The Best Wines To Pair With Boursin Cheese

Boursin is a soft cheese, and when it comes to wine and cheese pairings, a good rule of thumb is to avoid pairing a strong wine with a mild cheese. Soft cheeses pair well with sparkling wines or lighter, brighter wines such as Rosé, Pinot Noir, or Sauvignon Blanc. These wines offer notes of stone or citrus fruits, cutting through the fatty mouthfeel left by soft cheese. A Chardonnay is also a good choice, as long as it is light on oak flavour.

Boursin is a soft cheese, so pair with sparkling wine or light white wine

Boursin is a soft cheese, so it's best to pair it with a sparkling wine or a light white wine. A strong wine will overpower the delicate flavours of soft cheeses, so it's important to choose a wine that won't dominate the flavour profile.

Sparkling wines, such as Champagne or Prosecco, work beautifully with soft cheeses like Boursin, as the bubbles help to cut through the fatty mouthfeel. A light and bright wine, such as a Rosé or a Pinot Noir, will also pair well with Boursin, offering notes of stone or citrus fruits.

When it comes to white wine, a Chardonnay is a good choice, as long as it's light on oak flavour. A Sauvignon Blanc, particularly a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, will also complement the cheese nicely.

In general, it's best to avoid strong wines with mild cheeses. However, don't overthink it—everyone has their own taste preferences, so you could offer a couple of different options and let your guests decide!

Avoid strong wines with mild cheeses

Boursin is a soft cheese, and when it comes to wine and cheese pairings, it's best to avoid strong wines with mild cheeses. The general rule is that strong wines overpower the delicate flavours of soft cheeses, resulting in an unfavourable taste experience.

Soft cheeses pair well with sparkling wines or lighter, brighter wines such as Rosé, Pinot Noir, or Sauvignon Blanc. These wines offer notes of stone or citrus fruits, complementing the soft, creamy flavours of the cheese. For example, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or a Burgundy Chardonnay are excellent choices to pair with Boursin cheese.

When serving wine and cheese, it's also important to consider the intensity of both elements. Soft, creamy cheeses pair better with wines that offer delicate tasting notes, while strong cheeses go well with strong wines. Wines considered 'strong' (typically red wines and those over 14.5%aged, strong-flavoured cheeses like Vintage Cheddar, Stilton, or Parmigiano-Reggiano. These cheeses have a high fat content that balances out the tannins in the wine, allowing the full flavour profile to shine through.

Additionally, sparkling wines are a versatile option that work with almost all types of cheese. The high carbonation levels in sparkling wines make them excellent palate cleansers, enhancing the flavours of both hard and soft cheeses. They can cut through the fattiness of softer cheeses, bringing out their nutty and fruity notes, and they also help balance the acidity of aged or blue cheeses.

While these are some general guidelines for pairing wine and cheese, it's worth remembering that personal taste preferences vary, and offering a variety of wines and cheeses can be a great way to discover new flavour combinations.

Boursin's delicate flavour means it can be overpowered by strong wines

Boursin is a soft cheese with delicate flavours. When pairing wine and cheese, it's important to avoid a strong wine with a mild cheese as one flavour profile dominating the other will create an unfavourable taste experience. Therefore, it's best to opt for a lighter, brighter wine with Boursin.

A good rule of thumb is to pair strong cheeses with strong wines and soft, creamy cheeses with wines that offer delicate tasting notes. Wines considered to be 'strong' (i.e. over 14.5% ABV and most red wines) pair well with aged cheeses like Vintage Cheddar, Stilton, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Manchego. This is because the high fat content in the cheese balances out the tannins in the wine, creating a careful balance that allows the whole flavour profile to shine through.

Lighter wines, generally under 12% ABV, pair best with Boursin and other soft cheeses like Mozzarella, Emmental, or Chaource. Specific varieties that pair well with Boursin include Rosé, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc, offering notes of stone or citrus fruits. Sparkling wines, such as Champagne or Prosecco, also pair beautifully with Boursin, as the bubbles help to cut through the fatty mouthfeel left behind by soft cheese.

When it comes to red wines, a subtle Cabernet Franc can also complement Boursin without overpowering its delicate flavour. Additionally, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or a Burgundy Chardonnay are recommended pairings for a garlic Boursin cheese spread.

A good red wine pairing for Boursin is Pinot Noir

Boursin is a pasteurised cow's milk cheese with a creamy texture and a range of flavours. It was first created in 1957 by François Boursin, a cheesemaker from Normandy, France. Boursin is typically flavoured with garlic and herbs, but it also comes in other varieties such as Shallot & Chive, Pepper, and Red Chilli Pepper. When selecting a wine to pair with Boursin, it is important to consider its flavours and texture.

While Boursin is often enjoyed with white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, a light, fruity Pinot Noir can be an excellent red wine option. The acidity in Pinot Noir also helps to cut through the creaminess of the cheese.

When choosing a Pinot Noir to pair with Boursin, consider the specific flavours of the cheese. For example, the Garlic and Fine Herbs variety may pair well with a Pinot Noir that has more savoury, earthy notes, while the Red Chilli Pepper variety might be complemented by the fruity notes of a Pinot Noir.

In addition to wine, Boursin can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. It can be spread on crackers, baguettes, or toasted sourdough, or used as a stuffing for meats and vegetables. Boursin also adds a creamy, flavourful twist to pasta sauces, soups, and breakfast dishes like scrambled eggs or omelettes.

A good white wine pairing for Boursin is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

Boursin is a soft cheese, and when it comes to wine and cheese pairings, it is important not to pair a strong wine with a mild cheese. The delicate flavours of soft cheese can be easily overpowered. A good guideline is that the stronger the cheese, the stronger the wine should be.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is also a good pairing for Boursin because of its regionality. The 'what grows together, goes together' adage is a helpful tip for wine and cheese pairings. For example, Spanish wines like Rioja or Cava are excellent matches for Manchego cheese. Similarly, a creamy French cheese like Boursin can be well-matched with a wine from the same country.

If you are creating a cheese board with Boursin, it is a good idea to offer at least one white wine and one red wine so that your guests can decide for themselves. Some other white wine options that go well with soft cheese include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and sparkling wines like Champagne or Cava.

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