Wine and Cheese Pairing
Your Grape-by-Grape Guide to Pairing Wine with Cheeses from Around the World
Try our specially selected PERFECT FOR CHEESE PAIRING MIXED CASE OF WINES which has been discounted at 20% off the retail price of the single bottles. Or try one of our single-bottle specific wine and cheese pairing ideas listed at the bottom of this guide.
Here it is: OUR ULTIMATE CHEESE AND WINE PAIRING GUIDE
*grapes are listed alphabetically, followed by sparkling wines, sweet wines, and then the classic cuvees such as the red Bordeaux blend*
Abbaye de Belloc
Banon
Fiore Sardo
Fontina
Grana Padano
Lancashire
Ossau-Iraty
Piave
Taleggio BLAUFRANKISCH
Pair your Blaufrankisch wines (also known as Lemberger) with these cheeses:
Cantalet
Feta
Limburger
Monterey Jack
Gouda (smoked, aged, or straight up)
Pepper Jack
Piave
Provolone
Smoked cheeses
Sublimity (washed rind cheese from Oregon)
Washed Curd
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
A big Cabernet Sauvignon red will pair well with these cheeses:
Abbaye de Belloc
Ardrahan
Bra Tenero
Chalosse
Cheddar (sharp)
Comte
Danish Blue
Gouda (aged)
Llangloffan
Le Moulis
Ouray
Reblochon
San Andreas
Tome de Couserans
CHARDONNAY
Chardonnay (Burgundy, California, Chablis, Pouilly-Fuisse, Morillon, etc.) wines can pair wonderfully with these cheeses:
Chardonnay Grape Affidelice
Alpine Shepard
Bel Paese
Bucheron
Brie (esp. Burgundy)
Cambazola
Cantal
Cashel Blue
Chaource
Cotija
Dry Jack
Epoisses
French mountain cheeses
Garrotxa
Gruyere
Jarlsberg (esp. Chablis)
Panela
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pave d’Auge
Pecorino (esp. Pouilly-Fuisse)
Provolone
Shropshire Blue
Tete de Moine
CHENIN BLANC
A few ideas for pairing Chenin Blanc with cheese:
Blue Castello
Camembert
Derby
Graddost
Raclette de Savoie
GAMAY
Brie
Camembert
Cheddar
Durrus
Feta
Morbier
GEWURZTRAMINER
A nice Gewurztraminer or dry Traminer wine would pair well with these cheeses:
Alpine Shepard
Ardrahan
Boursin
Chevre
Durrus
Meunster
Pecorino Romano
Robiola
Swiss
Tome d’Aquitaine
Tumalo Tomme
Wensleydale
GRUNER VELTLINER
Known as being a great food wine that can pair with almost anything, including artichokes and asparagus, Gruner Veltliner will also pair well with these cheeses:
Appenzeller
Brin D’Amour
Caerphilly
Chimay
Double Gloucester
Garrotxa
Harbourne Blue
Harvest Moon (washed rind cheese)
Munster
Livarot
Ibores
Mahon
Vacherin Fribourgeois
MALBEC
Malbec wines pair well with these cheeses:
Cashel Blue
Iberico
Manchego
Taleggio
MERLOT
Merlot, and even some Merlot blends, will pair nicely with these cheeses:
Gruyere Abbaye de Belloc
Alpine Shepard
Cantalet
Camembert
Chalosse
Doddington
Gouda
Gruyere
Ibores
Montasio
Pecorino Toscano
Robiola Bosina
Roncal
Toussaint
MUSCAT
