One of the most often asked questions when serving cheese is what wine goes best with the cheese offering. Borrowing from Laura Werlin’s The All American Cheese and Wine Book: Pairings, Profiles & Recipes (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York 2003), we offer her answers to that question.
1. Pair textures of cheese and wine.
2. Pair light cheeses with light wines.
3. Pair white wines with cheese.
4. Pair fruitier-style wines with cheese.
5. Pair sparkling wines with blue, creamy and salty cheeses.
6. Pair red wines with (almost) anything.
7. Pair cheeses and wines with comparable flavors.
8. Pair cheeses and wines with “opposite” flavors.
9. Pair dessert wines with cheese.
10. Pair aged, mild cheeses with older, milder wines.
| CHEESE |
WHITE WINE |
RED WINE |
| Bittersweet Plantation Dairy Fleur-de-Lis Fromage Triple Cream |
Gewürztraminer
Riesling
Sparkling Wine
Sauvignon Blanc |
Beaujolais
Light Burgundy
Light Pinot Noir |
| Bittersweet Plantation Dairy Fleur-de-Teche Fromage Triple Cream |
Aged White Burgundy
Pinot Blanc |
Syrah
Hearty Pinot Noir |
| Blue Cheese (semi-soft) |
Cayuga White (hybrid)
Gewürztraminer
Riesling
Sparkling Wine
Vignoles (hybrid)
Viognier
Dessert Wines (medium sweet) |
Sherry
Zinfandel
Dolcetto |
| Brie and Camembert (cow's milk) |
Cayuga White (hybrid)
Chardonnay
Pinot Blanc
Sparkling Wine |
Pinot Noir
Sangiovese
Dolcetto
|
| Cheddar (semi-soft, not sharp) |
Cayuga White (hybrid)
Pinot Gris
Riesling
Vignoles (hybrid) |
Zinfandel
Pinot Noir |
| Cheddar (semi-hard, earthy) |
Chardonnay
Gewürztraminer
Sparkling Wine
Vignoles (hybrid) |
Zinfandel
Syrah
Petite Sirah
Merlot
Grenache
Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Cheddar (sharp) |
Cayuga White (hybrid)
Gewüztraminer
Riesling
Sparkling Wine
Vignoles |
|
| Dry Jack |
Cayuga White (hybrid)
Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
Gewürztraminer
Muscat (late-harvest)
Pinot Blanc
Riesling
Sparkling Wine
Vignoles (hybrid) |
Sherry
Zinfandel
Syrah
Sangiovese
Pinot Noir
Grenache
Cabernet Sauvignon
Barbera |
| Goats' Milk Cheese (fresh) |
Arneis
Cayuga White
Chenin Blanc
Pinot Gris
Sauvignon Blanc
Sémillon
Seyval
Vidal Blanc
|
Pinot Noir
Dolcetto
Carignane
Barbera
Baco Noir |
| Goats' Milk Cheese (semi-hard) |
Gewürztraminer
Riesling
Vidal Blanc
Vignoles |
Syrah
Sangiovese
Merlot |
| Gorgonzola |
Cayuga White
Gewüztraminer
Riesling
Sparkling Wine
Vignoles
Dessert Wines (medium sweet) |
Port |
| Gouda (semi-soft) |
Cayuga White
Chenin Blanc
Riesling
Sémillon |
Dolcetto |
| Gruyère |
Chardonnay
Gewürztraminer
Riesling
Vidal Blanc
Vignoles
Viognier |
Sherry
Zinfandel
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Savignon |
| Havarti |
Cayuga White
Chenin Blanc
Riesling |
Cabernet Franc
Baco Noir |
| Monterey Jack (semi-soft) |
Cayuga White
Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Riesling
Viognier |
Cabernet Franc |
| Monterey Jack (semi-hard and hard) |
Cayuga White (hybrid)
Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
Gewürztraminer
Pinot Blanc
Riesling
Sparkling Wine
Vignoles (hybrid) |
Sherry
Zinfandel
Syrah
Sangivoese
Pinot Noir
Grenache
Cabernet Sauvignon
Barbera |
| Mozzarella |
Chenin Blanc
|
Sangiovese
Dolcetto |
| Parmesan |
Gewürztraminer
Riesling
Sparkling Wine
Dessert Wine |
Port
Sherry
Zinfandel
Sangiovese
Carignane
Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Provolone (semi-soft) |
Chenin Blanc
Riesling |
Dolcetto
Baco Noir |
| Provolone (semi hard to hard) |
Gewürztraminer
Riesling
Sparkling Wine
Dessert Wines (medium sweet) |
Barbera |
| Ricotta (cows' and sheep's milk) |
Arneis
Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Sémillon |
Sangiovese |
| Swiss |
Cayuga White (hybrid)
Gewürztraminer
Riesling
Vidal Blanc (hybrid)
Vignoles (hybrid)
Dessert Wines (medium sweet)
|
Port
Sherry
Grenache
Carignane |
