National Wine & Cheese Day - Greece
Though feta cheese typically comes to mind when people think of the cheeses coming from Greece, there is actually a large assortment of cheeses that originated from this beautiful country. Below we will look at a few wine and cheese pairings that highlight the tastes of Greece.
Kefalotyri
This cheese is one that has a very vivid flavor, being rather salty and spicy. It is known as a hard cheese, and can be consumed in its “raw” form or grated over foods such as pasta. This cheese has plenty of wine pairings that go very well with it, and the way you choose to consume the cheese can help you with which wine pairing to choose. Tangy wines like Agiorgitiko or Mavrotragano tend to complement this cheese best in its raw form, though sweet wines like Muscat also give it a unique taste. If you do choose to go with the Agiorgitiko wine pairing for this cheese be prepared to have the saltiness of the cheese be emphasized with the wine’s acidity and fruity elements.
Kopanisti
This very unique cheese has a very spicy flavor and it is best compared in similarity to blue cheese. It is said that Kopanisti is the tangiest cheese from Greece. It has a very sharp flavor and is yellow and creamy aesthetic-wise. This table cheese pairs beautifully with sweet tomatoes and sweet wines. If you are looking for a local wine to Greece, Samos vin de liqueur is a great option.
Metsovone
This cheese gets its name from the town of Metsovo, where it is produced. The cheese itself is made from cows’ and sheep’s milk and then undergoes a smoking process to give it its delectable flavor. It has a fairly buttery consistency to it and is most often used as a table cheese. This cheese pairs well with multiple wines depending on the flavor combination that you are craving. You can opt for anything from Vlachiko to Debina to Savatiano or pretty much any white wine that has a strong acidity content.
Manouri
This cheese has many options not just for wine pairings but also for how you can eat it. The cheese is produced in the Thessaly and Macedonia areas of Greece and is made using both goat and sheep milk together to give it its mouthwatering flavor. The cheese is full-fat and lightly salted, and as such, it is best to choose white wines that are full-bodied but not oily to pair together. Both Moschofilero or Malagousia are great options for this. That being said, if you are planning to eat this cheese cooked to bring out its buttery flavor we recommend pairing it with Assyrtiko, while if you are going to eat it with honey, nuts, and/or fruit it is delicious as a pairing with Muscat.
All in all, there are many more cheeses that we can dive into, but it is clear that Greece makes a wide array of different cheeses with different textures and flavors so there are plenty of options to choose from as you celebrate National Wine and Cheese Day. Greece also does not lack in the wine department having many vineyards and producing many local wines.
