Food pairings and pairing foods with drinks is quite common today. We seem to instinctively know what goes with what without giving it much thought. For example, pairings like meat and pickles or oil and vinegar are second nature. We even know that cheese and wine go together but it’s not as easy to explain as the sweet and salty contrast of a peanut butter and jam sandwich.
 
According to some intense studies, it is believed that the combination of cheese and wine gives your mouth and pallet just what it craves – two items with opposing properties. The cheese has an almost fatty or oily feel to it while the wine clears the pallet and makes your mouth almost feel dry. Slimy or dry, neither of these are particularly appealing on their own. When you put them together, however, it’s almost as though they cancel each other out and all you get is the flavour!
 
Another important factor to remember is that the wine you drink will have a greater cleansing effect with each sip. In other words, every sip you take will be more noticeable than the last – even while eating cheese in between these sips.
 
As for the more precise pairing of a particular type of cheese with a specific type of wine, this takes matchmaking to a whole new level! It’s not just about getting rid of that fatty feeling in your mouth. It’s also about making sure that the wine you are enjoying does not completely take over your senses. If this happens, you will hardly enjoy the flavour of the cheese! Similarly, if the cheese is particularly strong, you will need just the right wine to match its strength. Failing to do so will mean that the wine will taste like water!
 
So, the next time you enjoy a glass of wine with a cheese platter and somebody asks you, “Why does wine and cheese go together”, you can quite easily compare it to other popular pairings. Ask them if they enjoy a glass of fresh orange juice when they eat bacon and eggs. Or perhaps they are inclined to dunk their fries in ice cream. Whatever their combo preferences may be, it all boils down to the way in which opposites satisfy all of your cravings at once!