/10, it was too smoky and had too many spices for me. I would rate the pairing a 7/10, I loved the cheese and I liked that it made the wine less tannic, but the wine wasn't that good.

Here's me tasting both together