Cracker Barrel Cheese and André Hueston Mack plate sensational summer pairings

From a simple Friday night nosh to an elegant garden gathering, the pairing of wine and cheese always satisfies. André Hueston Mack sets the table with some expert Cracker Barrel Cheese and wine pairings that will impress everyone gathered around the table.

While complicated cheese boards might tout a salami river or carefully crafted visuals, the real appreciation from that plate of food comes from the flavor. After the first nibble causes that edible cheese flower to turn into scattered petals, people better want to go back for bite after bite. The visual might get all the ohhs and ahhs, but the cheese needs to satisfy with great flavor.

Recently, Cracker Barrel Cheese partnered with sommelier André Hueston Mack to offer some approachable suggestions to wine and cheese pairings. As many people have come to appreciate, Mack makes wine and spirits understandable. Whether it is a reasonably priced bottle or relatable flavor descriptions, people have turned to this sommelier for guidance.

For this special collaboration, Mack highlighted how select Cracker Barrel cheeses can be enjoyed with both Hampton Water Wine and Joel Gott Wines. Many people have happily sipped that elegant rose on a sunny summer day or serve the food-friendly cabernet with dinner from the grill. Mack shows how these wines are equally enjoyable with some favorite cheeses.

While everyone has a different approach to pairing wine and cheese, Mack opted for complementary flavors. For example, the Hampton Water Rose has sweetness from strawberry and brightness from citrus. These flavor notes pair delightfully with the Cracker Barrel Cheese’s Sharp White Cheddar Cracker Cuts. The subtleties in both come to the forefront of the tasting experience.

In contrast, the juicy, red fruit flavors in the Joel Gott Wine’s 185 Cabernet Sauvignon stands up to the extra sharp yellow cheddar as well as a spicy cured meat. When stacked on a simple cracker, it is a hearty bite that is enjoyable with the slight jamminess of the wine.

Additionally, both wines can pair with any of the food on the board. From the person who prefers that slightly chilled rose when a little cheese nosh on a sunny afternoon to the one who prefers a robust red with a hearty plate as a dinner substitute, both options are equally as enjoyable.

While some people might opt for just a few slices on a plate, curating an engaging cheese board does not have to be complicated. Adding some spicy nuts, cured meat, or even a few pieces of chocolate can create a flavor journey. No matter how people choose their eating path, the food and wine is meant to be fun.

More importantly, the choices avoid becoming complicated. Wine and cheese should be enjoyable, not an exercise in pretentiousness. It is not about how much the bottle costs or how complicated the artisan cheesemaker’s recipe is. In the end, it is about enjoyable food, great conversation, and a little money left over to spend on dessert.

Cracker Barrel cheese can be found at various retailers. The line has a variety of classic and newer Artisan Flavors, like Truffle Cheddar and Dill Havarti.