FROM THE FRANCO-PHILE
 The importance of place: Wines and cheeses made in the same region that are perfect culinary counterparts. Call it terrior or cosmic intervention, there are many examples of this occurrence.
By Benjamin Orphan
Wine and cheese go great together. However some are categorically more suited to complement each other rather than fight for the limelight of your taste buds. What's more fascinating is that sometimes the perfect match was pre-ordained. It's true. Some cheeses naturally lend themselves to the local wines produced in the same locations. Some might blame terroir; the French expression, which loosely translated, describes the soil, air, water and natural surroundings breathing its own signature into a wine, or cheese for that matter. It's why sometimes those beautiful Pinot Blancs let's say from Napa Valley just dont have the same depth and richness in the glass as their Alsatian counterparts. Perhaps this too is the explanation for the uncanny complementary effect between some cheese and their brotherly wines. My favorite example, and the easiest to recognize would be Sauvignon Blanc and goat cheese. Specifically Sancerre and Crottin de Chavignol. Deep in the Loire Valley lies Sancerre. Beautiful green rolling hills, plenty of fog and ideal growing conditions for Sauvignon Blanc. My favorite examples are from Chavignol. The wines are exciting and lively with generous acidity and beautiful aromas leading the way to herbaceous, grassy, clean flavors with a slightly viscous, almost oily texture that finishes bone dry and fresh. It seems to be no co-incidence that the locals keep quite a number of goats as well. They are world-renowned for their hand made chevre (goat cheese). The most famous of these hand-ladled beauties is the Crottin de Chavignol. It is also a picture perfect match with Sancerre. Tart and grassy with a finish that's length largely depends on the age of the cheese. It can showcase everything magical about Sancerre and create a symphony of flavors that could never have been achieved with out combining the two. Simply put: the sum is greater than the parts. My next pick would be west into Burgundy. This is where Chardonnay claims its birthright. White Burgundy: from Mersault to Chablis and a lot of village in between. These are not their Californian cousins oak chipped buttery chard no matter how much the winemakers claim it's Burgundian in style. Not surprisingly enough there exist a near-perfect accompaniment cheese named Brillat-Savarin that is made in just these locations. Brillat-Savarin (named after the famous gastronome from Burgundy) is a triple creme by definition. Triple creme is only achieved when the maitre grasse (milk fat present in the dry matter) reaches 75%! This cannot occur in regular whole milk. Ah, the French! Geniuses in their field! They separate the cream from the milk and add the cream to the curd to bring up the milk fat content to 75%!!! Ooo La-la!
The result is a very dense very rich cheese that magically enough pairs beautifully with white burgundy. The buttery richness of the cheese matches the fat over the top texture of the wine and your crying in your seat wondering how you've lived this long without experiencing this! Brillat-Savarin is the most decadent example of this type of cheese.
There are many examples of this phenomenon occurring in the world. So test the waters for yourself. To get started, here is a short list of recommendations:
Washed Rind Burgundian, monastic style cheese and Red Burgundy/Pinot Noir-Epoisses, Trou du Cru, Langres, Livarot, Celtic Promise, Young Tallegio, Morbier
With:
Red Burgundy, Cru Beaujolias, or Pinot Noir
White Burgundy/Chardonnay and Triple Crême-Delice de Bourgogne, Brillat-Savarin, Jean Grogne, Pierre Robert, Old Chatham's Nancy's Camembert, St. Andre, Gratte-Paille, Le Fougerus, and Explourateur.
With:
Mersault, Chablis, Pouilly-Fuisse, Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, or Chardonnay
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The Adventure Continues...