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fiercely dry or noticeably sweet, grippingly tannic or tart, fruity or funky. Some are filtered. In both its process and its sensory properties, cider is closer to wine than to beer. Consequently, cheese-pairing tactics for cider mirror the strategies that also work with wine. How sweet or dry is the cider? Is it barely or vigorously carbonated? How tannic is it, and how tart? cheese focus Janet Fletcher is the weekly cheese columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of Cheese & Beer. PAIRINGS TO TRY Prohibition dealt a blow to American cider production, wiping out orchards and technical know-how. Today, many American producers take inspiration from abroad. Here, three styles and their ideal pairings. English Style Ciders from traditional English producers are typically high in tannins and range from dry to sweet. "Farmhouse style" means the cider was fermented dry in barrels, often with indigenous yeast that can impart wild or funky aromas. Some are carbonated, but many are still, says Tom Wark, founder of The Cider Journal (ciderjournal.com). "They are more wine-like and tend to have that apple-y essence," he says. Look for: Burrow Hill Cider (Somerset, England); Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry (Herefordshire, England); Virtue Cider The Ledbury (Michigan); Farnum Hill Ciders Farmhouse (New Hampshire); Tilted Shed Lost Orchard (California) Cheeses to Pair: "Think of tannin as adding structure to cider," says Jolie Devoto of California's Devoto Wade Cider, a new producer already receiving acclaim. "You need an aged cheese that has a little more structure and bite." Consider aged cow's milk cheeses such as cheddar, Vella Cheese Company Dry Jack, and Matos Cheese Factory St. George. Virtue Cider's Gregory Hall says Burrow Hill Cider gives its spent apple pomace to Montgomery's Cheddar for feed. "So arguably the finest cheddar in the world," he says, "is made from cows that eat apples." French Style These ciders tend to be more effervescent due to a Champagne-style dosage that sparks a refermentation in the bottle. Devoto says French cidre makers often let their apples rest for a day or two before pressing, which makes the juice a little darker. Wark describes the style as relatively low in alcohol (4 to 5 percent), with an elegant sweetness and more acidity than tannin. Adds Hall: they're "less apple forward and more fermentation forward, with more funk." Look for: Eric Bordelet, Etienne Dupont, or Clos Normand (France); Virtue Cider Lapinette or Percheron; Devoto Wade Cidre Noir Cheeses to Pair: Follow the "goes with what it grows with" strategy and pair with Camembert. Funkier bottlings can handle Pont l'Eveque or Livarot. Wark votes for mellow, creamy blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue or Saint-Agur. Spanish Style Bone-dry, lemony-tart, and often high in volatile acidity, Spanish sidra can seem close to vinegar. These ciders also tend to be still (although they may be carbonated for the U.S. market), cloudy, and showing some Brettanomyces funk. "A lot of people are caught by surprise," says Devoto. Wark agrees Spanish cider is an acquired taste. "If I were to find cider like this outside of northern Spain, I would say it is terribly flawed," he says. Even so, Spain has influenced several American producers—Devoto's husband, Hunter Wade, among them. Look for: Trabanco, Isategi, or Ribela (Spain); Virtue Cider Sidra de Nava Cheeses to Pair: For a regional match, choose Valdeón or Cabrales; echo the tartness with fresh goat cheese; or match the funk with pungent Jasper Hill Farm Winnimere, Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk, Munster, or Epoisses. 38 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com