Pairing Wine With Balsamic BellaVitano Cheese

BellaVitano cheese is advertised as a “cheese that begins as a Parmesan and ends with hinds of melted butter”. This cheese is accentuated by a Balsamic vinegar wash that originates in Modena, Italy. Balsamic vinegar from this region is fruity and concentrated, making it a great choice for a hard full-flavored cheese such as BellaVitano. The acidity of the balsamic is accentuated by the fruity and nutty notes of the cheese. Try it on a charcuterie board, or even as a garnish on pasta with red sauce. This article will discuss some great wine pairings that can accompany it. BellaVitano is unique in the fact that it is vegetarian friendly!

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Balsamic BellaVitano

Characteristic	Detail
Sweetness	Dry
Acidity	Medium Plus-High
Tannins	Low to High
Body	Medium to Full
Notes	Red and Black Berries, Citrus, Orchard Fruits, Tropical Fruits, Herbs, Spices

Best Red Wine To Pair With Balsamic BellaVitano

The great thing about this cheese is that it can be enjoyed with a wide range of wines. It has a nature that is similar to Parmesan, which goes well with medium to fuller bodied wines with higher tanning levels. However, it has a smoothness and lightness as well that make it pair well lighter bodied reds as well. It is most definitely something very special when one can pair almost any type of red wine with a cheese, making it a great option to elevate your dining experience.

Pinot Noir

This grape is known to develop in bottles with delicious mushroom and earthy notes. These flavors are often found in hard and semi-hard cheeses, such as Balsamic BellaVitano. The lower tannin level will highlight the delicate part of the cheese, while its high acidity will freshen the palate, creating perfect harmony.

Chianti

Chianti is a favorite in the red wine category with many wine lovers and especially those who enjoy Italian wine. Its high tannin stands up to the boldness of the cheese, while its higher acid levels harmoniously wash away the creaminess of the cheese. The bright red cherry notes will bring out both the fruity and savoriness of the cheese, while the wine’s balsamic vinegar nuances that Chianti is loved for mirrors that of the vinegar of the rind it is coated in.

Right Bank Bordeaux

This wine is predominantly Merlot based, providing the wine with bursting red fruit characters. If you choose an aged example, it would work nicely as they are known to have some savory notes such as earth and forest floor, which would bring out the savoriness of the cheese and the fruity complexity of the rind in the Balsamic BellaVitano. Also, it is common for wines in this region to be oak aged, giving it cedar, cinnamon, and clove hints, highlighting the cheese’s nutty character.

Nebbiolo

This is one of the most tannic wines on the market, and is prized for its ability to pair with food well. This grape varietal has apparent floral notes that make a fine pairing with the Balsamic BellaVitano cheese due to its robust yet delicate nature. Additionally, this wine’s higher acidity level restores the palate after being coated with the cheese’s delicious richness.

Primitivo

This wine is found all over southern Italy, and its fruit forward nature would make a great addition to your Balsamic BellaVitano cheese. Not only would it highlight the fruity notes in the cheese, but also it will highlight it in the rind. An aged example of Primitivo will have notes of balsamic vinegar as well, making it show through even further. The full-flavor of the cheese will definitely stand up to fuller bodied, higher alcohol wines such as Primitivo.

Best White Wine To Pair With Balsamic BellaVitano

Similar to red wine, Balsamic BellaVitano can pair well with a variety of wine. This is a cheese that is delicate, yet robust. Thus it can pair well with white wines that have lighter to full body. Lighter wines will provide a beautiful contrast to the richness, but will bring out the delicacies, yet richer wines will mirror the mouth coating richness of the cheese. Here are some great examples to try out.

Napa Valley Chardonnay

This full bodied wine matches the intensity and mouthfeel of the cheese, while its fruit nature of stone and tropical fruit will bring out the fruitiness of the cheese. The nature of the fruit in these wines is quite ripe, making it pair well with the flavors of the balsamic vinegar rind.

White Burgundy

Any quality level will work with BellaVitano cheese, ranging from more generic regional wines all the way to Premier and Grand Cru. These wines, although made from Chardonnay as well, differ from new-world style wines in the way that they are less fruit-forward with mineral notes and savory notes that can age gracefully to evolve to nutty, butterscotch and ginger aromas. These characteristics will also highlight the savory nature of the cheese, as well as the fruitiness. The high acid level in the wine will contrast with the richness of the cheese, giving it balance that is necessary in a good food and wine pairing.

Chilean Sauvignon Blanc

This highly refreshing grape varietal has herbaceous notes along with citrus, stone fruit and citrus flavors. The cheese and wine make a delicious pairing due to the mirroring fruitiness of each, as well as the higher acidity of the wine that cleanses the palate of the mouth coating fat in the Balsamic BellaVitano. Chilean wines often have a fuller body and more riper tropical nuances, giving the pairing an appealing balance of flavor intensity.

Aged Hunter Valley Semillon

This is a wine that is very popular with wine enthusiasts. These wines are neutral, yet delicious in youth but transform into a beautifully balanced wine with nutty, smoky, gingery notes that only get more complex with age. The complexity of aroma and flavors along with its high acidity that cleanses the palate will be a great addition to Balsamic BellaVitano

Viognier

The Balsamic BellaVitano can benefit greatly from a fruity, fuller bodied white wine that is bursting with florals, lychee, rose, and apricot. This multifaceted wine can bring out the fruitiness of the cheese, along with the fuller mouthfeel with a wine that mirrors that as well.