A white Muscat wine, be it dry, off-dry or semi-sweet, will pair nicely with these cheeses:
Blu del Moncenisio
Fourme d’Ambert
Gorgonzola
Monte Enebro
Valdeon
NEBBIOLO
Fontina
Grana Padano
Piave
PETIT SIRAH
Arina
Benning
Darcy
Pierre-Qui-Vire
Saint-Florentin
Soumaintrain
PINOT BLANC
Pinot Blanc (AKA Weissburgunder) wines pair particularly well with these cheeses:
Baby Swiss
Brie
Camembert
Dry Jack
Feta
Fontina D’Aosta
Montasio
Ossau-Iraty
Pierre-Robert
Pont L’Eveque
Robiola Vite
Sbrinz
Taleggio
PINOT GRIS
Pair your Pinot Gris with these cheeses:
Asiago Fresco
Banon
Camellia
Caprino Tartufo
Crottin
Garroxta
Ricotta
St. Nectaire
PINOT NOIR
Try pairing your Pinot Noir with these cheeses:
Berkswell
Buche
Cheddar (light)
Comte
Edam
Epoisses (with a big Pinot)
French Chevre (Cabriflore is a good example)
Fumaison
Gouda
Gruyere
Lancashire
Port Salut
Saint Andre
RIESLING
Austrian, Alsatian, American and German Rieslings will pair with these cheeses:
Rieslings Cheshire
Colby
Comte
Cotija
Edam
Gouda
Monterey Jack
Morbier
Panela
St.Andre
Swiss mountain cheeses
Redhawk (from the Cowgirl Creamery)
Saval
Stanser Rotelli
Tarentaise
Tomme Fermiere d’Alsace
SANGIOVESE
Sangiovese (AKA Chianti) wines will work well with these cheeses:
Asiago
Boschetto al Tartufo Bianchetto
Dry Jack
Fontina
Georgia Pecan Chevre
Mozzarella
Parmesan Reggiano
Pecorino
Piave
Provolone
Ricotta
SAUVIGNON BLANC
We particularly recommend pairing Sauvignon Blanc with goat cheese (many types of which are listed here) but we also love it with these other cheeses:
Abbaye de Belloc
Amarelo
Blue Castello
Brie
Bucheron
Cheddar (sharp)
Cheshire
Clochette
Coulommiers
Coupole
Crottin
Derby
Double Gloucester
Drunken Goat
Dry Jack
Goat Cheese Explorateur
Goat Cheese
Graddost
Gruyere
Mahon
Majorero
Neufchatel
Pave D’Affinois
Selles sur Cher
Sonoma Jack
Teleme
ST.LAURENT
St.Laurent, which is a bit like Pinot Noir with a wild side, will pair with these cheeses:
Comte
Edam
French Chevre
Taleggio
SYRAH / SHIRAZ
A spicy Shiraz will pair well with a few cheeses:
Cheddar (sharp)
Edam
Gouda
St. Nectaire
TEMPRANILLO
A good Tempranillo wine will pair well with these cheeses:
Azeitao
Cheddar (sharp)
Fium ‘Orbu
Fleur du Maquis
Havarti
Mahon
Manchego
Serena
Tomme de Savoie
Zamarano
VIOGNIER
Pair your Viognier wines with these cheeses:
Blue cheeses (light)
Brillat-Savarin
Goat
Livarot
Pave d’Auge
Stanser Rotelli
Tourmalet
ZINFANDEL
A hearty Zinfandel (AKA Primitivo) red wine will work beautifully with these cheeses:
Asiago
Canestrato
Dry Sonoma Jack
Goat cheese
Gouda
Gruyere
Maytag Blue
Muenster
Pau
Pecorino (esp. Fiore Sardo)
Piave
Zamorano
ZWEIGELT
Zweigelt, a red wine backed with great spice notes, pairs well with these cheeses:
Cheddar (sharp)
Edam
Gouda
Salers, A.O.C.
