Would you like some cheese with that wine?

ASPEN Smoothness, creaminess and decadence.All of those are official cheese terms, according to Laura Werlin, one of the countrys most foremost authorities on cheese and known as the human encyclopedia of cheese.That was certainly the case during Fridays Food & Wine No. 609 seminar, The Cheese Course, when eight premiere wines were paired with six exclusive cheeses. The seminars theme of old world meets new world put some of the best wines from the Loire Valley in France and others from Spain against California and Australia. They were methodically paired with the flavors of cheeses from France, Italy, Oregon, Wisconsin and California.Brian Duncan, a Chicago restaurateur and wine expert, spoke about the principals of pairing cheese and wine. Known for his knowledgeable, friendly and sympathetic approach to wine, he explained that cheese affects the flavors of wine, and vice versa. He told the crowd of a 200 under the tent in Aspen’s Paepcke Park that he always tries to recommend wines that over deliver and are under priced. That became clear off the bat during the first pairing when old world met the new world the NV Brut, Duval-Leroy Montagne de Relms Cote des Blancs, a champagne from France and the Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam from Point Reyes, Calif. It was the best of them all like butter. Whats wrong with butter? Werlin joked. Other highlights were the blue cheese from Oregon, the NV Solera Cream, Alverar, Montilla-Moriles from Spain and the Carr Valley Cheese Company Cave-Aged Marisa, from La Valle, Wisc. Unfortunately, during the second pairing, the microphone system went on the blink and most of the insights from Duncan and Werlin were lost in the crowd noise. But participants appeared to be fine with their own self education, and continued with their eating and drinking.Theres still plenty of chances to get educated from these entertaining and knowledgeable experts. They are speaking individually Saturday Werlin will appear at 10:30 a.m. at The Gant for the seminar, American Raw Milk Cheeses; Duncan will present Wines that love Food at 10:30 a.m. at Paepcke Park, tent two. Together, they will do The Cheese Course again at 2 p.m. at Paepcke Park, tent one.csack@aspentimes.com