Our small wine shop in Athens, the Larkin Winespace, is next door to Birdies, a new cafe and specialty market that has an exceptional cheese selection, inspiring you to explore flavors you wouldn’t encounter on a regular grocery store cheese run.
The cheese shop recently held a special day featuring raclette, a dish where gloriously funky Alpine cheese is melted onto whatever starch you prefer — often boiled potatoes or crusty bread. This time, it was a delicious baguette lined with thinly shaved French ham.
In the manner of aprés-ski gatherings, we decided to have an impromptu wine tasting with friends, offering several servings of raclette. We chilled a few Swiss whites and popped some delicate reds from both the French Alps and Oregon. The top-notch pairings were a reminder that when you pair wine and cheese from the same place, the results can be transcendent.
Of course, this decadent experience, which we often relegate to winter, can be replicated easily in other seasons, too. Nothing welcomes spring like a lovely outdoor party revolving around cheese and wine.
Here are a few picks from our fete that are outstanding when paired with Alpine cheeses, such as comté or raclette:
L’Alpage chasselas Mont-sur-rolle, Switzerland, 2021 and Cave Caloz fendant La Mourziere Valais 2021. Chasselas is the most widely planted white grape in Switzerland, where it also goes by the name fendant. It often is enjoyed after hitting the slopes. While not much Swiss wine is imported stateside, it is a fun white to seek out. L’Alpage is a great everyday wine — crisp and loaded with juicy green apple and melon flavors. The Cave Caloz is a more serious use of the grape, with elegant mineral layers; it’s one to seek out for a special occasion.
Domaine Overnoy-Crinquand ploussard la rouge 2019. This is a classic light red from the portion of the Jura mountains in eastern France. The ploussard grape is light in body, but the wine leans earthy, with notes of dried rose petals, cranberry and a rustic tea-like quality. This is a sophisticated red that balances the funkier cheeses well.
Maison Noir Wines Bastardo Jackson trousseau 2022. We couldn’t resist adding a fun domestic wine into the mix. This wine is made from 100% trousseau, a grape with origins in France’s Jura region but right at home in Oregon. While also lighter in body, this wine has a more fruit-forward character — dark cherry and mulberry — with a graceful finish. It has a great style and is affordable, if you are new to Alpine reds.
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