03/10/05 Food and Wines - N.Z. Pinot Noir

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today is Food and Wine Pairing day. In the spirit of our weeklong series on the wines of New Zealand we are going to look at cheeses that work well with wines from New Zealand and a recipe that is simple and great with their Pinot Noir. The wines of New Zealand are intrinsically fabulous food wines. Their gorgeous fruit and amazingly crunchy pleasing acidity make them wines that are versatile and go well with most fare. But many of us just like to enjoy a good loaf of bread and some cheese with our wine. So here are some of my top picks for cheeses with New Zealand wines. Look for medium to strong Asiago cheese and milder smoked cheeses. A dinner or lunch omelet made with a medium pungency cow's milk cheese such as Beaufort is lovely with a glass of New Zealand Chardonnay. When it comes to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc I highly recommend mild aged goat cheeses with a soft bloomy rind. Just make certain that you serve the cheese at room temperature. Pecorino is also a cheese that went well with the Sauvignon Blanc. But I must admit that my all time favorite is a very simple onion and cheese pie with a New Zealand Pinot Noir is a perfect match made in heaven. You can find that recipe on our website vine to wine dot net. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.