Wine & Cheese Pairing

White mould cheeses like Brie and Cambembert are simply decadent and are a popular favourite. White Mould is one of the easiest cheeses to pair with white wine due to its creamy and smooth flavours. 

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High in cream and low in acids, it can be matched with many different wines. You want to choose a wine with natural acidity to compliment the creaminess. 

 

Different styles of brie require different matches. 

Try fresh acids in a light-bodied white or an oaked  Chardonnay.

 

While more subtle, creamy bries will match the settled tannins and earthy fruit in light-bodied reds such as an aged red, Pinot Noir or Rosé. 

 

Best wine pairings with white mould cheese: Unoaked aromatic whites including Sparkling, Pinot Grigio, Semillon, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Rosé, lighter-bodied reds like Pinot Noir, Grenache, or an aged red.

Cheddar is the most produced and eaten cheese all over the globe. It known for its sharp, rich flavour and crumbly texture. The richness coming from its higher levels of fat. Strong red wine compliments cheddar very well, as the fruit power matches the heaviness of the cheese and the tannin slice through the fat.

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Smoked cheese can be bit trickier. The smokey flavours in the cheese can overpower most fruit notes in the wine. A fruity Rosé or chardonnay will match the smokey profile.

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Best wine pairings with cheddar cheese: Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Malbec, Sangiovese, Rosé, or Chardonnay.

Blue mould is known for being powerful in smell and flavour. There are different blue styles from potent to mild and creamy. 

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The power of blue cheese makes its pairings easy. Due to its strong nature and complex creamy notes, this style of cheese lends itself well to full, sweet wines. 

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For lighter, creamier styles of blue, a Botrytis wine or a sweet Rosé will match the weight of the cream and provide a balance to the subtle spiciness.

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For really full, strong styles, the answer is fortified wines. Sweeter styles of Muscat and Tokay, are perfect as the syrupy, nutty palate balances the strong flavours and allows for the complexities in each to lengthen and linger.

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Best wine pairings with blue mould cheese: Late Harvest Riesling, Botrytis Semillon, Tawny, Muscat, Tokay or a Rosé.

Different from soft white cheese, washed rind, with its complex flavours, provides a completely unique tasting experience. Sometimes the stronger the smell, the better!

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Matching wine with washed rind cheese can be a tricky, as the strong flavour of the cheese depends on its ripeness and is therefore difficult to match.

 

Generally, this style is light and creamy. It needs to be paired with a wine that is just as delicate like Sparkling wine. The fresh acids in the wine provide an ideal complement to the creamy nature of the cheese. Sparkling, with its delicate weight and earthy, toasty flavours will elevate the subtleties in the cheese.

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For red wines you need to consider the palate weight and tannins in the wine, as they may over-power the cheese and sour the overall flavours.

Full yet lighter styles like Barbera or Grenache balance well with light cheeses due to their savoury character. 

 

Best wine pairings for washed rind cheese: Vintage Sparkling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Rosé or lighter reds like a Grenache.

For goats cheese you need a wine with a similar, strong aroma. Aromatic white wines including Sauvignon Blanc (plus Semillon Sauvignon Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends), fragrant Rosé, and lighter reds like Pinot Noir or Gamay are great matches.

 

Best wine pairings for goats cheese: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Rosé, Pinot Noir or Gamay.