Five Cheeses to Pair with Crémant du Jura

Cheese and sparkling wine are natural companions. The freshness and acidity of the wine can cut through rich, buttery cheeses, while its fruitier and more savoury notes can bring out completely different flavours across a cheeseboard.

Our Crémant du Jura Blanc de Blancs comes from the Jura, a small wine region tucked between Burgundy and Switzerland. Made entirely from Chardonnay, the term Blanc de Blancs refers to a white sparkling wine made only from white grapes.

It is made using the traditional method and aged for almost four years on its lees, allowing the wine to develop greater richness and complexity. The result is a beautifully golden Crémant with aromas of ripe nectarine and warm bread, followed by flavours of apricot, vanilla brioche and almond. It has a creamy texture, lively acidity and a long, fresh finish.

That combination of richness and freshness is exactly what makes it such an enjoyable wine to pair with cheese. The bubbles and acidity refresh the palate after something creamy or buttery, while the more developed fruit, brioche and nutty flavours have enough character to accompany mature and savoury cheeses too.

Here are five cheeses we particularly enjoy alongside it.

Comté Androuet

Perhaps the most natural place to start is with another speciality of the Jura.

Comté is made in the Jura Mountains, where the cows graze on rich mountain pastures filled with seasonal grasses and flowers. Pairing it with Crémant du Jura brings together two products shaped by the same landscape.

The nutty, savoury character of the Comté works beautifully with the almond and brioche notes in the wine, while the Crémant's lively acidity keeps the pairing fresh.

Paxton & Whitfield Triple Cream Brie

For a classic example of why sparkling wine and rich cheese work so well together, reach for Paxton & Whitfield Triple Cream Brie.

Made exclusively for Paxton & Whitfield in Cornwall, the cheese is enriched with Cornish double cream to give it an exceptionally smooth, buttery texture.

That extra richness calls for something refreshing alongside it. The bubbles and acidity of the Crémant cut through the creaminess of the cheese and refresh the palate between mouthfuls, while its brioche character complements those rich, buttery flavours.

Dorstone

Sparkling wine does not only belong with rich cow's milk cheeses.

Dorstone is an ashed goat's cheese made in Herefordshire, with a light, fluffy texture and a fresh, gently citrusy character.

The bright acidity of the Crémant works beautifully with that freshness, while its ripe stone fruit flavours soften the tang of the goat's milk. Together they make a particularly lively pairing.

Little Rollright

Little Rollright brings something altogether more savoury to the cheeseboard.

Made by David Jowett at King Stone Dairy in the Cotswolds, this washed rind cheese develops a rich, silky texture and deeply savoury flavours, with an aromatic woodland character from the spruce bark wrapped around each cheese.

Here the Crémant's freshness cuts through the richness of the cheese, while its ripe fruit and brioche notes provide a lovely contrast to Rollright's more savoury character.

Old Groendal

Finally, something firmer.

Old Groendal is a mature Belgian Gouda style cheese aged for at least 18 months, developing a satisfyingly dense, crystalline texture and rich flavours of caramel and butterscotch.

This pairing is all about those sweeter, toasted flavours. The Crémant's apricot, almond and vanilla brioche character sits beautifully alongside the cheese's caramel notes, while the bubbles prevent such a rich combination from becoming too heavy.

Why does Crémant work so well with cheese?

One of the joys of Crémant is its versatility. Its acidity and bubbles can refresh the palate after a mouthful of rich cheese, but an aged Blanc de Blancs such as this also has enough depth and complexity to stand up to more mature and savoury styles.

From rich Triple Cream Brie to fresh goat's cheese, savoury Little Rollright and mature Comté, there is plenty of room to experiment.

Discover Crémant du Jura Blanc de Blancs at Paxton & Whitfield and find your own favourite pairing.