Pairing Cheese and Wines

Pairing Cheese and Wines
Cheese and wine have a great deal in common, and they have been enjoyed together since ancient times. Both are products of fermentation. Both may be consumed while fresh, simple, and young or in their more complex forms when they are aged and mature.

There are no hard and fast rules as to which wines should always be served with particular cheeses. There is an old adage that red wines go with hard cheeses and white wines with soft cheeses - but just like red wine with fish, there's always an exception. Another tradition is that cheeses of a certain geographic region are best enjoyed with wines of the same region. But, just as one bottle of cabernet sauvignon from the Napa Valley is not like that of another vintage or another producer, neither is one Brie exactly like another. Both are living and constantly changing. This is what makes pairing cheese and wine interesting as well as delicious.

Harmony should always exist between the cheese and the wine. They should have similar intensities. There should always be a balance - strong and powerful cheeses should be paired with similar wines and delicate cheeses should be paired with lighter wines.
General Cheese & Wine Pairing Guidelines
• The possibilities of pairing cheese and wine are endless. There are so many wines and so many cheeses. Below I have listed some of my preferences:
• Young, mild, and milky cheeses such as fresh goat cheese with light, fruity delicate wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and Beaujolais
• Assertive, strong-flavored cheeses such as Provolone with young, robust red wines such as and Chianti and Syrah
• Aged mellow cheeses such as Parmigiano and Gouda with older, robust wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel
• Strong, pungent cheeses such as Pont l'Eveque or Taleggio with young, full-bodied wine such as Merlot or sweet dessert wines such as late-harvest Reislings and Sauternes
• Soft-ripened cheeses like Brie and Camembert with full-flavored Chardonnays or Champagne
• Tangy strong goat cheeses such as Crottin di Chavignol with Burgundies
• Blue cheeses such as Roquefort and Stilton with sweet dessert wines like Port or Sauternes
• Soft, rich cheeses without overpowering flavors are best with fine, older wines.
Classic Regional Cheese with Wine Pairing
• Pouilly Fume and Sancerre pair perfectly with the goat cheeses from Touraine
• Rich, old chardonnays with Camembert
• Champagne with Brie
• Amontillado sherry with Manchego
• Chianti with Pecorino Toscano
• Spanish Rioja with Cabrales
• Sauternes with Roquefort
• Champagne with rich triple creme cheeses such as Brillat-Savarin or Explorateur


Taste is a personal preference

You may prefer one cheese with a particular wine while someone else may like an entirely different pairing. My best recommendation is for you to be in a mood for experiment and enjoyment. Choose several cheeses and several wines. You will find one pairing that is best for you and another for someone else. You can't go wrong. It will create conversation. It will be interesting. It will be delicious. And it will be lots of fun.