When Is a Wine Tasting NOT a Wine Tasting? When It’s a Wine AND Cheese Tasting

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It will come as no surprise to anyone reading this blog that when searching for a food that pairs well with wine, cheese is probably at the top of the list. It almost doesn’t need mentioning: Everyone knows that cheese goes well with wine.

The combination enhances the flavors and textures of both, creating a more harmonious epicurean experience. And the key to a successful cheese and wine pairing lies in how one’s choices balance the flavors, textures, and intensities of both.

For example, the effervescence and acidity of Champagne cuts through the richness of Brie, cleansing the palate and enhancing the cheese’s subtle flavors. Merlot, with its smooth texture and fruity notes of plum and cherry, complements the rich, nutty and caramelized complexity of aged Gouda — even the smoothness of the Merlot matches the creamy texture of the cheese. The sweetness and full-bodied richness of Port counterbalance the intense saltiness, bold flavors and crumbly texture of blue cheese. And the robust, sharp profile of good old cheddar is softened by the high tannin content and notes of blackcurrant and cedar found in most Cabernet Sauvignons.

There’s actual science behind these pairings, although one need not fully understand the scientific underpinnings of these combinations.

All one has to know is that, like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups’ impeccable partnership of super-creamy peanut butter and mild milk chocolate, these pairings enhance each other wonderfully and result in a taste that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Experimenting with these combinations can lead to delightful discoveries and a deeper appreciation for both cheese and wine — even if one is not especially adept at articulating such an appreciation!

You know the drill. When you go to a tasting, the vast majority of the time, the host puts out some charcuterie and cheeses for everyone to snack on, and there is an assumption that these items are “helping” in some undetermined way. I will be completely honest and state for the record that I never really thought much about this tradition. Until a few weeks ago, that is, when I was rather stunned to learn just how much care, thought and knowledge can go into pairing wine with cheese for the maximum experiential benefit.

The first “real, serious wine and cheese pairing” I ever attended was earlier this year at Blackberry Farm. The Somm there who did our wine tasting picked a really pleasing combination of both wines and cheeses. But at that tasting, the focus (and thus the conversation) was mainly on the wine itself. He did talk a bit about the cheese, and you can see in the photos from that brief post I made about that event HERE that he detailed the source of each cheese we tasted. However, the wines he chose and the impressive cellar were clearly the stars of the show.

That should help to explain my surprise when, at an Arrow&Branch Winery investor event earlier that weekend, I happened to mention that one of our wine tasting stops that weekend was to meet Drew Neiman of Neiman Cellars for the very first time, and was met with the following response: “Oh, you’re going to a cheese tasting? I hope you really like cheese…”

I’m thinking to myself, OK… so is this tasting about wine or about cheese? My curiosity was certainly piqued. Turns out, it was definitely a tag-team match — and one for the ages, as far as I’m concerned.

First, a bit about Drew and his winery.

Drew grew up in Akron, OH and was introduced to the wine trade by his cousins (they owned a wine shop about a 12-minute drive outside of the city). He established the company in 1997 after a three-year internship under John Kongsgaard, an iconic California winemaker who’s long been considered one of the finest innovators in the Napa wine scene, and who has mentored a slew of younger winemakers. Many of those who’ve worked with and studied under him have gone on to accrue numerous accolades for their own unique offerings. Drew spent more than a decade working with Kongsgaard, and ultimately rose to the enviable position of his assistant winemaker at Newton Vineyard.

Now, with his own Neiman Cellars, Drew sources grapes from some of the very best vineyards in the valley, and sustainably produces well under 1,000 cases of handcrafted, artisanal, “small-batch” wine annually. He’s poured his wine at NYC’s revered James Beard House, and his offerings have been found at fabled restaurants such as The French Laundry (check out my recent post on dining there HERE), Per Se and the Beverly Hills Hotel.

He’s the sole proprietor and handles every aspect of production himself. It’s a labor of love that has earned him an enviable, hard-won reputation in an industry that does not offer such things lightly.

Drew is known for an intense attention to fine detail, which is the reason he is reportedly the only client allowed to store and use their own winemaking gear at a winery in the Coombsville area which rents out space to smaller outfits that don’t own their own physical wineries. Normally, those clients would not have direct personal control over every aspect of the winemaking process, but there is no other way that such an esteemed vintner (and a stickler for the minutiae of this art) as Drew would allow, and so they made an exception for him and Neiman Cellars.

