Cheese and Wine
Firstly, find a cheese shop with friendly staff who are happy to talk to you about cheese and let you taste as many cheeses as you want. Usually these shops are small, I know of a couple in Balaclava although I buy my cheese in Queen Victoria Market, not just because of the ease in stepping on a bus to go there, but because of the large number of cheese specialists under one roof.
Ask to try a different cheese every time you go into your cheese shop.
Start with the three main milk types (goat, sheep or cow). Find which one you prefer. Try different textures (soft, semi-soft, hard) to see which appeals to you most.
If available, try the same cheese from different countries. There are surprising differences.
Experiment. Different cheeses go better with different foods and wines. Ask your cheesemonger for suggestions.
Processes
Fresh : Usually packed into tubs or crocks – cottage, cream cheese, ricotta.
Ripened but unpressed : quick-ripened (1 month) by surface molds and allowed to drain naturally – Brie, Point L’Eveque
Uncooked but Pressed : pressed and ripened from 2 to 18 months – Gouda
Cooked & Pressed : cooked, then molded, heavily pressed and then ripened for up to 4 years – Cheddar, Parmesan, Pecorino
Textures
Very soft : fresh, spoonable
Soft : neither cooked nor pressed, spreadable
Semi soft : pressed : may or may not be pressed, firm but moist, sometimes crumbly
Semi hard : cooked and pressed, can be sliced easily
Hard : cooked and pressed, very firm, can be both sliced and grated
Shapes
Six basic shapes – sphere, rectangular, wheel, square, roll, or drum
Colour
The colour of cheese can range from white to yellow to chocolate brown in various shade degrees. Much depends on the length of ripening along with how much butter fat is present. Rule of thumb: the longer the ripening, and the more butter fat content, the darker the cheese.
Rinds
Dry Natural Rinds : are formed by the curds on the edge of the cheese as it dries out.
Soft White Bloomy Rinds : have a thin or thick growth of white mold on surface.
Washed Rinds : a smeary bacterial growth washed by water, wine, or brine.