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Wine Pairings

cheeseandwinetasting

Coombe Castle Cheese and Wine Tasting

Earlier this year a team from Coombe Castle had a master class in wine tasting and cheese pairings, hosted by Tristan Darby of Bristol Wine School.  Tristan is a wine educator who has experience spanning over 20 years in the catering, hospitality and wine trade. He is the drinks columnist for The Bath Magazine and The Bristol Magazine.

We asked Tristan to suggest wine pairings for 8 of our much loved cheeses.

Our brief introduction to wine tasting gave us 5 steps to follow whilst tasting;

Color, Swirl, Smell, Taste, Savor

Look at the Colour

Look at the Colour

Color of the wine in the glass gives you a clue to which variety is in the glass. Color can also give an indication to the age of the wine.

Whites and reds behave inversely: white wines get darker as they age whereas red wines get lighter as they get older.
Swirl the Wine

Swirl the Wine

Swirling oxygenates the wine and releases the wine’s bouquet. Swirling can also help you determine the weight of the wine. Look for tears or legs to form inside the glass. The more pronounced the legs = more alcohol in the wine. Alcohol = Body
Smell the Wine

Smell the Wine

Of all of our senses that factor into the enjoyment of wine, none does so more pleasurably our sense of smell. Smell evokes emotion & memory. Swirl the wine and stick your nose deep in the glass and take a big sniff! Then swirl again and sniff again. Try to identify the aromas you are experiencing.
Taste the Wine

Taste the Wine

Tasting is something we do with our taste buds and the average person has between 5 and 10,000 of them – all over your mouth, both sides of your tongue, extending down your throat. Let the wine warm in your mouth for a few seconds. As the wine warms up, more of the bouquet and aroma are traveling up through the nasal passage. Remember, 90 percent of taste is smell!
Savour the Wine

Savour the Wine

Enjoy with friends and family!
Savour the Wine

Savour the Wine

Enjoy with friends and family!

Coombe Castle International