Your guide to wine & cheese pairings
There is a lot of wine out there and a lot of cheese. With so many factors to consider, finding the perfect pairing can be daunting. And while there are perfect matches, remember that personal preference plays a crucial role in pairing cheese with wine. Kevin Cleary, general manager of Wine Time Bluffton, shares wine and cheese pairings that work for most palates. If you need additional help, you can always stop by Wine Time Bluffton in the Promenade for ideas and to purchase the wines and cheeses.
Semi-firm cheese
This is a large category of cheese that includes Gruyere, Comte, Manchego (young), Tomme, Gouda and others. These all have different flavors and textures, but several wines will complement most of these cheeses.
The salty, savory, nutty notes in most cheeses will enhance the fruit in most sparkling wines and light-bodied whites like Pinot Grigio, Chenin blanc, Vernaccia and Albarino. More boldly flavored cheeses like oaked Chardonnay, Viognier and Grenache blanc will better suit fuller-bodied whites. For reds, look for medium-bodied wines like Pinot Noir, unoaked Cabernet and Barbera, which have the structure and fruit to hold up to the wines but lack the high tannin, which may overwhelm the cheese.
Blue cheese
Blue cheeses, such as Gorgonzola, Cabrales, Roquefort and Stilton, are known for their bold and pungent flavors. They also can be slightly salty. So you will want to choose wines that complement and balance those flavors. Blue cheeses pair well with sweet and dry wines.
For sweet wines, look to Port, Sauternes, late-harvest Rieslings and sweeter sparkling wines such as Moscato d’Asti or demi-sec Champagne. The rich, fruity characteristics of Port, Sauternes and late-harvest wines provide a great contrast to the sharpness and salty notes of most blues. Sauternes and late-harvest Rieslings are dessert wines made from grapes that have shriveled on the vine and developed botrytis or noble rot. This fungus imparts complex flavors of honey, orange marmalade and Carraway to these luscious wines that pair perfectly with blue cheeses.
When looking at red wines, consider a full-bodied cabernet. Its robust tannins and dark fruit flavors can stand up to the strong flavors of blue cheeses, creating a harmonious pairing. Another option would be a syrah/shiraz. These wines often exhibit dark fruit, spice and peppery notes which can complement the richness and tanginess of blue cheese.
Hard cheese
Hard cheeses get saltier and nuttier as they age. They also get harder to cut and crumble easily. Cheeses in this category include aged cheddar, aged Manchego, Pecorino Romano and the king of all cheeses Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The saltiness in hard cheeses pairs well with light-bodied, high-acid whites and sparkling wines. For whites, look for Vermentino from Sardinia and Cortese from northern Italy. Sparklers that match well are Champagne, Franciacorta, Cava and domestic sparklers.
Full-bodied reds make great matches as well. The saltiness in the cheese will temper the tannins in reds and enhance the fruit and mellow the wine. Look at Nebbiolo-based wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco. Sangiovese-based wines are also excellent such as Chianti classico and Brunello di Montalcino. Tempranillo from Spain is also a perfect choice from the Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions.
When looking at red wines, consider a full-bodied cabernet. Its robust tannins and dark fruit flavors can stand up to the strong flavors of blue cheeses, creating a harmonious pairing. Another option would be a syrah/shiraz. These wines often exhibit dark fruit, spice and peppery notes which can complement the richness and tanginess of blue cheese.
Goat-milk cheese
There are many varieties of goat-milk cheeses made worldwide, from young, soft and creamy to aged and firm and even blue cheeses. This guide will focus on young, soft and creamy cheeses such as Chèvre. No matter where the cheese comes from, they all share some common characteristics, such as high acidity and grassiness. These should be the focus when thinking of wine pairings. Whether white, rosé or red wine, take care to ensure that the wine is high in acid. If not, the acid in the cheese will overwhelm the wine, making it taste flat or flabby.
Sauvignon blanc is a classic pairing due to its elevated levels of acidity and citrusy, herbaceous, grassy notes on the palate, which match perfectly with goat-milk cheeses. Look to Sancerre when matching a Chèvre from the Loire Valley or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for other cheeses worldwide.
Chenin blanc, another grape from the Loire Valley, also makes a great match. The grape is high in natural acidity and offers a range of styles from citrus-packed bone-dry wines to luscious, honeyed sweet wines.
Dry rosés are also a good match as they offer a good balance of ripe red fruit and acidity, complementing goat-milk cheese quite well. Look for rosé wines from Provence, the Rhone Valley and California.
