Turn the rule book upside down during British Cheese Week
It’s British Cheese Week from 1-7 October 2007, the perfect time to get all patriotic with the Cheeseboard and try some gems other than the usual cheddar and stilton.
Many of us will start reaching for the red wine when the cheese course comes round, but in fact many cheeses match much better with white wines.
So try some of the suggestions below for something a bit different.
Salty cheeses require a crisp dry white. With a Caerphilly or a Cheshire, for example, why not try Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc, £6.99 at Sainsbury’s, Somerfield and Tesco.
Mild, sweet and crumbly cheeses such as Wensleydale and Lancashire would suit the fresh, clean, stone fruit and pear-tasting De Bortoli Gulf Station Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon, £6.99 from Tesco.
Richer, creamier cheeses need a fuller-flavoured wine. Try the Anakena Ona Viognier-Riesling-Chardonnay, £8.99 in Oddbins, with a Single Gloucester or a Lincolnshire Poacher.
Many blue cheeses pair well with a sweeter wine – the classic Port and Stilton being an example. But branch out a bit and try Buxton Blue or Shropshire Blue with the semi-sweet Banrock Station Sparkling Shiraz, £7.99 from Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.