France is justly celebrated for its excellent wine and cheese, and pairing the two products in the most complementary way makes for an even better taste experience, as members learned during a cultural sharing and networking session on 11 June.

At Monsieur Chatte, a boutique dedicated to French products, three staff members – General Manager Charline Chatte; Quentin Le Brigant, Retail Supervisor and Corporate Manager; and Joe Wong, Boutique Manager – shared their insights. First, they gave an introduction to French cheese, including the different types, their texture, and the proper way to store the product.

French cheeses are strictly classified by their location and the type of milk they are made from. Members also learnt that the time of year also play a role. The richer pastures of summer means that cheese made from milk produced in this season has a lighter colour, while cheese made of milk produced in winter is darker. 

The tasting of a variety of cheese was accompanied by a carefully paired wine, with spicier cheese paired with stronger wine and vice versa, to bring out the best palate experience.