Cheese Fondue And Wine: A Match Made In Heaven

Fondue is a delightful dish, but what do you drink with it? The Swiss have clear ideas about what you should and shouldn't drink with fondue. It is recommended to avoid water, as it is believed to congeal the cheese and cause digestive issues. The traditional drink is Fendant, a slightly sparkling white wine served at room temperature. However, other options include dry white wines, light-bodied red wines, herbal tea, or even champagne. When it comes to specific wines, Swiss wines like Abymes, Apremont, Chapareillan, or Roussette are popular choices. French wines from the Loire Valley or Alsace region, such as Savennières, Cheverny, or Muscadet, are also excellent pairings. For red wine lovers, Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Jura Poulsard are recommended. Ultimately, the key is to choose wines with high acidity to cut through the fat and salt of the cheese.

High-acidity wines are best to break down the cheese

When it comes to choosing a drink to pair with fondue, a Swiss classic with melted cheese, bread, and meat, it's important to consider the role of the beverage in cutting through the fat content and balancing the saltiness of the dish. While some may opt for tea or even water, the traditional drink of choice is wine, specifically high-acidity wines.

High-acidity wines are ideal for breaking down the cheese in fondue. The acid in the wine helps to cut through the fat and saltiness of the cheese, creating a more balanced flavour profile. This is especially important when consuming large quantities of cheese, as is often the case with fondue. By choosing a wine with high acidity, you can prevent the cheese from feeling too heavy or overwhelming on the palate.

When selecting a wine to pair with fondue, it is generally recommended to choose a dry, crisp, and acidic white wine. These characteristics in wine help to refresh the palate and provide a pleasant contrast to the rich and salty flavours of the fondue. Examples of suitable white wines include Swiss Chasselas (also known as Fendant in the canton of Valais), Chignin, or Roussette from Savoie. These wines can be harder to come by, but other options such as Muscadet, Chablis, dry Alsace, Austrian Riesling, or a young Grüner Veltliner are also excellent choices.

If you prefer red wine, it is best to choose a fresh, light-bodied variety. Some options include young red Burgundy, Gamay, or Dole. A Poulsard from the Jura region is also a good choice for a light red. These red wines have the necessary acidity to complement the fondue without overwhelming the delicate flavours of the cheese.

It is worth noting that while high-acidity wines are ideal for breaking down the cheese, they also play a crucial role in the cooking process. Adding a crisp and light wine to the fondue mixture helps to prevent the cheese from detaching and controls the consistency of the fondue. So, whether you're drinking it or cooking with it, a high-acidity wine is a key component of the fondue experience.

Avoid red wine with fondue

Fondue is a rich, fatty, salty, and flavourful dish, and its almost exclusive ingredient—cheese—makes it difficult to pair with wine, especially reds. While some people have experimented with red wine in their fondue, the general consensus is to avoid it. Here are a few reasons why:

Colour

The addition of red wine to fondue will result in an unappetising colour. The fondue will turn a dark red or purple, or at best, a sickly pink. While some people may not mind the colour, it is generally considered unappealing.

Flavour

Red wine has a more robust and heavier taste than white wine, and it can overpower the delicate flavours of the cheese in the fondue. Red wine also has higher tannin levels, which can negatively affect the texture of the cheese, making it grainy.

Tradition

Fondue is a traditional dish, especially in Switzerland, and it is traditionally served with white wine. While there is no rule against experimenting with different types of alcohol, adding red wine to fondue would be a significant departure from the traditional recipe.

Alternative Wine Suggestions

If you want to stick to the traditional wine pairing for fondue, it is recommended to go for crisp, dry, and aromatic white wines. Swiss Chasselas, Chignin, or Roussette from Savoie are excellent choices, although they may be hard to come by. Other options include Muscadet, Chablis, dry Alsace, Austrian Riesling, or a young Grüner Veltliner. If you prefer red wine, opt for a fresh, light-bodied one like a young red Burgundy, Gamay, or Dole.

Swiss Fendant is the traditional fondue drink

Swiss Fendant is the traditional drink to accompany fondue. Fendant is a crisp, dry, white Chasselas wine from the Valais region of Switzerland. It is high in acid, which helps to keep the fondue cheese smooth. It is also powerful enough to stand up to the strong flavours of the cheese.

The Swiss typically serve the same wine with fondue that they used to make it. This is usually a light, dry white wine, such as Fendant, but can also be Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, or even a sparkling wine like Prosecco. Swiss Fendant is the perfect choice, as it is both light and dry, with enough acidity to cut through the richness of the fondue.

The wine served with fondue should complement the fondue's salty, rich, and strong flavours. It should be acidic, refreshing, unctuous, and powerful in alcohol. The high acidity of Swiss Fendant is an excellent foil to the fondue's salty, fatty cheese. It is also refreshing, helping to balance the richness of the dish. The unctuousness and high alcohol content of Fendant stand up to the strong flavours of the fondue.

Swiss Fendant is the ideal choice for a traditional fondue, as it is the same wine that is used in the dish. It is also a regional wine, which adds to the authenticity of the experience. The wine's light, dry, and acidic qualities make it the perfect complement to the fondue's salty, rich, and strong flavours.

Avoid water to prevent congealing

Water is a big no-no when it comes to drinking fondue. The Swiss believe that water will cause the cheese to congeal and form a large, heavy, fat-laden ball in your stomach, which may cause digestive issues.

So, what should you drink with fondue? Well, the Swiss have some clear ideas about what you should and shouldn't drink alongside this delicious dish.

Fondue is rich, fatty, salty, and strong in taste, so the drink that accompanies it should be its complement: acidic, refreshing, unctuous, and powerful in alcohol.

The traditional drink to have with fondue is Fendant, a slightly sparkling white wine served almost at room temperature. Fendant is made in the canton of Valais using Chasselas grapes. When made in the canton of Vaud, it is simply called "Chasselas". Other recommended wines include Swiss Chasselas, Chignin, or Roussette from Savoie, or other crisp, dry whites such as Muscadet, Chablis, dry Alsace, Austrian Riesling, or a young Grüner Veltliner. If you prefer red wine, opt for a fresh, light-bodied one like a young red Burgundy, Gamay, or Jura Poulsard.

If you're looking for a non-alcoholic option, some sources suggest drinking plain black tea, although this is not a common choice.

In terms of preventing congealing, the high acidity of wines helps to break down the cheese and prevent it from coagulating. So, when choosing a drink to pair with fondue, look for something with high acidity to avoid any potential digestive issues.

Dry white wines are a good alternative to Fendant

While Fendant, a slightly sparkling white wine from Switzerland, is the traditional drink to pair with fondue, it may not be the easiest to find. Dry white wines are a good alternative to Fendant, as they will also cut through the fat content of the cheese and balance out the saltiness.

When choosing a dry white wine to pair with fondue, opt for one with high acidity. Wines from the Alps, such as those from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, are known for their dry white wines with zippy acidity, making them a perfect match for fondue. French white wines from Alsace are also a great choice.

Some specific wine recommendations include:

• Muscadet
• Chablis
• Austrian Riesling
• Grüner Veltliner
• Italian Pinot Grigio
• Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, New Zealand, France, or the USA
• La Playa Estate Sauvignon Blanc from Chile
• Chateau De La Ragotiere Muscadet Sur Lie Black Label from France

These wines will complement the richness of the fondue with their crisp, dry, and refreshing qualities. Remember, when cooking fondue, you can use a cheaper bottle of dry white wine, saving the higher-quality wines for consumption.

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