cheese wine paring

A pairing that’s been around since ancient Greece, cheese and wine is a perfect match. Cheese and wine is appropriate to have in any season, and it’s fast and festive. Grab a few blocks of cheese at the store and you have an instant appetizer.

With so many cheeses and so many wine choices, you could get frozen in indecision as to which to server with what. Not to worry. There isn’t a wrong way but there are ways that help the experience be more enjoyable. The principles that you follow for any food and wine pairing are good to follow for wine and cheese pairings. Making it fun and interactive is what it’s all about.Here are a few specific cheese and wine pairing guidelines: You can pair cheese with red or white wine,
depending on the cheese you serve


 
-Young, mild, and milky cheeses such as fresh goat cheese work better with light, fruity delicate wines such as Sauvignon Blanc. See my Goat Cheese Crostini Recipe below.

-Usually hard cheeses are better with red wine, soft cheeses with white

-The more pungent the cheese, the sweeter the wine needs to be. Baked Brie and Champagne would work really well

-Assertive, strong-flavored cheeses go with young, robust red wines such as a Cabernet or a Bordeaux

-Blue cheeses such as Roquefort and Stilton would work great with Ports. The salty flavor of the cheese balances the sweetness of the port

-Pair cheese and wine produced in the same region

-A Mozzarella and Zinfandel would be a great pairing; the cheese mellows out the Zinfandel, and the wine makes the cheese taste richer

-Acidic cheese goes with Sauvignon Blanc. The acidity in goat cheese gives matches perfectly with the crisp acidity of most Sauvignon Blancs.

-Have a wide variety of cheeses? Go with fruity and sweet white wines. They work better with a wider range of cheeses

There are so many cheeses out there that the pairing decisions can be overwhelming. Check out our handy Cheese Wheel