Selun (a Swiss cows milk cheese)
St. Nectaire
SPARKLING WINE
All styles of sparkling wines, including Champagne, will pair well with these cheeses:
Baby Swiss
Beaufort
Brie
Brillat-Savarin
Camembert
Cheddar (mild)
Chevre
Cooleeney
Crescenza
Edam (for dry wines)
Explorateur
Fromage de Meaux
Gouda
Langres
Pierre Robert
Pont l’Eveque
Sbrinz
SWEET WINE / DESSERT WINE
Pair your Ice Wines, BA’s, TBA’s, Sauternes, Tokaji, and Ruster Ausbruch wines with these cheeses:
Blue cheeses:
Bleu des Basques Brebis
Bleu de Sassenage
Cashel Blue
Fourme d’Ambert
Maytag Blue
or
Crème Fraiche
Marscapone
Taleggio
PORT
Cheddar (sharp)
Gorgonzola
Roqueforte
Stilton
The Artisan Cheese GalleryBrie
Camembert
Chalosse
Gabletou
Roqueforte
Tome de Bordeaux
Tome des Recollets
CôTES Du RHôNES (red)
Bleu d’Auvergne
Camembert
Chevrotin des Aravis
Fourme d’Ambert
Reblochon
SPECIFIC WINE AND CHEESE PAIRINGS:
WHITE WINES
Tschermonegg Cuvee Styria with Monte Enebro
Monte Enebre is a goat’s milk cheese from Spain which is cave aged in ash. This cheese is also known as the “Pirate’s Cheese”.
Feiler-Artinger Muscat-Ottonel Spatlese with Pave de Jadis
Pave de Jadis is a French pasteurized goat cheese covered in vegetable ash.
Johann Donabaum Wachauer Riesling with Arina
Arina is a goat milk Gouda from Holland.
Hogl Terrassen Spitzergraben Gruner Veltliner with Couronne Lachoise
Couronne Lachoise is a French raw goat cheese.
Sabathi Possnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc with Four Corners Round Cheese
Four Corners Round Cheese is a washed rind cheese from Colorado.
RED WINES
Braunstein Mitterjoch Zweigelt with Green Hill from Sweet Grass Dairy
Green Hill is a cows milk cheese from Georgia.
OR Salers, A.O.C.
Salers is an unpasteurized cows milk cheese from Auvergne, France.
Feiler-Artinger Umriss Blaufrankisch with Sublimity Herbes de Provence
Sublimity is a raw cow cheese from Oregon, covered in herbes de Provence.
Wenzel Bandkraften Blaufrankisch with Piave
Piave is a pasteurized cows milk cheese from Bellunao, Italy.
Wenzel Kleiner Wald Pinot Noir 2004 with Saint Andre
Saint Andre is a pasteurized triple creme cows milk cheese from France.
DESSERT WINES
Gsellmann & Gsellmann Scheurebe/Pinot Blanc Beerenauslese with Winchester Dairy Boerenkaas Cumin Gouda
This Gouda is an unpasteurized Holstein cows milk cheese from San Diego County, studded with whole cumin seeds.
Heiss Cabernet Sauvignon / Blaufrankisch Ice Wine with Bleu de Sassenage
Bleu de Sassenage is a pasteurized cows milk cheese from Sassenage, France.
Weiss Gruner Veltliner/Welschriesling Ice Wine with Taleggio
Taleggio is a washed rind cows milk cheese from the Italian Lombardy region.
Pasler “C” Trockenbeerenauslese (Chardonnay) with Brique de Flanders
Brique de Flanders is a raw cows milk cheese from Normandy, colored with annatto seeds.
Wenzel Am Fusse Des Berges Ruster Ausbruch with Cashel Blue
The Cashel Blus is an Irish blue cheese from Friesian cows milk and penicillium roquforti mold.
What about cheeses to go with Italian reds?
Or Côtes Du Rhônes?
Hi Julia-
I have added some pairings for Barbera, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, and I will add more soon!
and Côtes Du Rhônes after that….
Thank you! And thanks for listing the proper cheeses for Gewürztraminer, for which I’ll be conducting a tasting 2 nights from now.
Russ-
I have added Viognier, so that’s a start. One cheese which I think pairs well with a red Côtes Du Rhône is Coulommiers, and as Syrah is one of the grapes generally used in a Côtes Du Rhône blend, you might try those cheese suggestions! But I’ll have more ideas soon…
I have a white merlot and was wondering what I should pair with it when it comes to cheeses and fruits?
