In my vegan cheese taste test, I came across one brand, in particular, that is worth mentioning. If you haven’t already heard of Blue heron cheese, they are a small artisanal plant-based cheese shop in Vancouver. In terms of what to expect from their products? Sensational and unique flavours in a lovely little vegan wheel. As an advocate for local small and sustainable businesses, I dedicate this entire post to Blue Heron cheese. Instead of just detailing what I like about each of their products, I have decided to bring my wine expertise into the mix. You got it, I have done a vegan cheese and wine pairing with Blue heron cheese. And not just any wines, these are environmentally friendly and sustainable wines. So try this vegan cheese and wine pairing for your next dinner party, it will certainly be the focal point of the evening!
Blue Heron cheeses on the menu:
Check out the vegan cheese and wine pairing calculator!
Blue heron Herb and garlic: Vegan cheese and wine pairing
To start us off, I chose the blue heron herb and garlic. I found this cheese to be incredibly unique in its herb and garlic flavours. The dill really stood out and took the show, and with the tangy tartness of the cheese, the combination was reminiscent of dill pickles. This cheese was also earthy, and the mixture between herbs and marigolds in the recipe really provided a depth of flavour. This cheese wasn’t too rich in terms of fattiness, but rather dense and nutty. This style is available at the Blue heron cheese shop, as well as at select Save-on-Foods.
To complement these earthy, herbal qualities in the cheese, Pinot Noir would be a great match. An aged Pinot Noir is well known for its notes of earth, herbs, and mushrooms. These notes would benefit from the earthy and nutty qualities that stood out in this cheese. Since this cheese wasn’t incredibly buttery, or heavy in fat, the medium + acidity of this wine will go quite nicely. If you’re not a red wine drinker, you could also go with a nice grassy and herbal style of Sauvignon Blanc.
My picks for wines to complement Blue heron herb and garlic cheese
This wine was made by Ridge Vineyards in the Santa Cruz County appellation. This winery believes in both sustainable and organic farming and winemaking practices. In this specific wine, expect notes of red fruits, herbs, minerals, and forest floor.
Covert farms 2020 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon
Covert Farms is located in Oliver, BC, and is another stand-out winery for sustainability. This winery practices regenerative and organic farming in making its wines. In this wine expect notes and flavours of orange blossoms, dried herbs, minerals, and flint.
Blue heron Crown wine pairing
Blue Heron Crown was in the top 2 of my favourite cheeses that I tried from Blue heron. It was much more mellow than the others, but certainly not lacking in flavour. The sun-dried tomatoes really stood out to me. The cheese has a smokiness that I really enjoyed. There are some notes of herbs and earthiness as well with this cheese, along with some Mexican spices. The texture is lighter, buttery, and delectable.
The smoky flavours of chilli peppers in this cheese would pair very well with the pepper, spice, tobacco, and smoke commonly found in Syrah. If you are a white wine drinker, this style of cheese would go great with a nice Fume Blanc. This is a style of Sauvignon Blanc that has had some contact with oak ageing. This ageing process gives the wine light smoky and oaky quality yet retains its beautiful acidity.
My picks for wines to pair with Blue Heron Crown cheese:
This winery is located in the Similkameen Valley in BC. Orofino practices sustainability in many aspects. Their winery is made out of Strawbales, and they run their tasting and office rooms out of 100% solar energy. In this wine, expect notes of black cherry, savoury herbs, white pepper, and spices.
Clos du Soleil Winery is located in Keremeos, BC. They practice organic farming and winemaking and are also a Biosphere committed company, which is all about sustainable tourism and the fight against climate change. In this style of wine expect aromas of citrus, stone fruits, floral, gunflint. On the palate, this wine has flavours of grapefruit, smoke, and toasted bread. The creaminess of this cheese will pair well with the rich and full body of this wine, and acidity.
