Matching Cheeses with Wines

Cheese and wine go together like chocolate and coffee or ice cream and… well, more ice cream. Both have a range of flavours from subtle to strong, both mature with age, and each can complement the other, making for the kind of culinary pleasure that only the right pairing can bring.

But the pairing has to be right. With such a wide variety of both wines and cheeses, it’s important to choose varieties and cheese types whose tastes complement rather than clash.

For white wines, it’s best to stick with soft cheeses and strong flavours. Sauvignon Blanc works well with chevre and camembert, for example. Riesling is a good match for gruyere and ricotta.

Red wines, on the other hand work with hard cheeses and mild flavours but can be tricky. Soft, creamy cheeses sometimes leave a layer of fat on the palate — a little like the sensation of a full-bodied wine — that can interfere with the taste of a red. Instead of an echo of pleasant woody tones, you’re left with a wine that tastes dull and bland. Full-bodied wines, in particular, contain a high amount of tannins that can clash with strong cheeses. It’s usually a good idea then to steer clear of particularly full-bodied reds in favour of softer varieties like Merlots. These go well with cheddar or port salut. For Shiraz, parmesan or an aged pecorino are safe combinations.

Similarly, avoid cheeses that are either very salty or very strong. Both can overpower the complex flavours of any accompanying wine. A good rule to follow is to match the sweetness of the wine with the aroma of the cheese: the smellier the cheese, the sweeter the tipple. If you’re really keen to lay out some particularly strong cheese, make sure you have a heavy enough wine to support it. A Bordeaux might work or some types of Cabernet Sauvignon. For blue cheeses such as stilton, Roquefort or camberzola, stick to the sweet wines.

Texture is important too. The bubbles in a sparkling wine like champagne can cleanse the palate and break through the fat in heavier cheeses. If you’re celebrating, brie, ricotta or bocconcini all work well.

For cheese-and-wine party throwers, start by deciding whether you’re matching the wine to the cheese, or vice versa. If you want to lay on several different kinds of wine, then serve parmesan or romano cheeses that are flexible enough to go with most varieties. If you’re starting with the cheese and plan to offer a large board, then play it safe with wine types that are fruity and sweet — dessert wines can be a good choice.

And don’t forget the presentation. Large cheese wedges make for prettier presentations, especially on wooden or marble platters, and the cheeses should be served at room temperature.