Hi Sara-
It would depend upon where your white Merlot hails from, as Napa white Merlots tend to be sweeter than their French counterparts. If it is on the off-dry to sweetish side, I would recommend to drink it chilled and pair it with any of the selections given for Muscat (in particular, Gorgonzola should work well.) If it’s a bit drier, I would try a Swiss or smoked jack cheese. As for fruits- pour some in a glass and give it a good swirl, sniff and sip. Try to pick out some of the fruit notes it’s showing, and then pair it with that fruit to further bring out that note.
Fantastic and very informative piece on wine and cheese. I have a wine website and will linkback to this post for my visitors. Very educational material, thanks!
What cheese do you recommend for an Chilean Caremere, specifically the Casillero de Diablo?
Hello Daniel-
If I’m not mistaken, the Casillero de Diablo also has a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in the blend, which add some slight cocoa and current notes to what is predominantly a spicy, berry laden wine. That all said, I would recommend giving a Gouda, Edam, Cheddar or any smoked cheese a try. Please let us know how it worked!
Thanks for replying. Subsequently to posying my questioning, I found a website that recommended on Italian Gorgonzola so that’s what we paired with the Casillero de Diablo Carmenere. Gorgonzola, along with France’s Roquefort and Britain’s Stilton, are perhaps the world’s three most popular blue cheeses. Gorgonzola has a smooth, creamy texture and is made with whole milk. I must admit that the Gorgonzola was a little too bold for me and pairing it with the Carmenere was perhaps a bad choice.
Hi…What would you recommend pairing with a Malbec?
Hi Patty,
Try it with some Cashel Blue cheese from Ireland, or a Taleggio, or even a Manchego.
I’ll have to add these to the guide! Thanks for asking.
What about a pairing for a good malbec?
Hi Katrina,
As you might notice from an earlier comment, I think it pairs nicely with Taleggio, Manchego, or some Cashel Blue.
Please stop back by and let us know if these worked for you-
I have some artisan handcrafted flavored cheddars that I need help pairing with. Some of the flavors are as follows: Dill &garlic, Red peppers w/onion, Sweet basil, cracked pepper, cloves-cardomon-caraway, thyme, sage, sun-dried tomato & basil. Any suggestions? Or stick to cheddar as a base, or pair wines with the flavorings?
Wow! Those sound amazing.
I would foremost suggest you take your pairing clues from the flavorings (unless the cheddar is completely dominant).
What you want to do is try to pair the flavor with a wine that also has hints of that note either in its bouquet or on the palate.
Here are a few suggestions:
With the dill & garlic, try a very big Sauvignon Blanc that has seen some oak aging. If it’s too light-bodied, it won’t stand up to the cheddar and garlic, and might even toss a bitter taste. But there are some out there that I have tried that could do the job. The Sabathi Mervielleux is an example that we carry, but there are others.
With the cloves-cardomon-caraway, go with a dessert wine that is crafted from the Scheurebe grape (AKA Samling 88 in some countries). When made into a late-harvest wine, this varietal is known for its almost mango chutney note, which will bring out the cardamom and caraway in a really neat way.
With the thyme cheddar, I would suggest one of the Austrian red wine blends that use Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt. I base this on my experience of pairing these wines with a dish made from roasted squash and thyme. The dish happens to have a lot of butter, so something about the sharp, creaminess along with the thyme makes me think the same wine would pair with that cheese.
Some other quick suggestions off the cuff:
Red peppers w/onion: Shiraz (Syrah)
Cracked pepper: Gruner Veltliner!
Sweet Basil: If it’s a white cheddar, then Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc could work.
Sage: Cotes du Rhone red.
Sun-dried tomato & basil: Again, if it’s white cheddar, maybe Pinot Grigio. A strong cheddar leans towards an Italian red.
I hope you’ll let us know which pairings worked!
Thank you for the suggestions to pair with Malbec! I had some Malbec this past weekend and the hostess served it with IBERICO and Marcona almonds! VERY YUMMY!!