After our time at The Charter Oak restaurant enjoying Zeitgeist wines (you can read all about that HERE), myself, my wife Dio and our friends Rami and Keiko headed straight to meet Drew. When we showed up, he remarked that he was pleased we were on time. This struck me, as it might be the first and only time a winemaker has specifically thanked me for being punctual. As I look back now on our time with Drew, I believe that comment set the tone for the entire experience, and it also speaks volumes about the approach Drew takes to his business and his life in general. He’s thoughtful, meticulous and regimented — all of which I consider admirable qualities!

The comment about our punctuality made a certain type of sense, because many or most wineries in this area of the country almost expect folks to be a little late for tastings — especially those in the afternoons — and that, while it’s frustrating for them, they plan accordingly.

Why would they expect their guests to be running behind, you may ask? Well, the combination of Napa’s specific geography (meaning that there are no major highways in the area, and it’s common that you’ll find yourself stuck behind slow-moving trucks or heavy equipment on crowded, two-lane country roads) and the tendency of folks who are enjoying themselves at wine tastings to lose track of time and have a somewhat relaxed attitude towards deadlines is the culprit — especially in the busy season.

However, because of my own attention to detail and the importance in my work life of adhering to time constraints, I am in the habit of letting folks at tastings know how much time we have and try my best to check my watch frequently to make sure we leave with enough time to arrive at our next tasting or reservation. The fact that Drew cared about this stuff as well was a nice surprise.

That dedication to details shone through in the tasting area itself. The glassware, the wine bottles, the order forms, the pens, everything really was arranged perfectly. This had all been done with great care and forethought.

Drew excused himself to go retrieve the cheese from the refrigerator, and when he returned, he explained that it was important to avoid sweat on the cheese. And I’m thinking, “Cheese sweat? That’s a thing?” So, obviously I’m not an expert on cheese by any stretch of the imagination. When serving wine, there are all sorts of variables that must be considered and accounted for in order to make sure it’s decanted properly, served at the most appropriate temperature, and so forth. I must admit I did not realize there may be just as many such variables which apply to the preparation and serving of cheese.

Basically, Drew explained to us that serving it at the wrong temperature or having it exposed to changes in temperature can easily degrade the experience of enjoying cheeses. I really appreciated the fact that he was doing everything he could to provide us with the optimal cheese tasting!

The next thing he did which warmed my heart was he asked us directly how much time we had to spend with him. I answered that our time was somewhat limited because we were part of a big dinner at the A&B Winery a bit later. He took a moment and seemed to be making calculations in his head. It turns out he was actually figuring out just how many stories he could share with us, how long each story could take and how much time we could spend with each different wine. He was mentally preparing himself for overseeing the tasting and doing it right in front of us. I instantly recognized this as the very same thing I find myself doing at my day job in fintech. A man after my own heart!

Between his advanced preparation and his interest in our schedule, there was a great deal of respect being paid to our group, and I hope he felt that respect reciprocated from us back to him.

He spread the cheese apart evenly and laid it out in the order we’d be tasting it, and he poured the first wine, using a Coravin. It was a lovely Chardonnay from 2019.

As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, in Napa, it’s quite typical to start off tastings with a white or a sparkling wine. But often, those are not associated with the winery or vineyard you are visiting. However, in this case, this was a wine from his own portfolio which he made by hand.

After he poured it for us, he asked us to wait a bit before we drank, explaining that he wanted us to taste the wine first, followed by the cheese. And only the specific cheese he had selected to match with this specific wine. He had put a great deal of thought and care into these pairings. We got a good deal of info on the wine, and how it came to be made. But honestly, he spent even more time on the history and character of the cheese! Where it’s from. Why he chose it. The background of this variety. Where to find it. How easy (or hard) it is to obtain. I loved all that detail.

He asked us to taste the wine first, followed by the cheese, and then to taste the same wine a second time. His goal, he said, was to give us the very best possible experience — and the way this exact cheese interacted with that exact wine was a huge part of the experience.

If you take a look at my tasting notes (click the button above), you’ll see that I initially scored the Chardonnay at 89. Yet, when I tasted it again after the cheese, I increased my score to a 91. That’s how much the taste of the cheese altered the taste of the wine, and that’s what he wanted us to understand and appreciate. It was obvious to me that had I eaten the cheese first thing, or if it had been a different type of cheese, both of those differences would have made a striking difference in how I perceived his wine.

Drew feels strongly that if you are drinking a high-quality wine, going in that order (wine, cheese, wine again) is the key to the best tasting experience. Conversely, he opined that if the wine is not that great, eating the cheese first might help to “soften the blow” of a sub-par bottle.

