Mark's October
Cheese and Wine Pairings:

Manchego Cheese with
Riojas Wine

Cabrales and Picon Cheeses
with Sherry Wine

Cheese Expert
Mark Todd

Spanish Cheeses
and Wines

This month we are taking a trip down the Iberian Peninsula! As evidenced by trends like tapas bars and paella parties, Spanish cuisine is the latest hot European “discovery” in the U.S. Not surprisingly, Spanish wines are enjoying an equal renaissance in popularity. Not since the 1800’s have the reds of Riojas seen this kind of international recognition. The pairings this month showcase some of the best-known and best-loved products from one of the truly great crossroads of culture: Spain.

The Cheese

Manchego (man-CHAY-go) is by far the best-known Spanish cheese, and one of the finest sheep’s milk products in the world. A protected Denomination of Origin product since 1984, manchego must be produced from Manchega sheep’s milk from a specified region southeast of Madrid on the La Mancha Plateau.

Traditionally, manchego is pressed between two boards imprinted with a distinctive herring bone design. The sides of the cheese are formed by special baskets woven of esparto grass. Today, only small producers still employ these traditional methods and use raw milk, while large-scale operations use molds to achieve the typical surface patterns, and pasteurize their milk.

Manchego can be eaten just a few days old (fresco), a couple weeks (semi-fresco),
1– 2 months (tierno), 2–3 months (semi-curado), 3–6 months (curado or viejo) or
1 year (añejo) or more. As it ages, manchego evolves from a lightly sweet, creamy cheese to a dense, gratable cheese with a distinctive aroma. Even when aged, however, the flavor remains somewhat mild. For this tasting, I recommend a one-year version, made from raw milk if possible.

The Wine

Spanish red wine used to be the butt of a well-known European joke. If you needed something to tie-dye your tee-shirts, it made a nice reddish-purple color. Today, wines from the regions of Riojas, El Bierzo, Ribera del Duero and Navarra are quite good, and getting better every year. Using primarily the temprenillo grape, often blended with small amounts of garnacha (grenache), mazuelo (carignan) and graciano, riojas (ree-O’-haz) are among the best known Spanish wines.

Traditionally aged in oak for extended periods (4–10 years or more), some are still made in this style. Some newer producers are turning to a more New World version, aged less long to emphasize the berry-like flavors of the younger wine. There has been speculation that tempranillo may be a distant cousin to Burgundy’s famous pinot noir, brought to Spain on religious pilgrimages. While there are similarities in flavors, this is probably just wishful thinking.

Available in three distinct styles and ages, riojas run the gamut. Crianzas are made from good, but not exceptional, fruit and barely aged, displaying flavors of cherry, vanilla and spice woods. Superior riservas are made from only superior fruit in excellent years, and aged longer to display more subtle, earthy flavors of moist forest floor, saddle leather and a dry, dusty flavor reminiscent of autumn in the oaks. The extremely rare gran riserva uses only exceptional fruit from the best vineyards. It displays similar characteristics to riserva, but is even softer, silkier and more supple. This information should be indicated on the neck ring or back label, if not the front label.

Some of my favorite producers of the traditional style Riojas are R.López de Heredia and Marqués de Murrieta. For the New World version, try wines from the bodegas of Palacio y Hermanos or Martinez Bujanda. 

The Extras

Riojas are traditionally served with membrillo (sweetened quince paste), salted and toasted Marcona almonds and crusty white breads, and I see no reason to mess with success. You could add almost any fruit you favor, or substitute a variety of jams or preserves for the membrillo. But try the original first, before experimenting. Don Quixote would be proud.

Why it Works

This is one of the oldest pairings in Europe, and for good reason. The subtly salty flavor of manchego is perfectly complemented by the sweetness in the membrillo; the nuts add additional richness and texture. The wine brings tartness and a hint of smokiness that really rounds out the experience. Definitely try this one at home!

The Cheese

Cabrales (ka-BRAH’-lays) and picon
(pee-KONE”) are blue cheeses made in adjoining regions on the North Coast of Spain, and are almost indistinguishable from each other. Cabrales is always made from a mix of cow, sheep and goat milks, while Picon is occasionally made from strictly cow’s milk. Nonetheless, these cheeses are more similar than different.

One defining characteristic is the vibrant strain of mold induced into these cheeses. While Gorgonzola is quite greenish, and even Roquefort has a somewhat greenish cast to its characteristic blue mold, these Spanish cheeses boast a mold so deep indigo it is almost purple.

Not as salty or sticky as Roquefort, these cheeses are often wrapped in large leaves (typically oak, sycamore or maple) and foil prior to shipment from the factory. The finest cheeses are produced from spring and summer unpasteurized milk and aged 3-6 months, so the best time to buy them is fall and early winter.

Cabrales and picon are visually striking, but that is only the beginning of their appeal. Potent and richly complex, they are not for the faint of heart. With flavors as diverse as currants, huckleberry, dark chocolate, mown hay and beef roast, these cheeses require serious attention from the taster to unravel the multiple layers of flavor.

The Wine

Sherry is so misunderstood in this country, I almost hesitate to include it in tastings. When Americans think of sherry, most envision a sickly sweet, brownish liquor with few redeeming qualities, better suited to the urban wino than a sophisticated cheese pairing. The truth could not be farther from that perception.

Available in a wide range of styles and sweetness, sherry is one of the greatest beverages in the world. Most all sherries fall into two basic types; fino and oloroso. The difference is in the way the wines are aged. All sherry is aged in barrels filled only about 5/6 full, allowing for air in the barrel.

In oloroso wines, the surface of the Sherry is open the air, inducing oxidation, which turns the golden-hued wine deeper mahogany and develops the nutty-raisiny flavors associated with these wines. Most olorosos are long-aged and fermented dry, but a few versions (amoroso and the ubiquitous cream sherry) are sweetened.

Fino sherries employ a strain of yeast called flor to create a thick layer on top of the wine, slowing or eliminating oxidation. This creates a light-hued, subtly flavored wine, typically bone-dry, with a decided tang from the flor. Unlike olorosos, finos are best enjoyed young, and are rarely aged beyond a few years. One major exception is amontillado. This fino is aged until the flor dies off (about 6 years) and the wine begins to oxidize, imparting deeper color and rich nuttiness to the wine.

There are many more styles, but this gives you a good start. For today’s tasting, try to find an amoroso (sweetened oloroso) version, at least 10 years old.

The Extras

This pair can be accompanied by a variety of fruits (stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, apricots and cherries are my favorites) and rich, meaty nuts such as walnuts, pecans and macadamias. Cured meats are also appropriate. Spanish hams (jamon) are legendary, from the readily-available Serrano to the hard-to find (but worth the effort!) Jabugo.

Why it Works

Blues and dessert wines or fortified wines are a common pairing all around Europe. In France, roquefort and sauterne is legendary. In England, the tradition of stilton and port dates back centuries. These pairings are the quintessential example of the sweet/salty flavor experience. By adding the fruits, nuts and meats, you add multiple layers of flavors and textures. But the backbone is the interplay between the sweetness of this wine and the saltiness of any blue cheese.