4 Tips on Pairing Wine and Cheese

Let’s take a look at some classic pairings and why they work, so that the next time you’re on a wine and cheese mission, you’ll have no doubt what to choose!

Tip #1: Pair wines and cheeses with equal intensity.

• Try not to pair a strong wine with a mild cheese. If one of the flavor profiles dominates the other, the taste experience will not be favorable.

• As a general rule:

• Wines over 14.5% ABV are more intense and taste better with more intensely flavored cheeses.

• Wines under 12% ABV are less intense and match nicely with more delicately flavored cheeses.

Tip #2: Bold red wines pair best with aged cheeses.

• As cheese ages and loses water-content, it becomes richer in flavor with its increased fat content.

• Sharp cheese or aged cheese—six months or older—are best served with full-bodied wine to compliment the bold flavors

• These two attributes are ideal for matching bold red wines because the fat content in the cheese counteracts the high-tannins in the wine. For the best results, select cheeses aged at least a year, including Cheddar, Gruyère, Manchego, Gouda, Provolone, or Parmesan-style varieties like Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano

Tip #3: Sparkling wines are incredible with soft, creamy cheeses.

• Soft cheese pairs well with sparkling wine or white wine that’s light on oak flavor, such as Chardonnay.

Tip #4: When in doubt, get a firm, nutty cheese.

• When serving several wines, and you’re not sure which cheese to pair, one of the safest bets and most popular choices with all styles of wines is a firm, nutty cheese.

• The cheese will have enough fat to counterbalance tannin in red wine, but enough delicacy to compliment delicate whites. A few examples include Swiss, Gruyère, Abbaye de Belloc, Comté Extra, Emmental, and Gouda.