Cheese and Wine

Cheese and Wine

Choosing cheeses for a tasting platter is a great opportunity to explore varied textures, ages, or milk types. Three different varieties are more than enough and more than five gets confusing.
Harmony should always exist between the cheese and the wine. They should have similar intensities. There should always be a balance – strong and powerful cheeses should be paired with similar wines, and delicate cheeses should be paired with lighter wines.

So let’s explore some wine and cheese pairings.

Soft Cheeses – Brie, Camembert, Neufchâtel, Provolone are creamy and lower in fat than hard cheeses. White wines such as German or Austrian Riesling with a little bit of sweetness, semi-sweet champagne, or sparkling wines pair well. These wines portrait a little sweetness which cuts through the creaminess. The mouth coating texture of soft cheeses can make heavy red wines taste thin and tough. But, as far as reds, these cheeses can be accompanied by a light, fruity red like a Beaujolais or Loire Valley (Saumur or Touraine).

Hard Cheeses – Gruyere, Longhorn, Gouda, most cheddars. Red wines go well with these. The tannins in red wines soften the fat and protein of hard cheeses. Select wines such as Bordeaux, Amorne, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Barolo. These cheeses served with meats will round out a nice cheese platter.

Blue Cheese – Stilton, Roquefort and Gorgonzola, strongly flavored with a strong taste. These wines would have a hard time holding up to white wines or light bodied reds. The best choice is sweet wine like Port or Sauternes. Serve these cheeses with mixed nuts or almonds too!
Goat Cheese – tangy with a chalk like texture and acidic. Crisp young white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre pair well.

Hard skinned cheeses such as Parmesan or Manchego pair well with a robust acidic red wine. Try a Barolo or Barbaresco with Parmesan. Try my favorite; Manchego with a Spanish Rioja.
If you’re looking for a single wine to match multiple cheeses (cow, sheep and goat milk cheeses) the best option would be a white wine like Gewurztraminer. A lighter style red Zinfandel would work, giving your guest the option of red and/or white.

Above all - enjoy your choice of cheese and wine!
Until next time, cheers!