There have been all these “foods of the moment”…you know what I’m talking about…foods like bacon, mac n’ cheese, and all kinds of other comfort foods. One thing I have not noticed, at least here in Paso Robles, is the grilled cheese extravaganza. Why is that? What’s wrong with grilled cheese?
So rather than complain about it or lay around crying in the fetal position we decided to do something about it. To be truthful I did nothing but Annie and our good friend Sean came up with some palate punching ideas for “gourmet grilled cheese”. A huge shout-out to Vivant Fine Cheese Shop for supplying most of the cheeses!!!
Here’s the Grilled Cheese combos they came up with:
Mozzarella and Pesto on Parmesan Crusted Ciabatta
Spinach and Artichoke with Provolone, Fontina, and Jack Cheese on Sourdough
Basil, Olive Oil, Tomato, and Asiago on Foccacia
Mrs. H.S. Ball’s Chutney with Mozzarella, Crispy Prosciutto, and Parmesan on Day Old Baguette
Roasted Anaheim Green Chile, Jack and Pepper Jack Cheese on Dutch Crunch
Pear (white and red), Gruyere, and Caramelized Onions on French Bread
We had opened six wines for the pairing, none of which were purchased specifically for the tasting…we just happened to have them in the house.
Here’s what we opened to pair with the Grilled Cheese:
2012 Eberle Viognier (great with the Chutney and Mozzarella sandwich, the Jack and Anaheim Chile sandwich, and the Pear and Gruyere sandwich)
2011 Robert Hall Grenache Blanc (terrific with the Mozzarella and Pesto sandwich, and the Tomato Basil Asiago sando)
2011 Alta Colina Marsanne (tasty with the Spinach and Artichoke sandwich, and the Jack and Anaheim Chile concoction)
2012 Adelaida Chardonnay (went well with the Spinach and Artichoke yuminess)
2012 Adelaida Picpoul Blanc (just a tasty treat to sip on in between, nice palate cleanser)
2010 Jack Creek “Stained” Pinot Noir (fun with the Pear and Gruyere sammie)
In regards to what wines we tasted with which sandwiches…it was a free for all. We basically just tried a few different wines with each grilled cheese and hoped for the best, at least that’s what I did. Turns out we found some pretty cool pairings I think and also learned a lot. It’s always fascinating to me to see how much different “Wine A” tastes with this cheese versus that cheese or how things like the chutney or the pesto can completely change the wine and how the wine can completely change the ingredient.
The Robert Hall Grenache Blanc and the Eberle Viognier seemed to do the best overall with the sandwiches but all the wines were great…that’s why we had them in our house. If I had to go back and specifically buy certain types of wine for this I think a Sauvignon Blanc and a Pinot Grigio could have done well too. I’m glad we only made one of each sandwich and shared them…the cheese hangover the next day would have been a lot worse.
Each sandwich was amazing. My two favorite were the Parmesan Crusted Pesto on Ciabatta and the Anaheim Green Chile, Jack and Pepper Jack Cheese on Dutch Crunch. The one with the Chutney on it had a bit too much Chutney so a reminder is to watch how much of each flavor you are putting into the dish…you don’t want one to necessarily over power the rest. However, it can be hard to know for sure until you actually try them.
Annie’s favorites were the Mozarella and Pesto, the Spinach and Artichoke and the Anaheim Chile and Jack sandwiches. Sean loved the Mozarella and Pesto, the Anaheim Chile and Jack and the Pear and Gruyere. BUT, they were all beyond delicious!!!
I’ve got one other accompaniment with the grilled cheeses…I’m making a bacon red ale next week!!! Would be killer with the anaheim chile or the chutney, mozzarella and prosciutto!!!
Just saw you post that on Facebook, Steve. I need to try that one my friend!!
Just ordered it…will get it next week and then about 4-6 weeks after that it should be ready!!! Unfortunately patience has to be maintained making beer!!!
LOL…I hear ya, Steve. I’m not too good at the patience thing but I will give it a shot.
Fun and interesting post! Funny, I had a craving for a grilled cheese sandwich a couple of weeks ago. Ended up getting one from Cowgirl Creamery. Wonderful sandwich, but a glass of wine was missing for sure!
As I read your post, my initial thought was hmmm…surprised the Pinot didn’t do better. My second thought though was that generally white wines are thought to work better with many cheeses than red (though reds are top of mind for most cheeses for most folks I think – probably because most folks prefer reds), and that your tasting may be a case in point…
Martin, thank you man. I hear ya on the wine and cheese…I think I hear about a 50-50 split on white or red with cheese. In this tasting the more crisp Grenache Blanc did great as did the slightly warmer Viognier. It was fun to do…it was a great day of experimenting.
This sounds SO good! This is one department where I haven’t experimented too much. I’ve had a good grilled gruyere, sometimes with ham or something like that, paired with a chard, that’s about it.
David, it’s a lot of fun. We’re trying to think of other food experiments to do next. Always fun in the world of food and wine.