Which ciders go with different cheese?

Oct 28, 2023

OPINION

05-Jun-2023 - Last updated on 05-Jun-2023 at 09:16 GMT

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Two of the most prestigious cheese-making regions, Normandy and Somerset, are also renowned cider producing areas and the match of a dry West Country cider to Cheddar, or a naturally sweet Normandy cidre to Camembert, is hard to beat.

In fact Joseph Harding, a dairy consultant responsible for hugely improving Cheddar making techniques, struggled to convince Cheddar makers in Somerset that were using their warm lofts to mature their cheeses to start maturing cheeses in their cellar instead, because, they said, "that's where the cider goes, we haven't got room down there for cheese."

But the import of wine soon led to a move away from consuming cider, and like cheese, its history is a chequered one; cider slipped from being a true quality drink to being mass-produced, made with a minimum of apple juice itself (just 35% juice allows the end product to be called cider, the other 65% can be made up from anything that will ferment – often sugar and water). This mass-produced product was a completely different drink from its naturally fermented, 100% apple juice namesake.

But in recent years, proper artisan production of cider and perry has started to flourish again.

A whole range of types of apple and pear to ferment, and a choice of various methods of fermentation and ageing, leads to an incredibly diverse range of artisan ciders and perries now available. "This gives us a plenty of ciders and perries to choose from to pair against any style of cheese, so you can get a perfect match," says Kingsley Ash of Yorkshire's Thornborough Cider.

Which leads us on to a selection of ideal cheese and cider pairings:

"Sometimes the ideal partner is complementary and echoes certain traits – gentle acidity in the drink paired with a citric tang in the cheese, for example," says cider aficionado Cellarman Sam. "This is a pairing of subtlety and nuance. And sometimes the partner is contrasting: it sits at the other end of the flavour spectrum. Salt and sweet is the classic. Balance is key here – it's a pairing of high drama and jeopardy, tip too far in one direction and it all becomes too much."

The fresh, acidic flavours of many younger goats’ cheeses match really well with a naturally fizzy bottle-fermented perry or cider (look for ‘Champagne Method’ on the label). Ciders and perries made only with desert apples (often associated with the east coast of England, from Kent upwards) keep a bright acidity and lack tannins and bitterness – as a result they complement the freshness of goats’ and sheep's cheeses very well.

Famous cider-maker Tom Oliver from Hertfordshire marks this as his favourite match: "I really enjoy the interplay between perry and a soft goats’ cheese. For example, Dorstone, a soft goats’ cheese, paired with an Oliver's Sweet Juice Perry. I think it may be the soft texture foiled by the citrus zing from the perry and lemony hints from the cheese."

The sweeter notes found in sheep's cheese (such as Manchego) match well to a slightly sparkling perry or medium cider (not too tannic) as the fruitiness and sweetness complement the richness of the sheep's milk.

Hard cheese varies in style so much it's easier to split it into three broad categories:

Crumbly-cheeses, such as Lancashire, Wensleydale and Cheshire:​

Harder British territorial-cheeses, such as Cheddar and Leicester:​

Continental-style hard cheeses, such as Parmesan and Comté:​

White-rinded soft cheese such as Brie, Camembert and Tunworth:​

Washed (red) rinded soft cheeses such as Epoisses, Stinking Bishop and St James:​

The strength and richness of blue cheese means they need a cider with body and power to stand up to them.

This body and power comes in two forms:

With such a range of cider and cheese flavours out there, take Felix Nash's advice and play around with different matches: "Look for the way the taste changes between the two things you’re pairing – how the taste of the cheese is altered by the cider, and how the cider is changed by the cheese. When it's really good, the transition will be a longer, more interesting one, which elevates both in the process!"

As the original ‘English-wine’ perry and cider have probably been drunk with cheese in the UK for longer than wine has! It's time for cider and perry to regain that crown as a perfect match for cheese.

If you would like to try out some cheese and cider pairings, try the Cider and Cheese pairing box here: https://www.thecourtyarddairy.co.uk/shop/buy-cheese/cheese-selection-boxes/cheese-cider-macthing-tasting-pack/​

If you want to explore the fabulous world and diversity of British cider, The Fine Cider Company and Cork & Crown stock a brilliant range of diverse ciders and perries.

The Courtyard Dairy​ is a cheese shop and cheese maturer at Crows Nest Barn, Austwick, near Settle, North Yorkshire.​

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