Throughout his time as a sommelier at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Per Se, running his Maison Noir Wine company and hosting his ‘World of Wine’ series, André Hueston Mack has always sought to make wine accessible. No surprise then that he’s recently teamed up with Cracker Barrel Cheese to bring some wine and cheese pairings to the masses. I spoke with Mack about why the cheese you try abroad may not be the same versions you’re used to, which celebrity really knows their wine and the surprising places he’s found some of his favorite cheeses while traveling.

What was the first cheese you remember having?

Yellow Cheddar and it was actually from Cracker Barrel. (Laughs) So that’s how this whole thing started. Where I come from that was the fancier cheese. Definitely the most recognizable from the red package it came in. My mom used to buy three at a time and they didn’t last long. That started my love of cheese.

As an adult what was the first cheese that got your attention?

Goat cheese. The texture was different than what I was used to. I remember having it for the first time and that it kind of blew my mind. I’m probably dating myself here but that was when goat cheese and onion tarts were thing (laughs).

Lots of people travel for wine. Have you ever travelled specifically for cheese?

Yes! Not in Europe, but to the great Northeast Kingdom in Vermont to visit Jasper Hill Farm. In the early 2000s America was going through a cheese revolution. Farmstead cheeses were coming out and rivaling their counterparts in Europe. I really got introduced to a lot of those places through working with Thomas Keller at The French Laundry and Per Se. We spent quite a bit of time traveling to cheese making facilities.

When you’re traveling abroad do you seek out cheeses you can’t get here?

Absolutely. The laws are just so different and the cheeses seem way more alive. I generally opt for cheese course instead dessert. I was recently in Austria and cheese was a part of every single meal.

Being in the place it’s made changes how you taste and experience a cheese. When you go to a different country go to a shop and ask for the local cheeses. Because even though you think that you might have tried that cheese you probably haven’t had the version they have there.

What are some of your favorite places for cheese while traveling?

Just being in Lyon and roaming around. People talk about Paris but Lyon is really the ‘stomach’ of France. Going into a cheese shop there is somewhat overwhelming. The variety. Even having a donkey-milk cheese! Something I never thought I would ever come across.

How do you like to pair cheese and wine?

There’s two different paths. First, you can match like flavors — a rich, creamy cheese with a rich, creamy wine. Something like Chardonnay. Second, approach it from a different angle and compare and contrast. A rich, creamy cheese with something leaner and higher in acid that cuts the through the richness.

To keep it simple, don’t look any further than the general accoutrements that come on a cheese board. There’s fruit and nuts, there’s honeys, jams and composts. Those are the kind of things you want to find in a wine and mimic those flavors.

How did the partnership with Cracker Barrel come about?

They reached out and it was like my worlds colliding. What makes it easy for me is that I don’t have to rehearse. I grew up on this cheese. Then I went off and worked at some of the world’s best restaurants and there’s cheese from all kinds of places and I’ve been pairing them with all these fancy wines. But the opportunity to come back and collaborate with a company that established my foundation in cheese and use the knowledge from my career — I was really excited to participate.

What are the wine pairings you whipped up for Cracker Barrel?

I started with the Yellow Cheddar and went with the Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon. I think they make some tremendous value wines that punch above their pay grade. It’s rich and round and has a jam and fruit element I think always goes well with a Yellow Cheddar. For the White Cheddar I went a little sharper for more of a contrast and did a Rosé from Hampton Water which is made in the Languedoc. This is about summertime and going to the park. It’s higher acid to cut through the richness and fattiness of the cheese.

And there’s a lot of people who are sober curious. Proxies is a great company out of Canada that make a product very similar to wine — and that was a really fun pairing to do with Colby cheese. Really great flavors. We selected a Proxy that I collaborated on that was inspired by the Willamette Valley.

Is there somewhere you’ve travelled that you wouldn’t normally think of as a cheese-producing place where you found some great products?

That wouldn’t be a country. (Laughs) I would say Kentucky.

Kentucky!

Yes! Being in Kentucky, that kind of really blew my mind. I know you’re thinking about whiskey, country ham and barbecue. But they have these amazing farmstead cheeses that really caught me off guard.

You host a ‘Through the Grapevine’ show. Which guest has impressed you the most with their wine knowledge?

Eva Longoria! We have celebrities come on and taste five different wines. We pour them blind and then they suggest what the price is and the quality of the wine. She was pretty amazing and a savvy wine drinker. Talk about brave — she wore a white skirt suit to the tasting! And she used her sleeve to hold the wine up and check out the color. You could tell that she had a lot of experience with wine. Not just drinking it but learning and dedicating herself to it.

What would be your ‘last meal’ wine and cheese pairing?

I wouldn’t want exotic. Probably just Champagne and Brie. That’s my ultimate go-to pairing.