A research by VINEXPO Asia-Pacific, the biggest wine and spirits exhibition in Asia, reveals China as one of the world's top five countries with the greatest wine consumption. In fact, many in Hong Kong have long made it a habit to dine with wine. While we've developed a reflex to pair red meat with red wine and seafood with white, how much do we know about cheese and wine pairing? 

Deriving the milk from cow, buffalo, goat and sheep, cheese is naturally a delicacy of great varieties. Some cheeses are added with herbs, spices and dried fruits, while some are aged or smoked to enhance the flavours. By now you may be wondering about the wines to pair with cheeses with varying hardness.

"Although many tend to think that red wine best complements cheese, the truth is white wine is really the compatible partner for cheese," said Kavita Devi Faiella, Wine Director of Press Room Group. It turns out that the higher acidity in white wine can better balance the greasiness and bloatedness induced by the cheese. What's more, it can cleanse the palate and prepare it for the sampling of even more types of cheeses.

The pairing tip is really very simple: always pick the wine and cheese produced in the same origin. In France for example, the cheese of Champagne pairs perfectly with the wine of the region, and this extends into Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Loire. The culture of making wine and cheese in these old world countries has existed for centuries, and the wines have a natural ability to pair well together. On the other hand, pairing of cheeses and wines of the new world is a little difficult as their history isn't as developed. "When pairing cheese with wine, look at the family of cheese and then see where it is most popular in, before you pick the wine." In the case of goat's cheese, which is popular in France's Loire Valley, you know you should be choosing either the Sauvignon or Chenin Blanc from Loire Valley to go with it.

Newly introduced to Hong Kong, the temperature-controlled cheese room is currently the only of its kind, making it the place to go for some genuine cheese and wine pairing fun.

Special Thanks:
Kavita Devi Faiella, Wine Director of Press Room Group