So I have officially added Malbec to the guide, including your fine suggestion for pairing Iberico. Thanks!
Great site! I just received a new cheese from igourmet called Le Caussenard; an aged sheep cheese from Languedoc. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Ah! Le Caussenard. This cheese comes from the cheese producing area called the Causses, which is in a region called Rouergue, better known as being the birthplace of Roquefort. As this is the Languedoc, the easy answer is to first try a wine produced from there.
With aged sheep’s milk cheeses in general, I like a good Zweigelt or Shiraz.
Cheers!
Hi,
I’m doing a pairing with Petite Sirah and would like recommendations for cheese. The wine is not very tannic, an easy drinking Petite. I can’t find any info. on pairing suggestions. Help!
Hello Natasha,
I can make a few recommendations, and as you know your wine, you can probably make a good pick from them.
A raw cow’s milk cheese from Burgundy, either double or triple creme, could be very nice. Perhaps a Soumaintrain or Saint-Florentin.
A Dutch cheese from one of these cheesemakers- Arina, Benning or Darcy- could also work. They have a slight, peppery finish that could complement the wine well.
Two other cow’s milk cheeses come to mind, both made by monks: Chimay and Pierre-Qui-Vire. They can be tough to find, though.
Please let us know what you choose and how it worked!
Okay I have to wines from Cline Cellars - a 2004 Mourvedre & a 2006 Mourvedre Rose. What cheeses can I pair with theses.
thanks
Hello, I was wondering what wines would go well with Parrano Cheese, Ricotta Salata, Montasio, Argentinian Sardo Cheese, Savello, Aged Cheddar with Black Truffles, and Aged Cheddar With Green Peppercorns. Thanks, it is very important.
Hello Sal,
Here are my recommendations-
Parrano: A red wine such as a California or Oregon Pinot Noir, a Chianti or a Zinfandel.
Ricotta Salata: Find a Pinot Gris with just a touch higher residual sugar. Not a sweet wine, but something to complement the Salata of the Ricotta. It’s a shame we are sold out on the Wenzel Pinot Gris 2001, as it would have been just perfect. Try looking for an Alsatian version.
Montasio: Either Merlot or Pinot Blanc.
Sardo: An Argentinian wine from the same region as the cheese is always a good bet, or a Barbera or Zinfandel.
Aged Cheddar with Black Truffle: Tempranillo, Gamay, Port, or serve it first with some sparkling wine.
Aged Cheddar with Green Peppercorns: You want a rich white or red wine. For the white, I would highly recommend a Smaragd Gruner Veltliner or the lightly oaked Melusine Gruner Veltliner. You’ll have the full-body you need and then the pepper will pick up on the finish very nicely. For red, go with one that shows off a bit of spice- a Zinfandel, Shiraz or Zweigelt.
Cheers!
Hello Maria,
Mourvedre wines pair very well with cheeses that are goat milk based. For the rose, go with a lighter style. And then of course something more intense with the 2004 - perhaps Chabichou du Poitou (good brands to seek out are Le Chevrot from Sevre-et-Belle and Chabis from Soreda or Desport.) Your local cheesemonger can point out all of the goats milk cheeses that they carry.
I am having a Rose’ tasting at my wine shop. Would love to see Rose’ as a catergory here. Many of my customers are discovering these wines due to recent good press. What else besides goat cheese would you recommend with these dry wines? Thank you!
Hi Laura,
You’re absolutely right- we do need a Rose section. I am a big fan of these wines, and am very happy to see their resurgence in popularity. In fact, we will be importing a wonderful Zweigelt Rose from the Feiler-Artinger winery that I am certain will become a crowd favorite.
And now to which cheeses. As with the fresh chevre, I stand by my suggestion for a lighter styled cheese. Some others would include Mozzarella and fromage blanc. If the Rose has a touch of residual sugar, you could pair it nicely with a hard, aged cheese that has a bit of saltiness, such as a great parmesan, asiago or pecorino.
