The cheese course is a celebration, a moment of pause and pleasure at the end of a meal. But while we often focus on the wine pairing, there’s another, even more classic companion waiting in the wings: Château du Breuil Pays d’Auge VSOP Calvados. This elegant apple brandy from Normandy doesn’t just pair with cheese; it performs a kind of culinary alchemy, creating harmonies that are both timeless and thrilling. Moving beyond the predictable port or Sauternes can transform your cheese board from great to unforgettable. Here’s how to build the perfect cheese course around this exquisite Calvados.
Why Calvados and Cheese are a Match Made in Heaven
The magic lies in the shared terroir and complementary flavours. Normandy is a land of apple orchards and dairy farms, and this partnership is woven into its gastronomic soul. The Château du Breuil VSOP, with its notes of baked apple, honey, and gentle oak spice, interacts with cheese in three key ways:
The Acid-Cut: The spirit’s bright, clean acidity cuts through the rich, creamy fat of soft cheeses, cleansing the palate with every sip.
The Fruit Bridge: The apple and honey notes provide a sweet, fruity counterpoint to salty, pungent, and blue-veined cheeses.
The Oak Harmony: The gentle vanilla and spice from its oak aging resonate beautifully with nutty, aged hard cheeses.
Building Your Calvados Cheese Course: A Trio of Perfect Pairings
For a balanced experience, select three different cheeses to showcase the versatility of the pairing.
1. The Creamy Classic: Camembert de Normandie
The Cheese: A true, unpasteurized Camembert, with its bloomy rind, mushroomy aroma, and decadently creamy paste.
The Pairing: This is the quintessential match. The rich, buttery fat of the Camembert is instantly sliced through by the crisp apple brandy. The Calvados enhances the cheese’s earthy notes while its own baked apple character becomes more pronounced. It’s a taste of Normandy in a single, perfect bite and sip.
2. The Salty & Pungent: Pont l’Évêque
The Cheese: A washed-rind square with a pungent aroma, a supple texture, and a robust, salty, and slightly savoury flavour.
The Pairing: Where Camembert is a gentle embrace, Pont l’Évêque is a joyful handshake. The spirit’s sweetness beautifully balances the saltiness and pungency of the cheese. The interaction creates a new, complex flavour on the palate that is both savoury and sweet, proving that opposites do indeed attract.
3. The Hard & Nutty: Comté or Aged Gouda
The Cheese: An 18-month-old Comté or a two-year-old Gouda, full of crystalline crunch and flavours of brown butter, toasted nuts, and caramel.
The Pairing: Here, the Calvados acts as a harmonious echo. The nutty, caramelised notes in the cheese find a direct reflection in the honey and vanilla of the spirit. The combination is deep, warm, and profoundly satisfying, bringing out the best in both.
How to Serve Your Calvados Cheese Course
The Spirit: Serve the Château du Breuil VSOP Calvados at a cool room temperature (around 18°C/64°F) in a tulip glass or a small snifter. This allows its complex aromas to concentrate and unfold.
The Cheese: Take your cheese out of the refrigerator at least an hour before serving. Cheese reveals its full flavour at room temperature.
The Accompaniments: Keep it simple. A few walnuts or slices of a crisp apple are all you need to accentuate the autumnal, orchard-driven theme.
The Final Sip
Pairing cheese with Château du Breuil Pays d’Auge VSOP Calvados is more than a pairing—it’s an experience. It connects the drink and the food to a specific place and tradition, offering a sense of authenticity and discovery that will impress and delight your guests.
Ready to create your own perfect cheese course? Shop Château du Breuil Pays d’Auge VSOP Calvados here.