Les classiques – review of our classic cheese and wine seminar

Some classics just never go out of style. The same applies to classic cheese and wine combinations, which are the star of the evening at our long-running seminar "Les classiques". At our last seminar at the end of April, we paired the classic cheeses with the following wines:

1. Chaource + Crémant du Jura 2014 brut nature zero dosage, Domaine Champ Divin
2. Valençay + Saumur blanc 2015, Château de Villeneuve
3. Comté Extra Vieux + Côtes du Rhône 2015 Les Claux, Domaine Usseglio
4. Epoisses + Côtes de Brouilly "Les sept vignes", Château Thivin
5. Roquefort + Madeira Malvasia, Barbeito

As you can see, two times out of five the perfect pairings are cheese plus white wine. This may surprise some, but it is actually the case that cheese often gets along better with white wine, since the often powerful red wines, especially if they have pronounced tannins, completely steal the show from the cheese.
The red-smeared Epoisses from Burgundy is a rare exception, and our all-rounder, the Comté, can also hold its own.

Even if we didn't stick to it that evening, those of you who are unsure are welcome to follow the following rules of thumb:

1. Wine and cheese from the same region usually go well together
2. When in doubt, prefer white wine – or champagne!

We presented our classic favorites in a relaxed to quite exuberant and cheerful atmosphere and tasted them again ourselves. Anaïs also told us interesting facts about the origin and special features of cheese and wine, which she spiced up with small anecdotes and stories from the everyday life of cheese and wine professionals. After about two hours, everyone was full and satisfied and everyone has discovered their own favorite combination. Our surprise this time was in the finale: instead of serving a Sauternes with the Roquefort as usual - blue mold and dessert wine is considered one of the most classic combinations of all! – this time we tried a sweet Madeira wine. Lo and behold: it tasted fantastic! Just between us: the Madeira also tasted wonderful with all other types of cheese - I tried it myself and can therefore extend the above-mentioned rule "When in doubt, champagne" to "When in doubt, champagne or Madeira".

Here are a few more impressions of the evening:

And if you are sad that you missed the seminar: don't worry, we offer this classic three to four times a year - just remember to register in good time. You can find the current seminars on our website and you can also conveniently book them directly online.

If you have an idea for a desired seminar that we do not offer: simply contact us - we would be happy to receive your inspiration!