Chilli Cheddar Toast vs Red Leicester and Ginger Toast paired with Giannitessari Sparkling Rose

There had been a lot of signs over the past couple of weeks for me that it may be time to do a wine pairing with cheese on toast and when mentioned in passing to people, it was met in the affirmative. So here goes.

The wine

Giannitessari Sparkling Rosé

I discovered this at the 2023 Glass of Bubbly Show courtesy of Bubbly Bandits. All of the group that I was tasting with found this wine a hit for easy drinking. It’s fresh with strawberries on the nose, yet I found it creamy thereafter. A blend of Durella and Pinot Noir grapes, I think it is my first encounter with the former.

I don’t know about you but for most households in the UK, Cheese and Toast must have been a staple? I once heard an Italian friend of mine say that he could rustle up a pasta dish in the same amount of time it takes people to put cheese on toast. Here are two examples that remind me of my childhood.

Chilli Cheddar Cheese on Toast

This makes me think primarily of my dad. I had a lot of white bread and cheddar as the combo before I could handle a bit of spice. Freshly cut green chillies made it to the topping at some point when I was growing up and still a comfort food now. Today I used a grated mature cheddar and white bloomer bread fresh from the bakery and yes, freshly cut green chillies.

The verdict – absolutely worked! The creaminess of the wine along with the creaminess of this cheese. A few bites, the chilli won over, but I may have been excessive with it! A lovely light snack that could also make for cheese on toast canapés for a party piece!

Red Leicester Cheese and Ginger on Toast

In my aunt’s house, this is the given. I’ll be frank, I wasn’t sold on the ginger element until a few years ago, but now when it works, it works amazingly well. This would typically also be on brown bread. Today I used a seeded loaf and freshly grated ginger.

The verdict – This didn’t work as well. Too many flavours going on with the seeds themselves being quite powerful. The ginger when it came to the party worked with the wine and the cheese either was too little or too bland for this combination.

In conclusion, there are a heap of variations when it comes to cheese on toast. There’s also more to Italian sparking wine than Prosecco. I’ll certainly be making cheese on toast and sparkling wine more of a regular thing – watch out for more posts to this effect!

Author: Rupa Datta – rupa@portfolio-people.com