So I must link in to http://thepinkspoon.typepad.com/the_pink_spoon/2008/05/raclette.html for references on the culinary goodness of the Raclette Experience...Raclette cheese is a de novo in and of itself, something like gruyere and emmenthal, except with a hint of smoke and spice and, dare I say, French "barnyard" experience - and it goes PERFECTLY with pinot noir.
Yes, Pinot Noir, a red grape. Sit back and hold your breaths in, as I am indeed about to prove my Raving Maenad heathen origins...There could be no better match for such a gorgeous meal - you could pair with the traditional high acid Riesling or Gewuerz, and you could even do a Sauvignon Blanc (either Bordeaux White or New Zealand passionfruit), but optimally you will be pairing your melted goodness with a red that sustains, endures and more thoroughly supplements such high fat ingestion with not only a high acid cut but also some lovely soft yet substantial tannins to lift this edgy cheese to a new level.
Burgundy does give the perfect cultural compliment, given the origins of raclette, as apparently a French-Swiss peasant farmer set his luncheon cheese down on a hot rock one day while out watching sheep, it melted, and he discovered the goodness of the melt on potatoes and veg; he then proceeded to spread the word throughout his valley and, well, the point tipped...That said, I can also highly recommend the New World for edgy Pinots to compliment such kaese-tater combos - New Zealand, Sonoma, Washington and Oregon all do lovely colder climate Pinots to further inspire cheese indulgence.
But the absolute best thing about such a pairing? That you can just open another bottle and yet again perfectly pair with a brilliant chocolate dessert...triple choc brownies were the call of that evening, but am absolutely convinced that further deep chocolate desires could not be matched with anything other - um, Lindt dark choc truffles anyone?
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