How to Select Wine and Cheese

There are no strict rules for pairing wine and cheese. Because there are a fairly limited number of cheese varieties, finding the right combination is a little more straightforward than selecting wine for your meal. This guide offers some basic approaches to selecting a complementary combination of wine and cheese.

There are no strict rules for pairing wine and cheese. Because there are a fairly limited number of cheese varieties, finding the right combination is a little more straightforward than selecting wine for your meal. This guide offers some basic approaches to selecting a complementary combination of wine and cheese.
Introduction
- Wine and cheese are old friends, going back thousands of years together, but not every specific pairing works. If you force a hearty bottle of Syrah on a mild Camembert, the flavors of the cheese will barely assert themselves. Likewise, try sticking a strong chunk of Roquefort with a dainty Sauvignon Blanc and your wine will become spiritless. Read on for some basic—though loose—guidelines to setting up the perfect couple.

Salty Cheese with Sweet Wine

Just as saltiness and sweetness make a savory combination in candy, a sweet wine can nicely complement a salty cheese. It's a good rule of thumb to pair according to the degree of sweetness or saltiness: i.e. mildly salty cheese with mildly sweet wine and very salty cheese with very sweet wine.

Sweet port goes nicely with salty cheese. (Creative Commons photo by inspector_81)

Mildly Salty Cheese

Cheddar
Provolone
Havarti
Beja
Caerphilly
Stewart
Asiago
Blue d'Auvergne
Manchego
Gruyere

Mildly Sweet Wine

Gewurztraminer
Zinfandel
Rose
Cava
Merlot
California Chardonnay
Vin Santo

Salty Cheese

Feta
Chevre
Roquefort
Sardo
Stilton
Gorgonzola
Bricotta
Casera
Cheshire
Coimbra
Comte
Romano
Pecorino Romano
Ricotta Salata

Sweet Wine

Port
Riesling
Pinot Noir
Sauternes
Ice Wine

Stinky Cheese with Full-Bodied Wine
- Pungent "stinky" cheese tends to go with big, full-bodied red wines. Some reds are particularly rich in tannin, a compound found in grape skins that lend a thick texture and astringent quality, both of which are a real asset for a wine trying to get a whiff in edgewise next to uncompromising cheeses like Limburger.
Stinking Bishop cheese pairs well with a full-bodied wine (Creative Commons photo by jpvargas)
Stinky Cheese

Limburger
Stilton
Munster
Stinking Bishop
Pont l'Eveque
Taleggio
Epoisses
Camembert au Calvados

Full-Bodied Wine

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Syrah
Zinfandel
Creamy Cheese with Crisp White Wine
- Creamy cheeses, particularly milder ones, tend to pair well with crisp white wines. Creamy cheeses like Brie coat the palate in fat, an effect that tends to weaken the flavors of red wines. On the other hand, the high acidity in wines like Sauvignin Blanc provides a refreshing counterpoint to the fatty cheese.
Triple Cream Brie. (Creative Commons photo by Janet)
Soft Cheese

Brie
Camembert
Chatelain
Boursin
Durrus
Cream Cheese
Fresh Mozzarella
Neufchatel
Delice de Bourgogne

Crisp Wines

Sauvignon Blanc
Chenin Blanc
Pinot Grigio
Champagne
Pair by Region
- One time tested approach to pairing is to choose wine and cheese from the same region. This works for two reasons: First, the wine itself is likely to have been developed together with the cheese, sometimes over hundreds of years. Secondly, cheese and wine from the same region may contain similar subtle flavors from the air and soil (see terroir). Here are a few examples:
- Langres with Champagne
- Langres is a creamy cheese from the Champagne region of France. As you may know, Champagne is also from Champagne!
- Oregon Syrah with Rogue River Blue Cheese
- The Syrah vineyards of southern oregon are gaining a reputation and could make an excellent pair with the award winning blue cheese from Southern Oregon's Rogue Creamery.
- Moscato d'Asti with Gorgonzola
- The lightly sparkling Italian wine is made within 100 kilometers of the soft, distinctive Italian cheese.
Consult the Experts
- As with any art, wine/cheese pairing is a matter of taste—specifically your taste. Still, it pays to heed the voice of experience. Consult the following sources for some specific pairing ideas.
- Salty chevre pairs with sweet wine, just as it does with sweet fruit. (Creative Commons photo by Laurel F)
- Gourmet Sleuth's Wine and Cheese Pairing page lists over 67 international cheeses with wine pairing suggestions.
- Winemonger's guide wine and cheese pairing includes pairing suggestions for over 100 cheeses.
- Eric Asimov's surname evokes science fiction (he's the nephew of Isaac Asimov), but is the Chief Wine Critic of The New York Times. His blog, The Pour, offers colorful wine reviews, great pairing ideas and rare insights that are plenty down-to-Earth. His column on wine and cheese pairing cuts through the complexity of the subject.
Resources for How to Select Wine and Cheese
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