Five Cheese + Apple Pairings To Try This Fall
Fall is upon us and while it’s still 99 degrees here in San Antonio, our pumpkin candles are a-burnin’ and we’re dreaming of all the fall things! Molly and I are headed to upstate New York in a few weeks and while we can’t wait to cozy up in boots and scarves, we’re more excited to stroll orchards and visit dairies in the Finger Lakes.
In the spirit of the new season, it would be remiss of us if we didn’t share our complete guide to fall’s perfect pair: cheese and apples. The perfect snack, aperitif or theme for your harvest cheese board, they go together like, well like cheese and apples, and here’s why:
There are very few cheeses that are exactly alike, but they do all share some similar features. Cheese is rich and salty, and it’s hard to go wrong with the balance of tart, light and sweet that apples bring. Apples help to not only cleanse the palate but enhance the flavors of the cheese! So versatile, so delicious.
If you’re obsessed with this pairing like us, or just want to learn more about tasting pairings, this next part is for you. We did the thing and created a comprehensive guide of our favorite apple varieties along with their perfect cheese pairings. We hope you love it, and we’d love to know which pairing is your favorite!
Cheese + Apples: The Ultimate Pairing Guide
Gala + Cheddar: Gala apples are known for their mildly sweet, vanilla taste and crisp flesh, making the perfect pair for sharp, nutty cheddar. Galas lend a balancing note to the salt and punchiness of aged cheddars, which is why we picked Beecher’s Flagsheep Cheddar to pair with our galas. This peanuty, fruity, dense beauty is made with sheep and cow’s milk and its notes are lifted right off the tongue when paired with a crisp gala.
Pink Lady + Gruyere: Beautiful and tart, Pink Ladies are juicy and firm. Completely contrary, Gruyere is creamy and palate-coating, with savory notes of french onion soup and a deep nuttiness. Hailing from Switzerland, this classic alpine cheese is an aged beauty with a huge depth of flavor and umami bite. The pair balance perfectly between tart and savory, rich and fresh.
Golden Delicious + Brie: Important to note with younger, milder cheeses like Brie is to choose pairings that don’t overpower the flavors of the cheese. We love Golden Delicious apples for this very reason. Mellow and sweet, they help to balance out the creaminess of Brie without overpowering the earthy, mushroom notes. We love Alemar’s Blue Earth, a bloomy-rind Brie style from Minnesota that is buttery and mild.
Honeycrisp + Roquefort: An incredibly classic pairing, Honeycrisps and blue cheese were made for each other! We especially love Roquefort, a rich, sheep’s milk french blue known for its pungent, almost menthol bite. Honeycrisps have larger cells which make them juicier, perfect for lifting the intensity of the blue to make a sweet and salty delight.
Sweet Tango + Goat Cheese: One of our favorite fall varieties, Sweet Tangos are equal parts tart and sweet, with the perfect amount of acidity. Goat cheese tasting notes feel so similar, it’s hard not to want to pair them with each other. We chose Pure Luck Dairy’s incredible Saint Maure, based off the french cheese of the same name. It’s bright, tangy and creamy, and pretty much perfect.
