Wine and Cheese Pairings: Provence Culinary Trips

When it comes to any food and wine pairings, it’s pretty much always a safe bet to serve wines and foods of the same region. The reason for this is quite simple; the terroir where the vineyards grow is similar to the terrior where the goats, cows, and sheep graze on the grass. This makes for uniquely complimentary flavors between the wines of a region and its food products.

Learn more about French cheeses.

That said, there still is a bit of an a science to cheese and wine pairings; after all, there are so many different combinations from which to choose! In terms of Provence wines and cheese, here’s a quick rundown of some delicious pairings.

Taste delicious Provencal cheese on our Cuisine and Culture of Provence cooking vacation.

How is cheese made?

First up, banon cheese from Northern Provence. Wrapped with grape leaves or chestnut, this goat milk cheese – often also combined with and cow and sheep milk too – is unlike any other. The woodsy and fruit flavor tends to go best with a white like a Chenin blanc, but it can also work well with reds, such as a Beaujolais, and sparkling champagne.

Another goat milk cheese is picodon, one of the oldest cheeses in all of Provence. The slight hazelnut flavor of this cheese goes well with a number of Mediterranean vegetables, as well as dry white wines or a Côtes du Rhône rosé.

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These suggestions are just that, suggestions, but they can serve as a quick guide when picking out a cheese at your local cheesemonger. This list of cheeses and wines are also far from complete, as there are many cheeses and wines produced throughout this sunny region in France. In fact, many of the cheeses produced there never cross France’s border, as they have an extremely short shelf life, such as the Brousse du Rove cheese.

Learn more about Provencal Wines.

This means the best place to learn more about wine and cheese pairings in France is on a wine tour and culinary vacation to France of course, such as our Provence Wine Tour!

By Liz Hall

Learn about pairing wine with fish and seafood.

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