Sure Zinfandel is a BBQ Wine But it Also Pairs Beautifully with Cheese
"Zinfandel, Napa" by naotakem is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Zinfandel has come a long way, baby. For most of recent history, zinfandel has been lumped together with overly jammy, vacuous, and mass-produced wines, if not defining the category by its lonesome. However, the page is turning from the zins of yesteryear to modern renditions that sing of versatility and elegance, beguiling the disbelievers and enchanting novices. These alluring attributes aren’t just for barbecue anymore - but for cheese, and lots of it.
Michael McCay, winemaker at McCay Cellars in Lodi, CA speaks to zin’s versatility with cheese by saying “zinfandel can be crafted in so many different directions.” McCay, who works with zinfandel vines between 80 and 114 years old, says his Trulux Vineyard zinfandel is best with a smoked gouda or mimolette.
Our friend zinfandel is a powerful one and its vivacious personality commands attention in any way you look at it - tannin, body, alcohol, aromas, even age-worthiness. The resulting cheese partner better bring it, because zin is not easily impressed. Thankfully, the following cheeses are up for the challenge with our darling debutante.
Your New Must-have Zin and Cheese Pairings
Turley Wine Cellars Juvenile 2018 - California ($25) with Roomano - The Netherlands ($12-$20 cut from 20lb wheels)
Photo credit Madame Fromage
Turley’s Juvenile zinfandel with a chunk of Roomano will awaken your childlike glee with some PB&J-like goodness. Turley’s iconic wines are made from grapes sourced from all over California - and zinfandel is a grape they know well. Juvenile is crafted from young vines that results in a wine full of perfumed fruitiness ready to play with Roomano’s gouda-like maturity. The Dutch cow’s milk cheese is aged between 24-48 months and has a luscious crunchy texture from calcium lactate crystals. We can’t get enough of the delectable duo.
Other Cheese Choice: Parmigiano Reggiano
Two Vintners White Zinfandel 2019 - Washington State ($25 for 750ML) or ($50 for 1.5L) with Nettle Meadow Kunik - Thurman, New York ($22/1lb or $16/10oz “button”)
This bicoastal duet is a symphony of sensations. Nettle Meadow crafts some of the finest cheeses in New York State and also happens to be an animal sanctuary. Kunik is their award-winning goat and cow triple cream that comes in a variety of sizes from 3.5oz “minis” to one-pound wheels. The tangy fromage is absolutely scrumptious with a glass of Two Vintners white zin, which ain’t like your momma’s blush wine. This pink juice is a mouthwatering dry wine that aims to set zinfandel rosé apart from the sugary-sweet versions that claimed the title “White Zinfandel” for decades. Even better, the 100% Washington State wine comes in magnums and standard bottles! More wine, more cheese. Hey, moderation is overrated anyway.
Other Cheese Choices: Saint Maure de Touraine, Tomme Vaudoise
Benmosche Family Wines 2015 - Peljesac Peninsula, Croatia ($33) with PaškiSir - Pag Island, Croatia ($15-$20 / 8oz)
Photo credit Forever Cheese
It was recently discovered that the origins of zinfandel stem back to Croatia. Also, (fun fact) in 2018, dairy residue was found on ancient pottery leading researchers to believe that cheesemaking in Croatia goes back over 7,000 years! This organic and biodynamic wine was produced by the late Bob Benmosche who brought Napa Valley zinfandel cuttings back to its home base of Croatia in 2006. The wine’s soft tannin, voluptuous blackberry aromas, topped with some fig-alicious notes sing harmoniously with this firm and tangy sheep’s cheese - with a little side of history.
Other Cheese Choice: Malvarosa
McCay Trulux Vineyard 2016 - Lodi, California ($32) with Mimolette - Lille, France ($12 avg/8oz)
You’ll have to keep your “oohs” and “aahs” at a minimum with this elegant duo. Trulux Vineyard zin showcases the grape in all its luxury. The vineyard is located on the Westside of Lodi’s AVA and steps up its game with some really eye-catching ladder vines. The seductive wine draws you in with its delicate bouquet of berries, tobacco, and graphite that beg for a slab of Mimolette, a cheese that is intoxicating all its own. Mimolette is a firm cow’s milk cheese from northern France. When you dive into the moon-like sphere, an orange-hued, caramelly center is unearthed that creates a heavenly symbiosis with Trulux. We love these two together - to the moon and back.
Other Cheese Choice: Smoked Gouda
Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve 2016 - Dry Creek Valley, California ($18) (Gold Medal 2019 New York International Wine Competition) with Ricotta Salata - Sicily, Italy (1lb wheel/ $14)
: "Ricotta Salata" by ulterior epicure is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Italian immigrants settled in northern California in the 19th century with their brawn and viticulture smarts in tow. Today, zinfandel (known as primitivo in Italy) thrives all over the Bay Area but is best known from Dry Creek Valley. In this Old World meets New World coupling, we pay homage to Italian cheesemaking and Sonoma staple, Frei Brothers, which is one of the county’s oldest wineries still in operation. Ricotta Salata is made in many parts of Italy but most come from Sicily. Salata is a more briny version of fresh ricotta made from sheep’s milk whey and aged for 3 months. It is creamy, nutty, and yes, salty (“salata” means salty) which calls for a jazzy red, like Frei Brothers’ award-winning Sonoma Reserve. The wine is jam-packed with a berry compote bouquet that takes on Salata’s brine fearlessly.
Other Cheese Choice: Manouri
Head to the Cheese Professor to learn even more about Zinfandel and Cheese Pairings.