I thought I’d have a change from the norm this week and talk about cheese and wine. Not such a big step away from dessert really. In Europe when we think about finishing a delicious meal, 50 per cent of the time people would opt for a plate of cheese rather than a plate of pudding. There’s a whole world of cheese to be explored and a wide variety of cheeses from all corners of the globe.

Sadly, the word cheese in India generally describes something processed that either comes out of a can, as a nicely-packaged slice or in spreadable form. But in reality, India has an age-old tradition of making cheese. Most, if not all, of the ones I have eaten have been hard and semi-hard cheese, coming from the mountain and hill regions of India. They have been similar to those found in Austria and Switzerland (Gouda, Edam, Gruyere, etc).

Even close by, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, etc produce some fantastic cheese but sadly you will find none of them in Calcutta. (If I’m out of place saying that, I’d love to know otherwise). I’ve asked suppliers many times in the past if they could source a regular supply of local cheeses but to no avail. I managed to put a platter of Indian cheeses together for a menu in Delhi but haven’t been able to do the same elsewhere in India.

Most of the time, all you find from the suppliers are imported castaways from Europe (with the odd exception, of course) and ridiculous things like Danish Feta and Camembert! The Feta comes in a tetra pack and worse, the Camembert comes packaged in a ring-pull can! But because it says Camembert on the packaging, it will do.

This isn’t cheese to me. Real cheese is something that is unpasteurised and doesn’t come out of plastic packaging or a can. Call me a snob here, but cheese is one of those things where compromise is something I just can’t understand. I was a member of the cheese society of Great Britain for many years where we used to taste cheeses from all over Europe, so try to understand where I’m coming from here. Some of these small artisans will only produce a few hundred cheeses a year so it’s nothing to do with the money, it’s all about passion and tradition.

Magic Marriage: Wine & Cheese

I wanted to talk a bit about cheese and wine basics. A marriage made in heaven if you asked most French about the subject and something that could put a happy mushy smile on their faces. Successful wine and cheese matching is based mostly on similarities rather than contrasts. Take some fresh, delicate cheeses like Mozzarella, Ricotta, Feta and Chevre with milky, tangy flavours. Don’t hit them over the head with a big fat hairy Shiraz. If you want to enhance them, choose a light-bodied white wine. Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling and young sparkling wines would be perfect — it’s up to your personal choice.

Instead of a recipe this week, here’s a guideline to some tried-and-tested cheese and wine matches.

Cheeses like Ricotta, Feta, Mozzarella, Bocconcini and Chevre are fresh, soft, still milky, with simple direct flavours and tangy, sometimes with herbs added. Treat them like a lady. Match with young wines that also have the same notes and match the acidity in the cheese — Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling or young sparkling wine.

White mould cheeses like Brie and Camembert. When mature they have an oozy, creamy, golden centre and stronger-flavoured rind, so you need wine with a fuller bouquet. A classic match is Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

Washed rind cheeses like Taleggio, Raclette and Tilsit. A diverse group ranging from mild, moist cheese to crazy, runny and stinky. Start with a range from an aged sparkling wine to a full-bodied Pinot Noir or Reisling.

Blue cheeses like Stilton, Gorgonzola and Cashel. These can be salty and tangy or rich and creamy. People would say these can be tricky to match with wine and the safest match is a time-honoured one: sweet wine. For the milder blue, a Reisling and for the more powerful blues, increase the power in the wine, experiment with Muscat and Tawny Port.

Semi-hard cheeses like Edam, Gruyere, Havarti and Swiss-styles. Another diverse group, but at last you have landed in red wine territory. The older the cheese the more robust the wine. Choose a good Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Hard cheeses like Parmesan, Pecorino, Cheddar and Double Gloucester can have a strong yet slightly sweet nutty flavour. Match these with fortified wines like Muscat that also have sweet nutty flavours and have the weight or strength to stand up to these powerful cheeses.

If you are looking for a cheese to match that red you’ve had cellared away for a few years, this is the cheese style to do it with.