My Favorite Cheeses + Sparkling Wine Pairings
Dear Friends,
Sweet or savory? Even though we all know by now that bubbles go with everything, I always trend towards savory! As we move into fall, I thought this would be a great opportunity to share my favorite guilty pleasure — CHEESE!
The first is Époisses, more formally known as Époisses de Bourgogne, a soft cow's milk cheese with an "unmistakable funk," as Murray's Cheese likes to say. Murray's also claims that the cheese got banned from the Paris Metro due to its smell. It's never banned at my house! All gooey goodness, my new 2020 Blanc de Noirs will pair beautifully.
The Particelli family at St. Helena's Olive Oil Company always knows that I am in search of Moliterno al Tartufo, or in my words, "the best damn truffled cheese." Smooth and ideal for shaving into strips, it contains peels of Italian black truffle embedded within rich, butter sheep's milk cheese, and is really good with a drizzle of honey and salty crackers. My Brut might be the call here.
And then there's Soumaintrain, a sweet-salty French farmhouse cheese made from raw cow's milk that is native to the Burgundy region, where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive, just like in my bubbles. Of course, aged Gouda is another go-to that always works.
To accompany these cheeses, I make jam. I am lucky that each year good friends share the bounty of their fruit. This year it was oranges, Meyer lemons, peaches and my all-time favorite, figs. A peach mostarda (which is sweet and savory like a chutney and includes mustard seeds) was a first for me. Truly excellent with charcuterie. A dollop of jam adds something next dimensional to a cheese and bubbles experience.
Whether it's sheep, cow or goat-based, cheese brings joy. Find your favorite and raise a glass to my upcoming release of Paula Kornell 2020 Blanc de Noirs. I thank you for your continued support in helping me build my dream.
With sparkles,
PAULA KORNELL
paula kornell sparkling wines
the paula kornell sparkling california brut made its debut in 2017 and soon earned the #5 spot in wine enthusiast’s top wines of 2020. made predominantly from chardonnay with a percentage of pinot noir, the grapes that go into the wine are certified sustainable.
pair it with my napa valley blanc de noirs from mitsuko’s vineyard, a blend of 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay, awarded 90 points recently from wine critic lisa perrotti-brown in the wine independent, who said, "the palate has impressive vivacity with fine, frothy bubbles."