Self-proclaimed cheese activist Clara Diez didn't even like cheese at first: "I found it boring… it never caught my attention." That changed at 21, when an unexpected opportunity pulled her into the world of artisan cheese and she fell for it completely. Today, through her Madrid-based shop Formaje, Clara is on a mission to help people fall in love with cheese the way she did.
Here, Clara shares her favorite beverages for pairing with cheeses.
Red wine: "I love sweet, heavy and velvety wines such as Sherry or Oporto (as well known as 'generosos'). I would definitely recommend these to pair with any kind of cheese, especially strong or blue ones."
White wine: "Young white wines, with good freshness and acidity: they clean the mouth, refresh and enhance the intensity of the cheese by reinforcing acidity-acidity. Verdejo, Chardonnay, Riesling, Albariño, Godello — they all go well."
Beer: "I prefer blond beers, not very malted. Some of my favourite ones are Spanish artisan ones such as La Virgen or DouGall's”
Cider: "I love French ciders. Any natural one, well balanced and not too acidic, should also go well."
Clara knows there’s a cheese for every occasion. Cheese can set the mood just as much as a good bottle of wine. Clara shares her go-to cheeses for every kind of moment, from dinner parties to bad days, everyday snacking, and cold winter nights.
The Dinner Party: Blossom Hornkäse’s floral, fragrant, made for sharing
The “Impress You” Cheese: Stilton’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser
The Bad-Day Cheese: Rollright’s creamy, woody, and comforting
The Everyday Cheese: Moluengo’s a Spanish take on the classic Saint-Maure
The Winter’s Coming Cheese: Mont d’Or’s baked and eaten warm with bread
One more tip: How you cut a cheese matters.
Cut the cheese from the inside to the outside. The inside of the cheese has all the humidity while the outside is already drier. Just like this — everybody gets to try all the flavours.
