Previously we have spoken about a number of food and wine pairings, but one of the most asked food pairing to this day remained unanswered. Well, let us now tell you what the classic wine and cheese matchings are, and what rules to follow when picking wines to pair with your favourite cheeses. But don't be scared of experimenting: be curious and see if there is an unusual fit no one talks about just yet!
Hard and Semi-Hard Cheese
Rich nutty flavours of hard and semi-hard cheeses go along with robust and full-bodied red wines. This way the strong and fat flavours of your cheese won't dominate the wine, but will soften the bitterness and balance the wine's astringency.
Try to opt for more tannic wines when sampling salty cheese, and medium-bodied reds for mild cheeses.
Merlot, for instance, has a similar level of acidity as Gouda, which makes the two a perfect fit. For younger white wines, like Chardonnay, pick mild Cheddar to soften the acidity levels.
Best pairings are:
Prosecco Brut with mild Asiago
Cabernet Sauvignon with mature Cheddar
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo with Parmigiano Reggiano
Nero d'Avola, Primitivo and Zinfandel with aged Asiago
Sangiovese with Pecorino
Malbec and Merlot with Gouda
Chardonnay with Mild Cheddar
Soft Cheese
Oftentimes it is not easy to match soft cheeses with wine,
...but as a rule of thumb pick lighter and fruitier red wines or oaked Chardonnay to go along with nutty flavoured cheeses.
Soft cheeses pair well with acidic bubbly, so pick traditional Champagne or Franciacorta to accentuate the brioche notes. Rosé with pleasant minerality won't be overpowered by soft creamy cheeses, such as Ricotta. Semi-soft milky cheese like Mozzarella in tandem with tomato can be a light tasty starter suitable for acidic Pinot Grigio.
Best pairings are:
Champagne and Franciacorta with Brie
Pinot Noir with Camembert
Beaujolais with Feta
Rosé with Ricotta
Pinot Grigio with Buffalo Mozzarella
Oaked Chardonnay with Camembert
Goat Cheese
Citrusy and mineral dry Sauvignon Blanc is an ideal match for goat cheeses. Acidity of fresh Sauvignon Blancs is a classic pair to cut through the earthy and tangy flavours of goat cheese.
Best pairing is:
Sauvignon Blanc with Goat Cheese
Blue Cheese
Blue cheeses are strong, pungent and salty. They require bold and full-bodied wines.
Usually the rule is: the sweeter the wine, the stinkier the cheese.
However, if you only ever pair pungent cheeses with heavy wines, try matching them with Moscato, for instance. Moscato d'Asti can give surprising freshness to the palate.
Best pairings are:
Moscato d'Asti with Gorgonzola
Port with Stilton