Gluttons Club

A couple of months ago, a study came out that revealed how cheese and wine interact with the human palate. The basic finding is that the properties of cheese diminish the palates ability to taste wine flavors. This was seized upon by some as a refutation of the classic wine and cheese pairing. Some predicted that genteel cocktail parties would never be the same but the over-reaction was as significant as the ho-humness of the finding itself.

Sure, cheese dimishes wine flavor, so does nearly anything else you put in your mouth or near your nose. Professional wine tasters will schedule their meals and even their morning toothbrushing routine in order to cleanse the palate for an important tasting. What the study did was scientifically explain how the two interact and to what extent they affect one another. Never did it say that the two didn't go well together, just that cheese will prevent you from capturing the full range of flavors that wine has to offer.

So feel free to drink some wine and eat some cheese, there are many natural pairings that can occur. Personally, I love to nibble on the parmesan or pecorino used for grating after the pasta is done but some wine remains. Unless you're sipping the wine of a lifetime, there's very little need for concern. Nibble as you sip to your heart's content.