Ready for Saison?

I am thinking quite a bit about cheese pairings as of late as I am sure you can tell from my recent post, “ Beer or Wine?”  I am not sure if it is has to do with the warmer weather, or the fact that spring grass means fresh cheese, but I can’t get this idea of finding the perfect balance between cheese and beer/wine, out of my mind.  I know I am not the only one as I have seen quite a few interesting ideas as of late on the web and in the “Twitterverse”.  Sake and cheese?  Coffee and cheese?  Herbal tea and cheese?  You name it, someone has thought to pair it with cheese.

To put this obsession to rest, I am going to start a series to explore some of the classic and not so classic pairings that are considered ideal.  This weekend will start with pairing beer, namely Belgian Saison, with various fresh and aged goat cheese.  This is a considered a classic duo as the goat cheese generally has enough character in order to balance out the farmhouse “funk” that is associated with this style of beer.  In addition to the Saison, I also plan on incorporating a couple of wines into the mix as counterpoint.  I have to answer my own question, right?  The important idea to maintain is that this is about the cheese and not the beverage pairings per se.  While I do want to highlight the beers and wines that are sampled, the primary focus is the cheese and how the pairings affect the aroma and taste.  This is the first in this series so it will definitely evolve, but I am excited about the prospects!  Look for this first part to post in the next week or so.