Finally, try pairing with a cheese from the same region as the wine, following the above profiles for the choice of cheese (i.e. fresh and light or lightly salty)
I hope you will let us know what you chose, and which worked best!
Hi, having a party this weekend and what would you recommend with Syrah and Pinot Gris?? cheeses and appetizers?? First pairing party, help!
what is a good wine to pair with naked goat cheese? and paive cheese?
Your suggestions is greatly appreciated.
thank you
As a general rule, I recommend pairing a medium bodied red or white wine with naked goat cheese. This is a Spanish cheese made from raw milk that has been aged for 6 months, and it packs a good tang of flavor along with a lovely creaminess.
With paive, I always like a good Italian red (this cheese is from Italy), such as a Nebbiolo or Sangiovese. However, we did a wine and cheese pairing course where I specifically paired this cheese up with the Wenzel Bandkraften Blaufrankisch and the results were beautiful.
The 2002 vintage of the Wenzel Blaufrankisch would be an excellent choice for both cheeses. It shows more elegance than the preceding vintage, and that element will keep it from overpowering the naked goat, while the inherent spiciness of the grape will give it the kick it needs to pair with the piave.
If you want to go with one of the Italian wines, I would lean towards the Sangiovese.
cheers!
what wines go with brie, brie with pepper
white stilton with lemon peel, white stilton
with blueberries and sharp cheddar with port wine?
this is for work I know cheese but not wine
thanks
Hi Rhonda,
My ideal wine line-up for these cheese would be a Muscat Spatlese, a couple of dessert wines in the Beerenauslese and Ice Wine realms, and some sparkling wines.
White stilton is not a blue cheese. It’s more of a creamy, plain cheese which is why you find it blended with various fruits. It’s this blank-canvas-studded-with-fruit personality that makes it such a lovely pair with a nice dessert wine - with the fruit bringing out those notes in the wine, and the cheese not being overpowering.
Meanwhile, both brie and a sharp cheddar pair nicely with sparkling wines (Champagne, cava, sekt, etc.). The port cheddar would, of course, pair even better with a port wine- but in the overall scope of the cheeses here, a switch to port against the sparkling wine & dessert wines wouldn’t work so well.
All that said, you mentioned that this is for a work event. If you don’t think they will go for the dessert wines (although, in my experience, while people SAY they don’t like them, they are ALWAYS happy when they actually try them!), I would suggest you serve some sparkling wine and a white wine such as a Pinot Blanc or Chardonnay.
I hope you have a lovely event!
Hi
I need to know what cheeses best match the folowing wines please:
Red Zinfandel - Sonama Valley
Merlot - Bordeaux France
Saint Emilion - Bordeaux - France
and more cheese suggestions for Cote Du Rhone- France
many thanks
Lynda
I need to pair cheeses with a white burgundy wine (Gran Cru) and with champagne.
For the white burgundy I researched and found that the best matches are: Impromptu, Acapella, and Melange. Maybe Rondo and Nocture. However, these are probaby hard to find in short notice. Any other suggestions?
What about the champagne. I know it is very versatile and would probably go fine with most cheeses. Any preferred best matches though? I like St Andres and Savorin Brillat. Are these a safe bet? Any other suggestions?
Thanks!
Petronio
Hello Lynda,
In addition to the cheeses I have previously suggested for the wines you are drinking, I would try these:
Sonoma Red Zinfandel: pair with cheddar or a blue goat cheese. But really, a Sonoma dry jack works wonderfully well.
Bordeaux 100% Merlots: pair with aged gouda, manchego, or Mont Veronese.
Bordeaux blends from St. Emilion: pair with Cantal, Comte, Reblochon or Tomme de Savoie
More Côtes Du Rhônes: pair with Coulommiers, Gaperon, and even Brie.
Cheers!
Hi Petronio,
I say all triple cream cheeses pair great with sparkling wines, and for me, I would say especially with very dry sparkling wines. Otherwise, do try some of the other cheeses I have recommended above. The mild cheddar is a neat pairing!
