Frugal Valentine's Day Wine & Cheese Pairing: Chardonnay & Pepper Jack Cheese

~The Parish of St. Maur in Naples, Italy where my parents wed.~
The parish of St. Maur is the church where my parents were married in 1962. I got to see the church while visiting my family in Naples and it was breathtaking.........and I mean that literally.........we were driving by very fast--Neapolitan style-- and I leaned out the window and snapped the above photo! Anyway, my father and I were talking about Italy and Naples in particular last night which is a tradition we started many years back. We call each other when home sick for Italy and just talk about Italy and as we were talking Valentines Day came up and my Dad started reminiscing about when he and my Mother were wed.
~My parents on their Wedding Day~
In talking about the beautiful Parish of St. Maur it got me wondering just who was this St. Maur. So I searched him on the web and came to find out that he was an ancient Roman monk whose monastery, according to tradition, is where the chenin grape was first cultivated. This grape is what we use in our American Chardonnay wines! Which got me thinking about food and romance and wondering what we should do for Valentines Day.  Then I thought how about a nice bottle of St. Maur's Vino: Chardonnay and some simple soft white cheese. Poor Chardonnay has gotten a bad rap lately since oak is out but I kind of like it, I really enjoy a buttery Chardonnay with a creamy white cheese. The creaminess of the cheese and the butteriness of the wine play like a sympathy in the mouth.
So here is my wine/cheese pairing for a frugal but romantic Valentines Evening in!