It’s hard to go wrong when you’ve got a glass of wine in one hand and cheese in the other. Try these basic guidelines to wine and cheese pairings.
• Pair wines and cheeses of equal intensity
• If one of the flavor profiles dominates the other, the taste experience will not be favorable.
• Soft cheese pairs well with sparkling wine or white wine that’s light on oak flavor.
• Sharp cheese or aged cheese—six months or older—are best served with full-bodied wine to compliment the bold flavors.
• At the end of the day these are just suggestions, quite frankly there’s no right or wrong when it comes to cheese and wine in our book.
Champagne
Champagne pairs well with buttery and earthy cheese.
Beaufort | Brie | Colby | Edam | Aged Cheddar | Muenster
Sauvignon Blanc
Excellent when paired with artisanal & alpine-style cheeses.
Goat | Asiago | Gouda | Gruyere | Brick Cheddar | Swiss
Chardonnay
The combination of rich texture and high acidity makes Chardonnay extremely cheese-friendly.
Spanish Goat Cheese | Camembert | Blue | Tete de Moine
Rosé
This wine cannot take the funk. Pair with cheese of the clean & buttery variety. Havarti | Feta | Goat
Pinot Noir
The ever-present red berry fruit of a Pinot Noir is the perfect match for the nutty flavors found in a medium-firm cheese.
Feta | Swiss | Gouda | Port Salut | Gruyere | Taleggio
Cabernet Sauvignon
Wines with a long finish, such as cabernet sauvignon, demand cheeses with complex flavors that can stand up to it.
Triple Crème Brie | Cowgirl Creamery | Blue | Camembert | Washed Rind | Aged Cheddar
Merlot
Merlot wine pairs well with a wide variety of cheese because of its position in the middle of the red wine spectrum.
Gorgonzola | Brie | Cheddar | Camembert | Gouda | Parmesan | Gruyere
