5 Cheeses That Show the Surprising Versatility of Zinfandel

From ooey-gooey to firm and salty cheese, zinfandel brings the classic wine and cheese pairing into a whole new world

It’s not so often we meet a wine that has redefined itself from its sordid past and morphed into a versatile food-friendly wine. Believe it or not, that wine is zinfandel, my friends, and it’s now the perfect counterpart for all things cheese.

When it comes to pairing cheese with wine (or vice versa), there are a few things to remember. First, cheeses that are soft and creamy (ricotta, brie) synchronize with wines that have elevated acid such as Champagne or dry riesling. Acid slices through fat seamlessly. Second, firm salty cheeses (aged gouda, manchego) suit tannic wines such as cabernet sauvignon or aglianico just fine by creating an oh-so-silky texture. Also, a salty-n-sweet twosome like feta with Tawny Port is always a million-dollar pairing. Powerful with powerful also make an equal union. You don’t want your cheese to overtake your wine like a sailboat in an Atlantic hurricane, do you? Thankfully, there are many versions of this wine possessing these elements, and there’s nothing but smooth sailing ahead.

Zinfandel is a curious creature - a wine that can cause a rift between gastronomy connoisseurs, much like some cheeses. Époisses or Roquefort anyone? But the fact of the matter is - zin is everything from dark and brooding to fresh and buoyant - and all it really needs is a perfect counterpart to help it achieve balance, which is the goal for any and all unions - food or otherwise.

Cheese n’ Zin Pairings

Gorgonzola by Kochtopf is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 — Gorgonzola by Kochtopf is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Gorgonzola - Lombardy, Italy (pasteurized cow’s milk, $8-$12) with Terra D’Oro Zinfandel Port NV - Amador County, California ($24)

Combinations of salty-sweet create alluring symmetry. Gorgonzola was originally produced in northern Italy but now is made all over the world, including the United States. But, some things remain the same such as those legendary blue veins and its creamy, salty texture. Blue cheese can be very polarizing among cheese lovers, but paired with the right wine it can make even a stubborn nay-sayer backtrack. Enter Terra D’Oro’s zinfandel “port,” a fortified sweet wine made in the fashion of Portugal’s well-known dessert libation. Aromas of cocoa, candied red fruit, and sweet spice settle-down Gorgonzola’s saltiness that generates an illustrious balance.

Other Cheese Choices: Halloumi, Feta

**Roth Gran Queso - Monroe, Wisconsin (pasteurized cow, $10/lb) with Berryessa Gap Vineyards Estate Collection Zinfandel 2017 ($25)**

This award-winning Wisconsin cheese is what dreams are made of. The Manchego-like queso is sublime shaved over pasta or even suitable for chomping right into it - no judgment here. The delicious disk of cow’s milk is rubbed with a frisky blend of spices, including cinnamon and paprika, which make it stand out on cheese boards. However you choose to enjoy this rub-a-dub-dubbed rind and its mellow yellow innards, one thing is for sure, you need a glass of a badass rouge, enter Berryessa Gap zin. This lighter-than-expected zin possesses a dash of swagger with its cranberry-like notes and woody undertones, which is even better with a slight chill.

Other Cheese Choices: Queso Añejo

Zimbro - Serra da Estrela, Portugal (raw sheep’s milk, $25/lb) with Polvanera Sparkling Brut Rose - Puglia, Italy ($20)

Let’s sing the praises of this Zimbro and zin duet. Zimbro is an unpasteurized cheese hailing from the Serra da Estrela mountains in north-central Portugal. The cloth-bound, washed rind, soft n’ scoopable cheese is aged for 60 days, which results in an herbaceously fragrant funk that begs for bubbles. Primitivo, as zinfandel is known in Italy, makes some rough n’ tough reds, but with Polvanera at the wheel, that style is left in the dust. The exhilarating sparkler is bursting with red berry notes and a leader-of-the-pack mentality. The bubbly won’t steal the spotlight from Zimbro - but yet ask for it to be shared.

Other Cheese Choices: Strattiatella

**Harbison - Jasper Hill Farms, Vermont (pasteurized cow’s milk, $18-$23, 9oz wheels) with Bink Wines Mirrors 2019 - Clare Valley, Australia ($36)**

Mirrors is fascinating and unexpected. The organic bottling comes to us from high elevation Clare Valley, a region known for its tart riesling. The wine is low in alcohol (nearly 9%), which is surprising for zin whose ABV can reach up to 16%! Nevertheless, the wine is dry and light, with strawberry accents and a pleasant sharpness that is tailored for a creamy cheese like Harbison, a soft-ripened bloomy rind cheese. The scoopable, spruce bark-wrapped cheese comes from the geniuses at Jasper Hill Farms in Vermont. Together with Mirrors, Harbison creates a tantalizing tale of strawberries-n-cream yumminess.

Other Cheese Choices: Brie, Chaource

"cheese board" by camerasutra is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 — "cheese board" by camerasutra is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

**Up in Smoke - Rivers Edge Chevre, Oregon (pasteurized goat’s milk, $20 4oz wheel) with Turley Kirschenmann Vineyard 2018 - Lodi, California ($45)**

The exuberant pairing of these two West Coast gems will add some pizzaz to any get-together. Up In Smoke is a yummy goat’s milk cheese encapsulated in a smoked maple leaf. Once the bite-sized treasure is unearthed enticing aromatics can lasso any cheese lover in. The illuminating texture calls out for a glass (or bottle) of another Wild West refreshment to tame this feracious fromage - Turley zin. Just like cheese and wine, Turley and zinfandel go hand-in-hand. The Kirschenmann Vineyard bottling is a noteworthy example of old vine Cali zin - these vines go back to 1915! The wine is refined with a pinch of razzle-dazzle deliciousness that only gets better with a chunk o’ cheese.

Other Cheese Choices: Grana Padano

Head to the Alcohol Professor to learn even more about Zinfandel and Cheese Pairings.