Alternatives to Port

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Tags:Cheese,Cheese & Wine,Dessert Wine,Port,Sauternes,Sweet Wine,Tokaji,Sherry,Bordeaux,Italy,Languedoc,New Zealand,

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With loud protestation "I couldn't eat another thing", there's always one who suggests bringing the cheese board out, and we can't resist!

The team at JN Wine have come up with a few exciting pairings for your perusal, alongside a selection of classic wines in our range that will help fill up the sides. Don’t blame us!

Of course, the traditional pairing at Christmas would be a nice port and if you want to go that direction we have you covered, but there are many other alternatives ...

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First, we have the Quinta de la Rosa LBV port.

This LBV boasts ripe fruit with a velvety character and finish. Vibrant, it has aromas of mature fruit, floral notes and spices.

Late bottle vintage is a complex and rich wine, a great all-rounder for your cheeseboard but pairs beautifully with aged cheeses, why not try it with a Manchego. Made with sheep milk, Manchego has a distinctive flavour but its not too strong. This hard cheese had a crumbly texture and creamy flavour this is rich, nutty and slightly salty.  

 

Alternatively, you can go for a port with a little extra age to it.

Compared to a LBV a Tawny port with it’s slight oxidised style takes the vibrancy you would have from an LBV an turns its mellower.

Along with more subdued fruit notes you get more of a nuttiness with honey towards the finish. A different style but one that goes delightfully well with a cheese that echoes those nutty flavours. Pair it with Gruyere, a creamy and nutty cheese that becomes more complex with age. 

The Wine & Soul Manoella 10 year old Tawny is a great example to try.

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Now for a few alternatives to Port, sticking to a full bodied red but a more drier style, Bordeaux reds are a great go to.

The broad, structured tannins of a Bordeaux rouge hold up every well to the sharpness of mature Cheddars.  As a good rule, the more mature the cheese, the bigger and fuller the wine should be. 

Likewise the creamy sweetness of Cheddar cuts through the pronounced Blackberry and plum notes of our recommended wine, Château Picoron ‘Le Bon Nobel’ 2016.

 

 

For the white wine drinkers out there Chardonnay with its rounded acidity and body is a great option to have open.

Our choice, the Neudorf Tiritiri Chardonnay is a New Zealand Chardonnay from Nelson.

It displays pleasant stone fruit notes with underscores of salinity and hazelnut that balances wonderfully with the creaminess of a Compté. The Compté with its fruity and savoury notes will pair beautifully with the Chardonnay and echo those hazelnut notes.  

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Back to Reds, and a lighter expression this time with a Pinot Noir ‘Les Hauts De Pepy’ from Domaine Girard as our suggestion.

This unoaked Pays d’Oc Pinot Noir has attractive strawberry, raspberry, and cranberry notes with some earthy nuances and enough herbaceousness to match up with a good Camembert. This soft creamy cheese with its delicate mushroom and fruity notes is a brilliant partner for the Pinot Noir.

 

Another white option, Pecorino (the wine not the cheese) is a wonderful option.

The Umani Ronchi Vellodoro Terre di Chieti Pecorino is worth considering, Bright straw yellow in colour, it has intense notes of Apricot, peach salted almonds and a nice florality that lifts it.

The stone fruit and the almond flavours match up beautifully with a fresh soft goats’ cheese. The tart and tangy flavours of the goats’ cheese go incredibly with the mineral and fruity notes in the wine. 

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Another option is a sweet wine, the Pajzos Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos.

This Hungarian sweet wine displays caramel and dried fruit with citrus zest nuances and floral notes.

A great option across the board but would pair exceptionally well with blue cheeses like Stilton. The rich caramel flavours of the wine and the bold creamy, nutty and saline flavours in the Stilton are a match made in heaven. Also, a good option to have with your Christmas dessert.

 

 

 

 

 

Our final suggestion, and maybe something to pair with more of a charcuterie board would be a dry sherry.

The Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla is citrusy and crisp with a beautiful salinity and pairs well with salty cheese such as Mozzarella and Feta as well as things like smoked meats, nuts and olives.

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Whichever you choose, you'll not be disappointed but should you need more inspiration here you'll find a full selection of
Ports & Sherry  and Dessert Wines.

Cheers,

JN Wine Team.

 

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