"Red wine with cheese" is the most stubborn misconception at every gathering. In reality, robust red wine clashes with many cheeses: the tannins fight with the fat and saltiness. White and sweet wines often pair surprisingly much better. Below is the guide by cheese type, plus the three principles with which you can always make a good choice yourself.
The three basic principles
– Match the intensity. A light fresh cheese calls for a light wine; a powerful aged cheese can handle a powerful wine. Align the weight with each other.
– Salt loves sweet. Salty and spicy cheeses become softer and rounder alongside a wine with some residual sweetness. This is the golden rule with blue cheese.
– When in doubt: white or bubbles. The freshness and acidity of white and sparkling wine cut through the fat and refresh your palate. Safer than red in nine out of ten cases.
Fresh and soft cheese (mozzarella, goat cheese, ricotta)
Fresh, creamy and mild. Here you want a crisp, not too heavy white wine. Goat cheese and Sauvignon Blanc — think Sancerre — is a classic that always works. With mozzarella or burrata, a light, crisp white wine or a dry rosé fits perfectly.
Soft cheese with white rind (brie, camembert)
Creamy and buttery. Bubbles are your best friend here: the fizz and acidity of Champagne or a good crémant break through the fat perfectly. If you still want red, choose something light and supple without harsh tannins, such as a Pinot Noir.
Semi-hard and hard cheese (young to aged Gouda, comté, gruyère)
Nutty and firmer in structure. A Chardonnay with some body works nicely, as do most Alpine white wines. With aged Gouda, a supple red wine can also work, but keep it fruity rather than heavily tannic.
Old, powerful cheese (aged Gouda, Parmigiano, aged cheddar)
This is where robust red wine truly comes into its own: a Cabernet Sauvignon or a mature Bordeaux matches the intensity. A surprisingly good classic is aged Gouda with a glass of port — sweet against salty.
Blue cheese (roquefort, gorgonzola, stilton)
The most pronounced category, and precisely for that reason the easiest to get right: go for sweet. Roquefort with Sauternes and stilton with port are legendary combinations for a reason. The saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the wine enhance each other.
The cheat sheet
– Fresh/soft cheese — crisp white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
– Brie/camembert — Champagne or bubbles
– Gouda/comté — Chardonnay or fruity red wine
– Aged cheese — robust red wine or port
– Blue cheese — sweet wine (Sauternes, port)
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