PAIRS BEST WITH: Sweet (Dessert) & Fortified wines
ALSO CONSIDER: Aromatic & Rich whites or Smooth & Powerful reds, as well as Sparkling wines
Blue cheese is a unique category of mould-ripened cheeses that have distinctive blue or blue-green veining produced by the Penicillium mould. Piercing the cheese with steel needles during the maturation phase facilitates the development of this veining.
Depending on the style of blue the producer wants to make, they can range from relatively mild to very assertive in flavor. Blue cheese is often salty, as salt can control the development of the mould. Examples include Danish Blue, Gorgonzola and Roquefort.
Blue cheeses are best paired with Sweet (Dessert) and Fortified wines, but can also be paired with Aromatic and Rich style whites or Fruity, Smooth and Powerful style reds, as well as Sparkling wines.
The most classic of all Blue cheese pairings, and a stunning one at that, is Roquefort with Sweet (Dessert) wine.