Perfect Pairings

Melt-in-your-mouth cheese and wine combinations to end a hot summer day or kick off an alfresco soiree.

When the weather is cool, there is nothing more fulfilling than a complex, pungent cheese. But heat seems to dictate lighter, crisper fare. Here Kia Burton, co-owner of The Cheesemonger in Sherman Oaks, pulls a trio of cheeses from her counter that “screams summer,” while Tim Coles of Woodland Hills Wine Company suggests some complimentary beverages.

Wabash Cannonball

KB: This semi-soft goat cheese comes from an old-school dairy in Indiana. The ash lowers the acidity of the cheese and creates the perfect environment to grow the rind, which has a lot of flavor. It is light and citrusy.

2015 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc

$19.95

TC: A Sauvignon Blanc, like this one out of the Marlborough region of New Zealand, would be terrific. It has hints of grapefruit and a nice brisk acidity, making it crisp and refreshing.

Andeerer Traum

KB: This Alpine-style cheese has herbaceous complexity. With hints of flower and grass, it tastes like summer. It’s complex but not overpowering. It needs a wine that is light-bodied and tart.

2014 Morgon Beaujolais

$14.95

TC: I’d recommend a Beaujolais like Morgon. 2014 was a great year for Beaujolais out of the Cru vineyards in France, which is the region where this bottle comes from. It is a medium-weight wine with nice earthiness, and cranberry and raspberry flavors. It tastes much more expensive that it is.

Water Buffalo Milk Cheese

KB: This Italian cheese has twice the butterfat of cow’s cheese. It’s very rich and creamy. It would be nice with something equally as rich and effervescent.

Allimant-Laugner Sparling Rosé

$18.95

TC: This sparking rose out of the Alsace region of France has more fruit flavor and body than you’d typically get with a sparkling wine. It is nice and light though, which makes it easy to drink in the heat.