Classic Wine and Cheese Pairings You’ll Love (Tips, Best Wines)

Wine and cheese - almost a match made in heaven, right?

Your favorite wine deserves no less than a sumptuous cheese board to go with it. But pairing the two is considered to be a complex, nuanced art, and it could get confusing. 

Do you pair Cheddar with red or white wine, dry or sweet? Which wine goes best with goat cheese?Should you start with cheese or wine?In this article, let’s look at how to pair wine and cheese like a pro and the best wine and cheese pairings. We’ll also give you some amazing wine recommendations!

Wine and Cheese: Why is it Such a Popular Pairing? 

Pairing wine with cheese is known to improve the wine’s flavor and to elevate your wine-drinking experience.

Let’s take a step back and look at the origins of this classic pair.

The wine and cheese trend probably started in the Middle Ages in France. Farmers from the villages who specialized in winemaking also made cheese. So, naturally they were served together. 

This also explains why some popular wine and cheese combinations often have the same geographical origin. For example, in France, Beaujolais wine was made in the Brie region, famous for its Brie cheese production. And to this day, Brie and Beaujolais make a popular wine and cheese pairing.

Today, wine and cheese pairings have become a hugely popular trend around the world. In the US, the 25th of July is celebrated as the official National Wine and Cheese Day.

So, how do you nail the perfect wine and cheese combo? Here are some essential tips to remember before we get into the details of which wine to pair with which cheese.

How to Pair Wine with Cheese: 4 Essential Rules of Thumb

If you are throwing a wine and cheese party, here’s what you should keep in mind:

• It’s up to you whether to pick the wine or the cheese first. If you have some must-try cheese styles in mind, this will determine what wine to search for. And if you have a favorite wine that you want to serve at your party, then the cheese style will come second.
• Ensure a balance between the wine type, its tannins, acidity, sweetness levels, and the cheese style. A light wine like Merlot or Chardonnay could be overpowered by a stronger cheese (Cheddar, Italian Asiago, or Gruyere) and vice versa.
• Full-bodied wines usually go well with hard, aged cheese like Pecorino or Parmesan, or Cheddar.
• White and sparkling wine is the best match for most semi-soft and soft cheese types like Brie, Camembert, and Chevre.
• Make sure you provide both red and white wine bottles for each cheese board since your guests may have different preferences. Some of them might enjoy a wine glass of Cabernet Sauvignon with an aged Cheddar, while others may prefer pairing it with a white Burgundy.

Now, get ready for some awesome wine and cheese pairing ideas.

The Best Wine and Cheese Pairings You’ll Love (Including Wine Recommendations!)

Here are the wine and cheese pairings we recommend:

1. Wine Pairing with Hard Cheese

Hard cheeses usually have concentrated buttery, tangy, or nutty flavor hints. They’re often aged, and with time they develop a more intense taste. This makes them the perfect match for full-bodied wines like Chianti, Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, which have high tannin levels and a bold texture, or lighter Pinot Noir wines. 

Some great hard cheeses include aged Cheddar, Emmental, Manchego, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Beaufort, and Comté. 

5 best wines to pair with hard cheese:

• Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1997: $6,162 
• Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2015: $273
• Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru Pinot Noir 1990: $32,053
• 2006 Domaine Leroy Aux Brulees Pinot Noir 1999: $4,350
• Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2000: $1,302

2. Wine Pairing with Semi Soft Cheese

Semi soft cheeses are perfect for melting and have distinct milk and nutty flavor. They’re mild and combine well with bold wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and ZInfandel to lighter red wine styles like Pinot Noir. 

Red wines bring out the perfect balance of flavors without overpowering the delicate cheese complexity.

Some of the best semi-soft cheeses are: Havarti, Morbier, fresh Asiago, Provolone, Edam, and young Gouda.

5 delicious wines to pair with semi soft cheese:

• Tusk Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2017: $909
• Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru 2009: $3,784
• Dark Matter Wines Zinfandel 2013: $249
• Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier Les Amoureuses 1978: $11,036
• Maison Nicolas Potel Selection Les Combettes 1985: $453

3. Wine Pairing with Fresh Cheese

Fresh cheeses have a dominant milk tasting note, and some of them are spreadable, like Feta, Mascarpone, and Chevre. Other classic fresh cheeses are Mozzarella, Burrata, and Ricotta.

They pair well with various white wine styles like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc and light fruity reds such as Pinot Noir. You can even pair your favorite fresh cheese with a crisp rose.

5 best wines to pair with fresh cheese:

• HMuse de Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose 2018: $161
• Benjamin-Louis - Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fume Asteroide 2003: $2,345
• Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier Musigny Grand Cru 2015: $20,351
• Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 1982: $2,406
• Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru 2008: $9,321

4. Wine Pairing with Bloomy Cheese

Bloomy cheese is also known as washed rind cheese. This type of cow or goat milk cheese is thick and creamy with mushroom hints and strong, pungent aromas. 

Some of the best washed rind cheese styles are Camembert, Robiola, and Brie. They make the perfect pairing with dry sparkling wine, red dessert wine, and different white wine styles.

