Wine and Cheese Pairing Essentials

The Basics of Cheese Pairing

Food & Wine Pairing Essentials l Wine and Cheese Pairing Essentials

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Just like pairing any food with wine there are no absolute rules. We all have different palates and what tastes good together for me may not float your boat, but there are some basic guidelines that can make your next wine and cheese gathering a little better.

A few tips to keep in mind: Pairing wines and cheeses from the same region is a good, “safe” place to start wine and cheese combinations. For example, a good Italian Chianti and a potent Parmesan will provide a fascinating mix. Also, remember that the harder types of cheese (i.e. Cheddar or Parmesan) can handle more tannic wines. While creamy cheeses, such as Brie, typically pair better with wines that have more acidity, like a Chardonnay. Give salty cheeses a sweet wine partner (i.e. Blue Cheese and Port).

Even though it comes down to personal taste, certain guidelines have been proven favorable by a majority of enthusiasts. Here are some of those basic truths:

• White wines match best with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.
• Red wines match best with hard cheeses and milder flavors.
• Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses. 
• The more pungent the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.

When offering several cheese choices in a wine and cheese pairing spread, white wines fair better than reds. That’s because several cheeses, particularly soft and creamy ones, leave a layer of fat on the palate that interferes with the flavor in reds, rendering them monotonous and bland. Quite the opposite, most of those sweeter whites nicely complement a full range of cheeses. Additionally, the “sparkle” in a sparkling wine or champagne can help break through the fat in heavier cheeses. Therefore, the spicy zing of a Gewürztraminer or the peachy zip of a Riesling is ideal if you’re going for wide-reaching appeal.

If you’re a cheese adventurist, meaning you go for the stinkiest of cheeses, pick a big wine to back it up. Try a French Bordeaux or a buxom California Cab. Ports and dessert wines are your best choice if you like mold-donned or blue-veined cheeses.

For a safer bet when serving several wines, choose Parmigiano or Romano cheeses. They go with most wines. Choosing cheeses for a tasting platter is a great opportunity to explore varied textures, ages, or milk types. But like most pleasures in life, you should set limits. Three different varieties are more than enough and more than five gets confusing. After all, taste is what you’re after.

Common Wine and Cheese Pairings

For a comprehensive listing of wine and cheese pairings click here.

Organizing a Wine and Cheese Pairing Party

Here are a few tips for setting up a memorable and fun wine and cheese pairing party for your friends:

• Purchase your cheeses in large wedges for an ideal presentation.
• Cheeses should be served at room temperature. Pull them out of the fridge a couple hours before your party.
• Serve most wines fairly cool — whites between 50-55 degrees and reds between 60-65 degrees. 
• Let your reds breathe 15-20 minutes after you open them. 
• Make handwritten name cards for all your cheeses and use a pretty upside-down fork display the card upright in the cheese. 
• Display cheese on a pretty china platter, a wood cheese board, or even a slab of marble.

Ultimately, the perfect wine and cheese pairing is not a match made in heaven. It is a match made on the palates of individuals of all tastes.

Some other ideas for a memorable wine and cheese party:

Choose one spectacular cheese:

• Serve Pierre Robert, a French triple-crème brie, with salty nuts and champagne.
• Try Stilton, the great English farmhouse blue, with port, an inky Shiraz, or a Muscat.
• Serve Montgomery's Cheddar with chutney and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Choose by country of origin (Spain as an example):

• Manchego (aged sheep). Pour a Rioja from Spain or a Washington Merlot.
• Cabrales (Sheep, goat, and cow; creamy blue). Serve with sherry, dry or sweet.
• Garrotxa (aged goat). Try with a Riesling or Spanish red from Ribera del Duero.

Choose different milks:

• Humboldt Fog (Goat). Pair with Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, for example) or California Chardonnay.
• Pecorino Toscano (Sheep). Excellent with a Tuscan red like Chianti Classico or Brunello di Montalcino.
• Bleu des Causses (Cow). Fine with a tawny port or oloroso sherry.
• Mozzarella di Bufala (Buffalo). Pour a Chianti.

Choose one milk type, different processes:

• Provolone (Pasta filata or stretched cheese). Serve with Chardonnay or Italian reds.
• Gruyere (Hard cheese). Pour Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.
• Brick (Semi-hard cheese.) Nice with a white wine like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Gris.
• Brie (Soft-ripened cheese). Surprise guests with sparkling wine or an oloroso sherry.
• Talleggio (Washed rind, semi-soft cheese). You can't go wrong with an Italian red wine.

Choose by season:
Three early summer cheeses, three different milks:

• Fresh mozzarella (cow): Great with a Chianti or other Sangiovese-based wine.
• Fresh chevre (goat). Wonderful with Sauvignon Blanc.
• Pecorino fresco (sheep). Pour Chianti Classico or Brunello di Montalcino.

There are limitless other possibilities to explore. Just remember the basics and your guests are sure to have a great time identifying their favorite combination.

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