Copia's Love Affair with Cheese

If you’ve visited us and experienced our lounge tasting, you’ll know we love to experience our wine with artisanal cheese. Cheese is incredibly delicious and enjoyable on its own, of course. But, there is a reason that wine and cheese are a match made in heaven.

 

Let's talk tannins! Tannins are an astringent compound abundantly found in nature. When it comes to wine, tannins are extracted from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak barrels. Think texture, structure and mouthfeel. Have you ever had the sensation of a the moisture leaving your palate after enjoying wine? That is the tannin in the wine.

 

What does this have to do with cheese? Cheese is composed of protein and fat and is rich on the palate. There is an interaction that happens when you combine wine tannins and the fat in cheese. A bite of cheese before a sip of wine smooths out the "rough edges" of some wine tannins. The perception of astringency in wine is reduced as it glides like silk over the palate. Studies have also shown that certain cheeses with certain wines can work to enhance fruit qualities and aromas.

 

At Copia, we take time as a team sampling several cheeses with each wine before presenting them to you. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it! Our goal is to always find a cheese match that doesn’t change or overpower the wine. We look for a pairing that puts the wine on a pedestal and simply lets it shine.

 

We’d love to see you in the tasting room soon and take you on this wine and cheese journey! You can also have fun with pairings at home. Check out your local grocery store, or find a cheese shop near you and get your hands on some of our favorites below.