Merlot Paired with Young and Aged Gruyere

Merlot Paired with Young and Aged Gruyere 1
Merlot Paired with Young and Aged Gruyere 2

After reading the Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc and Emmentaler entry, http://mferraro73.tumblr.com/post/121356608301/bodkin-blanc-de-sauvignon-blanc-and-emmentaler, maybe you wondered if Benno, our dairy farmer friend, would share some other cheese knowledge? Well you are in luck because this is the second entry featuring our Swiss friends with more Swiss cheese! Neil and I were both excited when they brought us both a young and aged Gruyere cheese so we could taste the difference. What a great idea for WineAndCheeseFriday. They knew the cheese better than us, although we have had a couple Gruyeres* in our time, so we asked what type of wine would pair well with both cheeses. It seemed a Merlot, not being too heavy or too light with a smooth taste should do the trick.

Petit Reserve Merlot and Mt. Tam

Petit Reserve Merlot and Mt. Tam 1

We received this cheese from some friends because they knew we loved to pair Wine and Cheese! Thanks Sabrina and Geoff! We had heard about Mt. Tam cheese on a recent trip to Cowgirl Creamery. (http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/) So we consulted our wine and cheese pairing list and looked for a wine that would pair with a soft cheese similar to Brie.