Wine And Cheese: Perfect Food Pairings

Wine and cheese are a classic combination, but finding the right pairing can be tricky. The good news is that there are some simple rules to follow to help you find the perfect match. One of the most important factors to consider is the texture of the cheese. Fresh, lighter cheeses pair well with crisp, lighter wines, while heavier, denser cheeses are better suited to bigger and bolder wines. Another rule of thumb is to pair wines and cheeses from the same region, which often complement each other due to similar climates. Age is also a factor – younger, softer cheeses with creamy textures and high moisture content tend to pair well with young, fruity wines, while older, harder cheeses with more intense flavours are a better match for older, more complex wines.

Salty cheeses like feta and blue cheese go with sweet wines

Feta, a salty cheese, goes well with a slightly sweet wine like a bright red or dry rosé. The saltiness of the feta works with the wine's acidity and notes of raspberries and minerality to keep your mouth watering.

Blue cheese, another salty variety, needs a wine with both oomph and sweetness to balance its bold flavours and usually very salty, savoury body. Try pairing it with a red port, tawny port, sauternes, or Oloroso sherry.

Other salty cheeses include goat cheese, which pairs well with sweet wines like Moscato and Sauternes.

Soft cheeses with creamy bodies go with young, lively wines

When it comes to red wines, try pairing soft cheeses with a Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or a Red Blend. A light-to-medium-bodied Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Oregon pairs well with a creamy and earthy Camembert. Beaujolais, a French red wine made from Gamay grapes, is another excellent choice for soft cheeses. It is fruity and medium-bodied, with low tannins, making it a versatile wine that won't overwhelm the delicate flavours of the cheese.

For white wines, Unoaked Chardonnay, Viognier, and Champagne are good options. Unoaked Chardonnays, also known as Chablis, have a crisp, high acidity that pairs well with soft cheeses. Viognier, a full-bodied white wine with floral aromas and stone fruit flavours, is another great choice. Champagne, with its bright acidity and lively bubbles, can also cut through the richness of creamy cheeses.

In addition to these classic pairings, consider the following:

• Pinot Noir Rosé with Fontina
• Sangiovese Rosé with Mozzarella
• Rosado with Ricotta
• Gewürztraminer with Munster
• Prosecco with Asiago

Aged cheeses go with old, bold, and rich wines

As cheese ages, it loses moisture in a process called affinage, resulting in a more savoury and rich flavour. The same goes for wine—older wines tend to be more complex and savoury. Thus, aged cheeses are best paired with old, bold, and rich wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, is a bold, full-bodied wine with high tannins and intense black cherry and blackcurrant flavours. This wine can stand up to the sharpness and intensity of an aged cheddar. The wine's tannins cut through the fat of the cheese, creating a harmonious pairing.

Another classic pairing is Port and Blue Stilton. Port is known for its full body, bold character, and sweetness, which matches the pungent and salty flavour of Blue Stilton. The general rule is: the sweeter the wine, the stinkier the cheese.

Malbec is another bold wine that pairs well with aged cheeses. Its rich, velvety fruit and inky colour make it a good match for smoked Gouda or aged Cheddar.

When it comes to red wines, those with higher tannins tend to work well with aged cheeses. The tannins bind to the protein and fat in the cheese, cleansing your palate. Try pairing aged cheeses with a Syrah, which has a peppery and smoky flavour, or a Spanish Tempranillo, which can have a smoky note.

If you're looking for a white wine to pair with aged cheese, consider a Chardonnay. A moderately oaked Chardonnay can bring out the nutty flavours of a semi-hard cheese like Fontina. For a more intense pairing, go for a double-oaked Chardonnay with aged cheddar or a bloomy cheese like Brie.

Wines with good tannins go with sharp, aged cheeses

Aged, sharp cheddar is a great example of a strong cheese that pairs well with wines that have good tannins. The dryness of the wine balances the sharpness of the cheese, and the wine's body matches the texture of the cheese. A few good options for red wines to pair with aged cheddar are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Syrah. These wines have bold flavours that can stand up to the strong taste of aged cheddar, and they also have enough body to pair well with the cheese's texture.

When pairing wine and cheese, it is important to consider the age and intensity of both the wine and the cheese. Older cheeses tend to be more rich and savoury, so they pair best with wines that have more body and complexity. The very oldest cheeses, those that are the most savoury and rich, pair best with wines that are nutty and have ample body and structure.

In addition to age and intensity, other factors to consider when pairing wine and cheese include texture, saltiness, and pungency. For example, salty cheeses like blue cheese or feta pair well with sweet wines as the saltiness brings out the sweetness of the wine.

Another tip for pairing wine and cheese is to look for textural contrasts. Fresh, lighter cheeses go well with crisp, lighter wines, while heavier, denser cheeses go better with bigger and bolder wines.

Wines with bubbles pair well with rich cheeses

Wines with bubbles, such as Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco, pair well with rich cheeses. The high acidity and toasty, nutty flavours of sparkling wines complement rich cheeses like Brie, Comte, Gruyere, and Brillat-Savarin. The drier the sparkling wine, the better it will cut through the creaminess of the cheese. For example, a dry brut Champagne is excellent with Brie, while the coarser bubbles of Cava are a perfect match for the ultra-silky Brillat-Savarin. Prosecco, on the other hand, loves Parmesan.

The bubbles in sparkling wines also provide a nice contrast to the richness of the cheese, scrubbing your tongue and making you want another bite. This is why Camembert and Champagne are a classic combination. Sparkling wines, therefore, can handle the fat of cheeses like Brie while taking on their creaminess to add to their toasty flavour and bubbles.

If you're looking for a sweet wine and cheese pairing, Sauternes and Roquefort Cheese are a decadent match. Roquefort is the sheep equivalent of Blue Cheese but even more salty and savory. The sweetness of Sauternes, made from grapes affected by Noble Rot, compliments the salty aged wonder of Roquefort perfectly.

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