Ringing in 2012: Five Cheeses to Pair with Sparkling Wines

Whether it's Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, Champagne from France or sparkling wine from the US, bubbly wines are the perfect match for an array of cheeses. What better way to ring in 2012 than with a cheese plate designed to complement the festive nature of sparkling wine?

Saint Angel is a luxurious triple crème cow’s milk cheese from France. Triple Crème cheeses are rich and buttery with a fluffy texture and fairly mild flavor. They have a high butterfat content, which is balanced out by the refreshing bubbles in sparkling wine. Other triple crèmes to try include Mt. Tam, Kunik.

Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano is an unexpected pairing with a sparkling wine. The soft texture of the cheese helps the bright flavors explode in your mouth. It is slightly sweet, with detectable notes of pineapple, baked bread, and grass. It is balanced with a mild acidity and pair beautifully with a fuller bodied Champagne. 

Pleasant Ridge Reserve is an Alpine style cheese made from raw cow’s milk in Wisconsin. Pleasant Ridge has a nutty, clean flavor and a milky finish that shows off the extremely high quality of the cow's milk. Its rich, dense and balanced flavors pair nicely with sparkling wine such as a Blanc de Noir, which elevates its sweetness and nutty quality.

Garrotxa is a goat's milk cheese produced in the Catalonia region in northern Spain. The flavor is milky and delicate with a hint of nuttiness and a clean, smooth finish. It pairs with just about any sparkling wine but I suggest Cava.

Gorgonzola Cremificato is a dolce (sweet) style Gorgonzola from the Lombardy region of Italy. It is made from raw, cow’s milk and has a mild blue flavor with notes of grass. It pairs beautifully with a sweeter sparkling wine such as demi sec champagne and makes a perfect dessert cheese.