Wine, cheese make for holiday merriment

With the holidays fast approaching, wine and cheese combinations are perfect for entertaining. Although wine and cheese seem to go together like carrots and peas, there are different styles of both that must be carefully matched. Recently we paired three very different cheeses with three wines from the Robert Mondavi Private Selection Series.

When combining wines with cheeses, a few basic rules apply. To begin with one should research and taste different cheeses to sample the flavors and establish a flavor preference. Cheese should be served at room temperature while the wines should be served around 55 to 60 degrees F. White wines should be served slightly cooler.

To paraphrase Ted Allen, who wrote an excellent article on pairing of wine and cheese, white wines are best served with soft cheeses that have a stronger flavor while red wines pair best with hard cheeses that have milder flavors.

The Robert Mondavi Private Select Series has introduced three new wines in time for holiday entertaining. Robert Mondavi founded the Private Select series of wine in 1994 to take advantage of the diverse grapes of the central coast of California. The result has been excellent wines with good flavor and easy drinkabilty with affordable prices.

The Private Selection 2009 Chardonnay ($11) is a crisp, refreshing white wine made from 100 percent Central Coast grapes. The wine was matched with Pierce Point, a Cowgirl Creamery Fall seasonal white cheese, washed in muscato wine and rolled in dried herbs resulting in a semisoft cheese with excellent flavors.

The Chardonnay was an excellent match with the cheese. The Private Selection 2008 Meritage ($11) is a flavorful red wine made from the classic Bordeaux blend varietals including cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

The red wine was served with a Carmody from Bellwether Farms and is made from Jersey cow milk aged at least six weeks. Gold in color, the cheese is smooth with a wonderful taste.

The final wine was a Private Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($11), which was made from grapes from both Monterey and Paso Robles areas of California. The wine has flavors of blackberries with floral aromas and was matched with a Crater Lake Blue Cheese from Rogue Creamery. The blue cheese flavor worked perfectly with the Cabernet Sauvignon.

All the cheeses sampled are from the U.S. West coast and can be purchased online or retail stores in the area, as can the wines. For holiday entertaining, wine and cheese will always work.