Wine with cheese: A classic match made in entertaining heaven

Wine and cheese are a guaranteed hit at any gathering, and there's little wonder. Call it our primal culinary instinct.

Cheese and wine are our oldest food and drink. Since evidence of the first production in about 6,000 B.C., the pair has followed humankind throughout the known and partially into the unknown universe: in 1969, astronaut Buzz Aldrin brought communion wine to the moon.

But pairing wine and food isn't as easy as it used to be.

Not long ago, most cheeses in the U.S. was sliced onto rye, melted into macaroni and spritzed from an aerosol can.

Today, trained cheesemongers tend fresh international cheeses at specialty shops; even major grocers offer classics including Brie and Gorgonzola.

To make cheese and wine pairing easy, I turn to these time-tested guidelines, guaranteed to delight any cork dork or curd nerd:

What grows together, goes together: Before airtight, vacuum packaging and refrigerated trucks, folks ate locally. Cheese and winemakers worked together, tweaking recipes for compatibility so that everyone would have a tasty dinner.

So, the goat's milk cheese famed in France's Loire Valley is a perfect match for the Loire's equally famous sauvignon blanc-based wines. (See Ross's choice.)

Cow's milk cheese, a specialty of Burgundy, pairs best with white and red Burgundy made of 100 percent chardonnay and Pinot Noir respectively.

During my "Culinary Heaven: Pairing Cheese and Wine," class, I have students mix-and-match five kinds of cheese with five wines to test the "rules" of cheese and wine pairing to decide on rules of our own. Here's what we've found:

Domaine Manciat-Poncet, Macon-Charnat (Burgundy, France): The wine's green apple refreshment, and mineral complexity makes a beautiful complement to cow's milk cheese including Brie (think baked Brie), Vermont cheddar, Delice de Bourgogne and stinky Epoisse de Bourgogne.

Babich, Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand): As an alternative to a French sauvignon blanc, the vibrant flavors from this New Zealander balance dynamic goat's milk flavors in cheeses including French "chevre," Greek Feta and California's Humboldt Fog.

Look for opposites that attract:

The creaminess of cheese calls for wine with firm acidity to cleanse and enliven the palate. (See white wines above.)

For the creamiest and stinkiest styles, choose sparkling wine.

Adami, "Bosco di Gica" Prosecco Superiore DOCG (Valdobiadenne, Italy): Prosecco's scrubbing bubbles enhance the luxury of triple-crème and refresh even real stinkers such as Epoisses and Taleggio.

Biochemistry of Bacchus:

Red wine requires high-fat cheese to bind with the wine's scratchy tannin.

Anne Pichon, Syrah Grenache "Sauvage" (Ventoux, France): You'll have to curb your gnash-and-tear urge when pairing this lush red, with velvety tannin and ripe berry flavor, with Bleu d'Auvergne, Gorgonzola and aged cheese including Parmesan. Or melt the blue onto a seared steak and let 'em rip!

Sweeter for the sweets

Cheese topped with quince paste or studded with fruit may tickle a sweet tooth, but makes a dry wine taste bitter by comparison. For sweet condiments and dried fruit, choose a sweet Riesling, Vouvray or Moscato, including Saracco, Moscato d'Asti. Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating an easy and elegant cheese course.

Keep it simple

Too many cheeses confuse the palate and make wine pairing difficult. Select one to three kinds of cheese of the same milk (generally cow or goat) paired with one wine. For variety, select cheeses of different shapes, colors or consistency. Three to four ounces total per person is plenty.

Add classic accompaniments

Fruit (grapes, apples or pears) and a bread (plain crackers or lightly-toasted baguette) are all you need to complete your cheese plate. Nuts and cured meats work are terrific additions. Avoid citrus, pickles and highly-spiced items. For cheese as dessert, add honey, fig spread or other sweet condiments.

Set the scene

Allow your cheese at least 1 hour at room temperature for optimum flavor and texture.

If you want the all the fun but not the work, join The Chopping Block/Merchandise Mart for "Culinary Heaven: Wine and Cheese Pairing," from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 16, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago. Registration required, $75 per person; call (312) 644-6360 or visit: https://www.thechoppingblock.com/classes.

Ross' choice

Wine name: Pouilly Fume "Florilege"

Producer: Jonathan + Didier Pabiot

Region: Loire Valley, France

Vintage: 2016

Tasting Notes: Concentrated and racy, this 100 percent sauvignon blanc is dry but intensely fruity with flavors of just-ripe nectarine, citrus and a dollop of passion fruit, with the distinctly mineral accent that is distinctly French. Serve as a dynamic cocktail and as a complement to anything pulled from a sea or river and, of course, the regional specialty - goat cheese.

Availability: At fine wine shops including Andersonville Wine and Spirits (Chicago) & specialty grocers, about $24.99

Distributed by: The Original Wine Company, Chicago