Take it from me: if you ever find yourself trying Neiman Cellars wines with Drew, you most definitely should taste the wine first!

By this point, it should be obvious that as well regarded as Drew is in the world of fine wine, he is also somewhat known in the world of fine cheeses. That’s primarily because in addition to it being a passion of his, he has a longstanding public association with Lassa Skinner. She’s a famed cheesemonger who co-founded and co-owns the international magazine Culture: The Word on Cheese. She’s also the co-author of the popular book Cheese for Dummies.

Every year, Drew and Lassa sit down together and try to ascertain which three cheeses they each feel are the best to pair with each one of his new vintage wines. Believe it or not, their collective track record is rather incredible, as Drew explained that each time the two have gone through this exercise, both of their picks for each set of top three cheeses wind up being identical. As he says, “Your mouth knows when it’s happy!”

We continued on through his bespoke wine and cheese pairings.

After the 2019 Neiman Chardonnay (which was paired with the widely available Brillat Savarin — a soft-ripened triple cream cow's milk cheese), we enjoyed the following:

2021 Neiman Cabernet Franc (paired with Alpha Tolman — a moderately hard, raw-milk Alpine-style cow’s milk cheese from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont)

2021 Neiman Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine (paired with Cabot Clothbound — a widely available pasteurized cow’s milk cheddar from Jasper Hill Farm, and Piave Vecchio — a widely available hard and savory cow’s milk table cheese from Italy)

2021 Neiman “The Fallen” Red Wine (paired with Rispens Gouda — a moderately soft pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese from Holland)

2021 Neiman Syrah (paired with Sbrinz — a very hard cow’s milk cheese from Switzerland)

You’ll note that the fourth wine we sampled was a red blend called “The Fallen.” That’s a specialty label that Drew launched about a half-dozen years ago. It’s where he releases ultra-limited batches of wine which simply don’t fit into the standard focus and output of Neiman Cellars (Chardonnays, Cabernets, red Wine blends and Syrahs). When he has the specific grapes or the specific inspiration to tackle a different sort of wine, he creates a tiny amount and bottles it as a one-off under that name, meant as a biblical reference to an angel who has fallen from grace and been cast out of heaven.

“The Fallen” wines are not included in Neiman’s normal catalog, and since the vast majority of their output is purchased directly by consumers (often by mail), these bottles begin as collectibles and then vanish quickly, becoming highly coveted possessions among aficionados of Drew’s masterful work. The eye-catching logo on these wines’ labels is an image derived from a piece of art deco artwork found on the back wall of Akron, Ohio’s Guggenheim Airship Institute, which has, over the years, become something of a local landmark.

The building still exists but has long since been converted into a year-round horror-themed attraction known as the “Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory.” Here’s a snapshot of the rear of the building and the architectural element that has been repurposed for use as Drew’s label artwork.

Dio is not only an avid art collector, but a professional graphic designer, and she took notice of that eye-catching bottle logo, as did I.

You’ll also note the winery’s standard logo, which was based on an old piece of album cover art which Drew happened upon in a Napa record store. Eventually, he was able to facilitate a collaboration between the original artist and respected wine label designer Michael McDermott. This piece of art was based on a classic image of a Cabernet Franc leaf by the late, great French expert on grapevines, Pierre Galet.

After sampling all of these wonderful wines and cheeses and learning a good bit in a relatively short time (less than 90 minutes) about Drew’s interests and accomplishments, Dio and I ordered some wine from him, so that’s coming our way a bit later in the fall. And then it was time for us to head out, as we still had to change and get ready for dinner that night. However, after we left, we realized that Keiko had forgotten her sunglasses!. Luckily, Drew had already noticed them and was kind enough to offer to deliver them personally.

In the end, this worked out great for all concerned, because while Drew had not had any bottles of wine handy to sell any of us at the tasting (which is why ours will be shipped later), Drew was actually able to swing by a facility where he stores his wine on the way to return the shades. That way, Rami could purchase some and take them home with him on his flight. In the end, once Drew arrived, he wound up sticking around with them for quite a while, as they all drank tea and coffee and shared stories.

If I’m being completely honest, even though we were very happy to be enjoying the amazing A&B dinner that night, I felt a twinge of jealousy at learning Keiko and Rami got to spend a few additional hours with this extremely interesting and notable winemaker!

That’s because his attention to detail and devotion to his craft resulted in the single most enjoyable (and educational) wine and cheese tasting I’ve yet to enjoy.