Pairing Parmesan Cheese with Red Wines

Video Transcript

"Hi. I'd like to talk to you about paring Parmesan and Romano cheese with wine. Now, you probably think of Parmesan and Romano cheeses as going with red wine like your Veal Parmesan with your Chianti. And, actually it can be a very good match. But, we do have to watch out. Parmesan and Romano cheeses are both aged for quite a few years, anywhere from two to eight years. That's what gives them their delicious dry texture and the sharp flavor. It also concentrates the saltiness of these cheeses. Which, is one of the reasons we love to use them in small amounts for garnishes. However, the saltiness in the cheese can clash with the tannin in a red wine. So, that's where we have to beware. But, we can still make a fabulous match with Parmesan and Romano cheeses and red wine as long as we're careful to watch the tannin or the drying textural sensation that we get in a red wine. A perfect match of a medium tannin red wine with Parmesan cheese is Chianti, of course from Italy. And, also some of the other famous Italian red wines such as Barbera and Dolcetto. All these have delicious fruity flavors and low tannin. If you'd like to try a cross cultural match stick with the same theme, fruity flavors, low tannin and try a nice big Zinfandel, a Malbec, a Merlot or maybe a Carmenere. It's bound to be a good match. But, keep it fresh fruit and low tannin for your Parmesan cheese."