Saison and Morbier – a perfect pairing

There is an old adage in the beverage trade – sometimes the best wine for the job is a beer. This is certainly the case in matching cheese with an adult beverage.

Beer simply has more complimentary flavors when pairing with cheese. Real Beer often offers grassy, herbal, or grain flavors with hints of citrus and has a natural effervesces that refreshes the palate when eating something as rich and wonderfully fatty as cheese.

We have all been conditioned to believe that wine and cheese and just like peanut butter & jam but actually Beer, particularly a craft Ale, is a better match.

Why does the Pairing Work so Perfectly?

The pairing of Saison and Morbier is ideal as it meets several classic matching criteria:

• Match acidity to fat and richness
• Match a like flavor – field grasses and earth
• The geographic rule – A classic French country cheese that pairs with a rustic Belgian and French farmhouse style ale.

Pairing to Avoid – a horrible choice would be pairing Morbier with any red wine. Saison on the other hand is more forgiving working well with a mild Colby, a sharp blue, an acidic Chèvre, or a hard Parmesan.

When to Serve Saison and Morbier?

Cheese before dinner is an American thing for sure and a custom I don’t practice nor do I understand it. Most cheese by its very nature is creamy and rich satisfying and thus squashing the appetite. This is of course a horrible thing to do to your guests and yourself since you toiled away for hours creating the perfect meal. After the meal the vibrant and soft citrus notes found in Saison will be very welcomed by you and you and your guests and the rich cheese will love its mate.

Substitutes?

If you can’t find a good Morbier to pair with your Saison or if you just want to try something else you may want to consider: Raclette, an aged Fontina, or go American with Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog a creamy goat cheese with a bloomy rind.