For the white Burgundy, you can of course refer to the Chardonnay pairings. A great rule of thumb is picking a cheese from the specific area your wine hails from (some Burgundian cheeses include Epoisses, Citeaux, and Aisy Cendre). Otherwise, a goat cheese will usually work nicely with these wines (such as the Crottin de Chavignol)
If what you have is a Burgundy Aligoté, then pair with Charolais or Maconnais.
Bon Appétit!
Hi,
What non-Spanish cheeses would you pair with some Spanish varietals (albarino, tempranillo, verdejo)? I can see Manchego with a Rioja, Iberes with a verdejo, a Mahon with a tempranillo too. The reds may be either joven or crianza. Also, another possible red is a Spanish cabernet franc. Thanks in advance.
I have a cheese and wine tasting comming up this weekend. It’s all Italian themed. I have a Fontina D’Aosta, a Pecorino Foglie Noce, and a Robiola Bosina. I’m having a hard time with the Robiola…I want it to be a really great match, but the cheese is so simple. Any suggestions???
Hi Kayla,
You know what? It’s the holidays- so I say break out a sparkling Italian wine to go with that Robiola. Spumante? I say yes!
Otherwise, go for a white that has some character, but not a whole lot of overwhelming oakiness.
We are looking to do our first wine/cheese pairing party and are looking for a few 3-4 good proven matches to go with.
Port /Stilton has made our initial list as we’ve had this pairing before and loved it.
Most everyone in our group loves red wine so we lean towards big reds but would be willing to consider a white in the mix.
Also, what do you recommend we serve the cheese on (water crackers, whole grain crackers, etc.)?
Finally, would you add fruit tot he tasting and if so what would you recommend?
We love wine and cheese and want to learn more about pairing them, thanks for bearing with our elementary questions.
Hi Big Red,
So this is what I think you should try- DO start with a white, and make it Gruner Veltliner. Not just because that’s my favorite white, but because it never fails to surprise people, I have never met the person who doesn’t love it, and it starts off this pairing menu perfectly.
Gruner Veltliner with Appenzeller
-Appenzeller fits the season so well, and a big bodied Gruner stands up to the cheese and to the cooler weather
Merlot with Robiola Bosina
-This is a mild cheese, and the effect together will almost clear and prep the palate for the following match-ups, while still playing nicely with one another. Do try to get your hands on a lighter bodied Merlot. A light Pinot Noir could work as well. Nothing big and oaky!
Cabernet Sauvignon with Reblochon or San Andreas
-Big flavors here. Strong cheeses and full-bodied wine. This is kind of the meal in the set, while the triple cream cheeses also lend a lovely decandent feeling to the affair.
Port and Stilton
-Yes, a great standby. And again- it really fits the season.
Alongside the cheese you could serve slices of baguette and water crackers. I would avoid any kind of whole grain or vegetable or flavored cracker of any sort. That said, the cracked pepper water crackers can work. And Carr’s also makes a wheat biscuit cracker thing- are they called whole wheat crackers or wheatmeal?- that would work nicely with the port/stilton and cab/reblochon.
Some fruits work, some don’t. Stay away from citrus with these pairings. No melons. Grapes always work. Some slices of ripe persimmon could be nice.
Happy Holidays!
Feedback on these ideas + other suggestions please for pairings to go with
Pinot Gris- Asiago, Ricotta+
Chardonnay-? Brie
Pinot noir-Edam
Pinotages-?
Rioja-Manchego +
Sparkling Shiraz-chocolate mousse?
Could I serve blue cheese with any of these or would I need a cab or Port?
Thanks for any feedback
What cheese do you recommend for a muscadet?
Thanks
I am going to Portugal in early fall. What wine would you recommend for a causal sitting on the deck watching the ocean drink? What would you pair with it that can be found in the local village? Thanks
We’re trying to pair a rhone style wine with cheese. It’s 60% Petite Sirah, 16% Zinfandel, 18% Syrah, 6% Carignane. Can you recommend?
Thanks!