5 best wines to pair with bloomy cheese:

• Moet & Chandon Esprit du Siecle Brut: $6,727
• Dom Perignon P3 Plenitude Brut 1990: $3,840
• Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve Blanc 2010: $644
• Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Oenotheque 2006: $163
• Roberto Voerzio Riserva Pozzo dell'Annunziata Barbera d'Alba 1997: $182

5. Wine Pairing with Blue Cheese

Blue cheese takes its name after its distinct blue veins of mold. This gives it a pleasantly salty and spicy flavor, and the texture varies from semi-soft to crumbly.

Some exquisite blue cheeses to consider for your next wine and cheese event are Stilton, Danish Blue, Gorgonzola, Cambozola, and Roquefort.

Pair your favorite blue cheese with a sweet wine like a delightful Riesling or an off-dry fruity red wine. 

5 best wines to pair with blue cheese:

• Petrus 2018 : $4,530
• Masseto Toscana IGT 2018: $865
• Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 2018: $16,970
• Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 2005: $5,257
• Domaine Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru 1992: $5,596

6. Wine Pairing with Goat Cheese

The younger goat cheese is soft with creamy tasting notes, but it gets crumbly with earthy undertones when aged. If you’re a goat cheese lover, add some of these options to your cheese board: Garrotxa, Picodon, Bucheron, Crottin de Chavignol, and Chabichou.

A classic pairing for this delicate cheese is a dry, mineral-driven, citrusy  Sauvignon Blanc or a crisp and light rose.

5 best wines to pair with goat cheese:

• Gravner Anfora Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia IGT 2006: $174
• Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc 2011: $8,225
• Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux 2013: $300
• Rose & Arrow Estate 'Black Walnut' Worden Hill Pinot Noir 2016: $159
• Leroy Domaine d'Auvenay Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2013: $8,130

7. Wine Pairing with Fondue Cheese

Fondue cheese is a cheese that’s been melted and is not a cheese style on its own. However, remember that you cannot melt all cheeses. A great fondue cheese is Raclette, but you can also blend several cheese types like Fontina, Gruyere, and Gouda.

Fondue cheese is best served along with sweet wine or crisp white wine like Pinot Blanc or a light red like Cabernet Franc. 

5 best wines to pair with fondue cheese:

• Domaine Francois Raveneau Valmur 2010: $960
• Rene et Vincent Dauvissat-Camus Les Clos 1989: $1,250
• Etienne Sauzet Montrachet Grand Cru 2017: $1,050
• Domaine Henri Gouges La Perriere Blanc 2017: $123
• Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne La Boloree Blanc de Blancs 2014: $258

Now let’s take your party menu a notch higher!

Apart from making a sophisticated cheese board, you can also create charcuterie boards with other delicious foods that pair wonderfully with wine.

Charcuterie Board Ideas For Your Wine and Cheese Party

To perk up your wine and cheese party, make sophisticated charcuterie boards that your guests will love.

Here are some great foods you can add to your charcuterie board:

• Salty: Salami, prosciutto, chorizo
• Sweet: Dried fruit, apple, berries, fruit jelly, fruit chutney, dark chocolate
• Savory: Roasted nuts, olives, pickles
• Crackers: Breadsticks or dried baguette slices with some olive oil
• Dips: Hummus, mustard, red pepper sauce
• Add final touches with fresh herbs or edible dried flowers. 

You can even think of more creative charcuterie and cheese board ideas to add extra flair to your wine and cheese party.

But what about the wine?

If you’re looking for more affordable options, you could buy them from a boutique wine store.

However, if you’re looking for high-end, investment-grade wines (whether for a big party years later, or as a profitable investment), wine stores won’t be a good idea.

The easiest way to build a collection of fine vintages is through a wine investment company like Vinovest.

Buy the Best Wine for Your Collection Through Vinovest

Vinovest is an Artificial Intelligence-based online wine investment company that helps you buy, sell, and store some of the best collectible wines in the world hassle-free.

So, what are the benefits of signing up on the Vinovest platform? 

You’ll be able to:

• Build a winning wine portfolio with the help of a wine expert team that will curate your wine collection and ensure you get the highest-performing bottles. Get these wines at below-retail prices since Vinovest buys wines directly from wine merchants, global wine exchanges, and wholesalers.
• Have your wines stored in optimal conditions without having to invest in an expensive wine cellar. Vinovest stores your wines in bonded warehouses near some of the best wine regions in the world.
• Take advantage of Vinovest’s low costs - you only have to pay a 2.5% annual fee (or 1.9% for portfolios of over $50,000) which covers buying, selling, and storing your wines, as well as fraud detection and portfolio management.
• Get only original wine bottles since the master sommeliers at Vinovest trace the provenance of each bottle and guarantee its authenticity before you make a purchase.
• Get your favorite wine delivered to you when you want to open it. Or sell it at a potential profit, and have it delivered to the buyer, hassle-free.

A Mouthwatering Wine and Cheese Combo for Your Next Party

Pairing wine with your favorite cheese is a true form of art. There are no strict rules - just go with the guidelines we shared, and add on your creativity as well!

It’s also a good idea to start a collection of wines to open at your next big party. You could even cellar the best ones for years, to drink later or sell at a profit. And the best way to do it is through Vinovest.

So, sign up here and start building your collection of fine wine.