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by Tony Foreman
Cheese is part of the holy trinity of the French table: wine, cheese and bread. These are all products that were developed in the Middle East, and, at the time, seemed like magic the first time they were produced. The eternal nature of these foods is part of what is satisfying about them.
What is your favorite wine & cheese combination?
The best combinations are of the moment, depending on what point you are in the meal, the wine’s maturity, and the maturity of the cheese. A couple of classic combinations are at the end of the meal, Roquefort and Sauternes, and at the beginning of the meal, fresh goat’s cheese and Loire Valley sauvignon (i.e.: Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé or Menetou-salon).
What should one look for when selecting a fine cheese?
The first thing that you want to do is pick it up and smell it, even if it’s in plastic. If you smell ammonia do not buy the cheese.
Ideally, should one serve fine cheese on a salty cracker or plain one?
Cheese should be served with bread; plain bread that is either sliced, buttered and toasted, or just sliced. The idea is to eat the bread or toast between bits of cheese. I suggest developing a rhythm, first the wine, then cheese, then bread, and repeat, wine, cheese, bread, and so on.
You have a cheese course at your restaurants that comes before dessert. Why do you prefer to serve it this way?
I prefer to serve cheese two ways: At Pazo, as with many Mediterranean restaurants, the cheese is served early in the meal as a tapas. At Charleston and Louis we have more robust cheeses, which are best served as a last savory course before dessert. If you have a cheese that is nicely paired with a dessert wine (Roquefort and Sauterne), it’s a nice transition to something sweet.
Any tips on storing/preserving cheese?
To be simple about it and for maximum flavor, bring the cheese out of the refrigerator a good 30 minutes before being served. The cheese should be right at the temperature you would serve wine, which is 55 degrees. That is not the best temperature for storage but it will bring the best flavor.
Tony Foreman owns Charleston, Pazo and Petit Louis restaurants and wine shop Bin 604. His new Harbor East restaurant Cinghiali opens in September.