From Vine to Rind: How We're Pairing La Fauxmagerie with Cream Dream Wines

We're incredibly excited about our collaboration with Cream Dream — and if you're coming to the event, you're in for a treat. But for those who can't make it in person (or those who want to get ahead of the tasting notes), we wanted to share a little more about the thinking behind the pairings.

How does a sommelier approach pairing?

Before we dive in, it's worth understanding how a sommelier typically thinks about matching wine to cheese. Rather than following rigid rules, the goal is to find harmony — or deliberate contrast — across a few key dimensions: acidity, texture, salt, fat, and flavour intensity.

High-acid wines cut through rich, creamy textures. Sparkling wines do this especially well, with bubbles providing physical as well as flavour contrast. Earthy, umami-forward cheeses tend to call for wines with their own complexity. And when a cheese has bold, dominant notes — smoke, funk, sweetness — the pairing either needs to complement those notes or be confident enough to hold its own.

With plant-based cheeses, there's an extra layer of interest. The fermentation, culture work, and base ingredients each bring distinct flavour signatures — and we've tried to lean into all of that when choosing each wine.

The Pairings

Camden Cultured

Camden Cultured (cashews, miso, mustard, onion) Fermentation with live cultures gives this one a pronounced lactic tang, built on a naturally rich cashew base. Miso adds quiet umami depth while onion and mustard bring warmth.

Paired with: Bisser (Sparkling Brut) — the lactic tang meets the brut's bubbles head on. The effervescence cuts through the richness, while the wine's yeasty character mirrors the live cultures in the cheese. A pairing that speaks the same language.

Camemvert

Camemvert (butterbeans, shea butter, miso, truffle, porcini) A butterbean base that gives genuine creaminess, with truffle and porcini delivering an earthy, umami-forward depth. Miso adds savoury backbone without dominating.

Paired with: Bisser (Sparkling Brut) — the earthy porcini and mushroom notes echo the complexity of this sparkling wine. There's a shared sense of depth here that makes the pairing feel considered rather than convenient.

Shoreditch Smoked

Shoreditch Smoked (almonds, applewood smoke, mustard, onion) Bold applewood smoke up front, with caramel sweetness in the flavouring and a savoury, almost BBQ-like depth from mustard and onion. A crowd-pleaser with genuine character.

Paired with: Villa Tinta Merlot — applewood smoke and dark fruit are a natural match. The unoaked style keeps things clean, letting the fruit and smoke speak to each other without a heavier wine getting in the way.

Brixton Blue

Brixton Blue (almonds, penicillium roqueforti) Think Gorgonzola dolce rather than strong Roquefort — gently tangy, creamy, approachable but piquant. The cultures do the talking here.

Paired with: Beykush Artania (Sauvignon Blanc) — the wine's briny, mineral quality, shaped by the Black Sea coast climate, echoes the salt in the blue. The Sauvignon Blanc acidity cuts through the almond-coconut creaminess, and a white pepper finish plays off the mild lactic tang without either overpowering the other.

Balham Blue

Balham Blue (almonds, sweet potato, penicillium roqueforti, annatto) Inspired by Shropshire Blue, the annatto signals the heritage even if the flavour profile differs. Sweet potato softens the blue's edge and adds a gentle earthiness; the penicillium roqueforti delivers a funky complexity that develops on the palate.

Paired with: Try it with or without wine. The combination of funk and sweet potato can cause fruit-forward wines to clash — but if you're reaching for a glass, the Bisser is your best bet here, acting as a palate cleanser against the fat and funk.

We hope this gives you a feel for how we approached each pairing, and a reason to seek out the cheeses and wines whether or not you can join us on the night. For more details on the event, head here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/plant-based-cheese-ukrainian-wine-testing-tickets-1984831778279