There are lots of things in life that work best in a twos. Ben and Jerry, Gin and Tonic, Salt and Pepper to name a few. But nothing really beats the fantastic combination of cheese and wine carefully matched on a beautiful platter.
Delta teamed up with Marlborough’s favourite deli and cheese supplier, Pātaka The Foodstore, on Tuesday 2nd October and welcomed 15 avid cheese and wine fans through their doors. The evening, led by Delta winemaker Heather Stewart, focused on creating interesting and provocative flavour pairings and led to widespread discussion on how the taste of a cheese can drastically change the flavour of a wine.
The relaxed and conversational tasting flowed through six different wine and food matches, with Heather’s commentary throughout.
Here’s a glimpse of the pairings we shared throughout the evening:
Hatters Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2016 and the Delta Sauvignon Blanc 2017 paired with Cranky Goat Soft Goats Cheese with salad greens, Telegraph Hill balsamic drizzle and Flaxbourne single estate olive oil.
This was not only an excellent match with high acid goat’s cheese but a great opportunity to explore two different vintages. The smooth and delicate palate of the 2016 Hatters Hill Sauvignon Blanc left many in the audience in awe of how Sauvignon Blanc can develop well whilst still maintaining intense fruit flavours.
Delta Pinot Noir Rosé 2017 paired with two contrasting cheeses: Over the Moon Black sheep, and Wangapeka Urbock
One of our more complex pairings, Over the Moon Black Sheep is an Ossau-Iraty style semi-hard sheep’s cheese inspired by the Basque region in Spain. The rind is encased in smoked paprika which highlighted rich savoury notes in the Delta Pinot Noir Rosé.
In contrast, the Wangapeka Urbock is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese which highlighted the vibrant strawberry shortcake notes within the wine, leaving a freshy and fruity feeling.
Hatters Hill Chardonnay 2016 paired with roasted potatoes with 362 Grillhouse Truffle Mayonnaise.
Strictly speaking, this was quite off-piste for a cheese and wine tasting, because where was the cheese?! The reason behind this pairing, was how well the creamy texture of the mayonnaise and the subtle yet vibrant flavour of the truffle melted in the mouth with this complex and creamy single vineyard Chardonnay.
Hatters Hill Pinot Noir 2016 paired with Over the Moon Black Truffle Brie with Marlborough Black Garlic.
This was a hugely popular pairing. Made from high quality cow’s milk, the cheese is layered with black truffles giving a rich aromatic nutty and earthy taste. The black olives notes and savoury earthy characteristics within this award-winning Pinot Noir combined effortlessly with the rich truffle notes and creamy texture of this cheese.
Delta Merlot 2017 paired with Little River Blue Vein cheese and Te Mata fig and walnut salami.
Last but not least, we finished with our full-bodied Delta Hawkes Bay Merlot. This tannin rich wine balanced beautifully with the tangy and powerful blue cheese from the Little River Estate in Nelson. The Te Mata fig and walnut salami is a delightful combination of figs, walnuts and ginger with a rich and chocolatey taste- perfectly paired with the Merlot to draw out the vibrant berry and chocolatey notes within this wine.
As delicious as these sound on screen, nothing beats experiencing these pairings in the flesh. If you want to experience the flavours for yourself or receive Heather’s advice on the perfect cheese and wine matches, get in touch and we’d be happy to help you create your own inspiring cheese and wine pairing.
