Welsh Wine Week – Cheese and Wine Pairings

3 Jun 2021

Welsh Wine Week provides a great opportunity to get to know the independently-minded producers of Wales and their wines. We’ve decided to play our part and choose 6 top Welsh wines that we would pair with some of our favourite cheeses.

Quick tips for cheese and wine pairings:

• White wines are easier to pair with cheese than reds.
• For soft cheese, opt for a crisp, dry white – the acidity will cut through the richness.
• For hard cheese, consider red – it can stand up to bold flavours.
• Blue and strong cheeses go well with sweet wine.

Our pairings:

Solaris 2020, Montgomery Vineyard

The zesty Solaris 2020 from Montgomery Vineyard has aromas of pear drops with an exotic tropical nose. On tasting, refreshing grapefruit overlaid with a delicate sweetness. This wine won Silver at the 2019 Welsh Wine Awards. Best when paired with a good Caerffili such as Thelma Caerffili, Teifi Caerphilly or Caws Cenarth’s Ffili Mini. Alternatively, it pairs well with a fresh goat’s cheese such as Pant-Ys-Gawn or Tysilio.

Vintage Sparkling Rosé 2017, Glyndŵr

Halloumi may not be the first cheese that comes to mind when you’re planning a cheese and wine pairing, but it deserves its place on your plate. For a summery combo, try a slice or two of salty Teifi Organic Halloumi (ideal for the barbecue) with a sparkling rosé from Glyndŵr Vineyard in the Vale of Glamorgan, the oldest and largest vineyard in Wales.

Pefriog 2019, Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard (Llandudno)

Exuberant nose of lychee, orange blossom with a touch of exotic. Perfectly crisp and balanced. This wine has won a Silver at the International Wine Challenge 2017 as well as a Bronze at the Wine GB Awards 2018. Caws Preseli by Pant Mawr would benefit from the sharper, clean flavours associated with this sparkling Welsh wine from Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard.

Rondo 2019 (Powys), Montgomery Vineyard

Special parcels of Montgomery Vineyard Rondo grapes were hand picked and softly pressed to create Rondo. This award-winning, full-bodied red has dark fruit overtones (blackberry/cherry) and a slightly spicy finish. This also won Silver at the 2019 Welsh Wine Awards and was the overall winner of the best red wine class. It’ll easily stand up to the beautiful Mon Las blue cheese as well as a Snowdonia favourite, Truffle Trove.

Pinot Noir, Ancre Hill Estates (Monmouthshire)

With its rich, golden centre, Angiddy is able to hold up against a bolder flavour. Try it with a light red such as a Pinot Noir  from Ancre Hill Estates.

Glyndwr Red, Glyndwr Vineyard (Cowbridge)

A ruby, complex and fruity red wine. Produced from early ripening mature Rondo grapes at Glyndwr Vineyard, this red wine is full-coloured and fragrant. It displays a charming, rustic character of berry fruits and savoury nuances. Pair with Perl Las, an unmistakeable grown-up blue flavour is quickly followed by the creaminess of a much milder soft cheese, making Perl Las one of The Welsh Cheese Company’s top picks. Make no mistake though, this blue is still bold enough to keep up with robust red.

Telor Y Coed, Mountain Mead

Ok, I know we said 6 but as it’s not technically a wine, we are still sticking to our word! Mead (sometimes called honey wine) is made by fermenting honey, not grapes. But this medium sweet mead from Mountain Mead, made in North Wales, is perfect as a desert. Pair this with a soft cheese such as Perl Wen or Cenarth Brie to experience the full flavour.