Blue heron Cormorant: Vegan cheese and wine pairing
For those that enjoy blue cheeses, this is it! Blue heron uses ash made from vegetables and an intricate ageing process to make the Cormorant. At first taste, the texture popped out to me, it’s much harder than the other cheeses, which I quite enjoyed. Then came the flavour, wow! You can taste the ash, and you certainly get the mouldy flavours.
What wines would complement this style? In order to complement the flavour of the cheese, and not overpower the wine, I would actually go with a port-style wine. If you are into white, and being this is a well-aged cheese, I would pair this with an oaked chardonnay that can stand up to the nutty, earthy flavours.
My top picks for wine to pair with Blue heron Cormorant:
Burrowing owl winery is in Oliver BC. They are incredibly committed to the environment, practicing sustainability, and protecting the beloved Burrowing Owls. This wine is a port-style wine, with aromas of dark fruits, spices, cloves, pepper, and leather. This port will go great with an assortment of robustly flavoured hard cheeses.
This winery also has a great selection of Chardonnays. Specifically, the 2017 chardonnay is rich and full-bodied, with aromas of tropical fruits, nuts, popcorn, butter, and oak.
Blue heron Shore and wine pairing
Of all 4, the Blue Heron Shore cheese had the strongest flavours, and thus I would recommend enjoying this cheese last. There are so many wonderful things going on in this cheese. At first bite, I taste the saltiness, and then comes this great peppercorn flavour, not spicy just savoury. The caraways seeds play a much less role in the flavour for me, but it is there. This cheese is harder in texture compared to the crown, and nuttier.
The first wine that comes to my mind with this cheese…Syrah! This style of wine is infamously known for its peppery goodness. The flavour of the pink peppercorn and spices, mixed with the pepperiness of the Syrah would be a match made in heaven. The medium acidity and blueberry/plum fruitiness of Syrah will also pair very well with the saltiness of this cheese. For those that enjoy white wines, a Spätlese (off-dry) style Riesling would pair very well. The sweetness of the Riesling is a perfect match for the saltiness of this cheese, and fruity/floral aromas will help draw out the subtle flavours of the peppercorns.
My top picks for wines to pair with Blue heron shore cheese:
Sage hills winery is in Summerland, BC. This winery creates organic, low intervention wines. They are also a net carbon zero winery and generate a great deal of solar energy for Summerland. In this Syrah, expect ripe notes of black fruits and compotes, along with cigar box, tobacco, and peppery spice.
Tantalus 2018 Dens block Riesling
Tantalus Winery is another winery devoted to the environment. They were a large component of creating the Sustainable wine-growing BC program, and their winery is LEED-certified. In this Spätlese style Riesling, find aromas of dried citrus fruits, wet stones, dried leaves, and pink peppercorns. A perfect match!
Make your next party a vegan wine and cheese party
Living an eco-friendly life doesn’t need to be dull and boring. With amazing brands like Blue heron coming to the scene, and sustainable wineries like these, we can continue to be earth-friendly and enjoy life. At your next dinner party, try pairing some of these cheeses with these wines I have suggested and start up a conversation about sustainability. Or pick out some of your own sustainable wines and do a taste test for yourself and see what works. The most important thing to remember is that it should be fun and taste amazing! Use this vegan cheese and wine pairing calculator to make wine pairings simple and easy!
This calculator is free to use, just use the link https://thesocialgoodposse.com?cff-form=7 on your website and give credit to The Social GOOD Posse.
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Brittany Goldhawke
Brittany Goldhawke has a B.Sc. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of British Columbia. She worked in research with yeast for over 5 years, for environmental, food, and beverage purposes. Brittany also has extensive experience in winemaking and has a WSET level 3 certification in Wine. Brittany likes to write about microbes and their benefits to the environment, sustainable living, and of course eco-friendly wine and food products.
So interesting! Thanks, Brittany. Loved that you included a white and red pairing option for each cheese. Super helpful! Looking forward to supporting these forward-thinking businesses and trying out some tasty wine and cheese in the process.
Hi Emily! Thank you so much for your comment!