Your Go-To Guide For the Best Wine and Cheese Pairings
What would cheese be without wine, and wine without cheese at parties and wine tastings?
To arm yourself with some easy, go-to advice, we just published 5 Tips for Wine and Cheese Pairings. When it comes to pairing foods, wine and cheese are some of easiest to learn since you are only dealing with 1 food, and not many. This means you can focus on 1 flavor or texture and how that interacts with a wine one at a time. Even better, pairing cheese and wine allows for a lot of fun experimentation, which can make a party or get-together more engaging and interactive. After all, we each have different palettes so, while there are some basic tenets of pairing wine with food, each person may have different likes (and dislikes) when it comes to certain pairings. This article is your “go-to” when seeking out the best cheese and wine pairing to have at your next party.
What Wine with Which Cheese?
As a follow-on to our previous article and YouTube video with 5 tips to learn about pairing cheese and wine, in this article, we’re applying these tips with some concrete examples of wine and cheeses to pair together. First, let’s have a quick recap of these five tips:
Complement and contrast flavors and textures: consider flavors and creaminess textures when pairing, and search for those similar or opposite.
Match intensity: try to pick wine and cheeses that have similar intensity of flavor and aroma, so that one doesn’t overpower the other.
Beware of tannins: with bitter cheeses, tannins can cause the bitterness to ramp up; be careful of the interaction between tannic wines and the cheese’s flavors.
Stick to the region: lots of foods develop together as a cuisine in a specific area thanks to traditions; try cheeses and wines from the same area to take advantage of generational trial and error!
Experiment and try: be open to new possibilities and flavors and don’t be pigeonholed by ‘rules’. Find your own likes and dislikes to build your own preferences through experimentation of different wine and cheese pairings.
While reading through our suggested pairings below, try to see and let us know in the comments below which of these tips each pairing follows!
Fresh Cheeses
These are cheeses that are sold almost immediately after production that undergo little if no aging. Normally they are soft and spreadable, and have a tangy and sweetish tendency. These are cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella, burrata, and stracchino (and also squacquerone). You can try a crisp white wine with these cheeses.
Try:
A portuguese white wine blend with burrata,
A dry prosecco pet nat Codolà with mozzarella,
Unoaked chardonnay with stracchino.
Chèvre
Some might consider it a sub-category of fresh cheeses, but we like to split it off as sometimes as these are cheeses made specifically with goat’s milk. While there are versions that can be aged, it is more common to find the soft fresh version. While commonly plain, the fresh version can often be found mixed with honey or dried fruits to give it overall much sweeter tones under the fresh tang. With chèvre, think fresh and fruity white wines.
Try with a fresh chèvre:
Klassik sauvignon blanc from Austrian Michi Lorenz,
Sauvignon blanc from Vigna Petrussa in Italy.
Bloomy Cheeses
These cheeses have an edible crust formed by a type of mold that helps to hold the form and protect the soft and flavorful insides. While bloomed cheeses can vary in aging, and thus intensity of flavor, some examples are Brie, Camembert, and Robiola di Roccaverano. Usually the rind has a stronger and ‘funkier’ flavor than the creamy insides of the cheese that is important to keep in mind when pairing cheese and wine. For a bloomy cheese, try pairing it with a nice fuller and rounder white wine that has a little more body or a touch of oak. Or, for the more adventurous, try a young and fruity unoaked red wine with a bloomy cheese.
Try:
Russian River Valley Chardonnay with a Camembert,
Friulano from woman owned Vigna Petrussa with a brie,
Dogliani dolcetto from Barolo winemaker Aldo Clerico with a Robiola di Roccaverano.
Washed Rind Cheeses
These cheeses are occasionally washed during aging (hence the name), allowing certain bacteria to flourish in the rind. Sometimes this can turn the rind a distinctive orange color, and it often results in a very flavorful and creamy textured, but not spreadable, cheese. Some well known cheeses with washed rinds would be taleggio from Italy or munster from France. With these pairings, we need a flavorful wine that can help cut through the creamy center of the cheese. Dry and traditional method wines work well here as well as fruity red wines.
Try:
Alta Langa Andrea with a taleggio,
Pinot noir or a saint laurent (a relative of pinot noir) with a munster.
Semi Soft Cheeses
A semi soft cheese falls between the sharp and flaky hard cheeses and creamy bloomy or washed rind cheeses. They are usually not spreadable, but still nice and soft in texture; flavors can vary between delicate to pungent. Examples of semi soft cheeses are provolone, gruyere, gouda, havarti, and asiago. What we love here are white wines with a touch of body and fullness, but not quite as much as with a bloomed cheese.
Try:
A Lugana wine paired with an asiago,
A natural wine Parella made from trebbiano abruzzese with a gouda or havarti.
Hard Cheeses
These last two categories are time time to really start pairing cheese with red wine. As we mentioned in our last article, tannins can work well to pair with cheeses that undergo significant aging periods. As the cheeses age, they also dry out, causing the body of the cheese to become hard. Often, such as with Parmigiano Reggiano, they don’t necessarily cut evenly, but splinter and flake as they are cut. These are cheeses like (in addition to Parmigiano Reggiano) aged cheddar, Grana Padano, pecorino, and manchengo.
With hard cheeses there are two great ways you can go: tannins or bubbles. Big bold red wines love hard aged cheeses. But, at the same time, a traditional champagne style sparkling wine can also be an academic pairing option.
Try:
Barolo with Grana Padano,
Brunello di Montalcino with pecorino cheese,
Durello sparkling wine from Veneto with a Parmigiano Reggiano.
Blue Cheeses
Created by allowing certain strains of mold to infect and multiple within the cheese, blue cheeses can range from creamy and spreadable to hard and crumbly depending on aging times. The most well known blue cheeses are the Italian Gorgonzola, the French Roquefort, and the English Stilton. These cheeses are pungent on the nose and intensely flavored and they need a flavorful wine to keep up with them. So you can try a big bold red again like with the aged cheeses, but the sapidity and bitterness of the blue cheeses allow for an interesting pairing: sweet wines. The sweetness and fullness of sweet wines contrast well with a blue cheese like gorgonzola for example for a classic and fun pairing.
Try:
Pairings Straight from the Producer
We asked two of our producers what their favorite pairings were, and what they recommended for pairing wine with cheese. Looking at these pairings from their perspective is an interesting way to infer how other pairings might come about too!
Aldo Clerico and the Reds of Piedmont
In the heart of Barolo land in the Langhe hills of Piedmont, Italy, Aldo Clerico covers pretty much the gamut of piemontese red wines (dolcetto, barbera d alba, nebbiolo, and Barolo). He suggests, ‘With my younger wines, such as the Dogliani [dolcetto], Barbera d’Alba, and Langhe Nebbiolo, I think medium aged [or semi soft] cheeses are the good. But with Barolos [like his Classic Barolo, Serralunga d’Alba, and Ginestra], I much prefer hard and well aged cheeses, which also happen to be my favorite cheeses.’ With these only-red wines from Aldo, you can try your hand at pairing cheese with red wine!
Vigna Petrussa and Friuli Wines
Vigna Petrussa, located in the North Eastern corner of Italy in Friuli Venezia Giulia, is currently helmed by mother-daughter team Hilde and Francesca. They love to craft wines indicative of the region, specializing in the nearly lost indigenous schioppettino grape, which they bottle in four types of mono varietal Schioppettino wines: the unoaked Schioppettino Rinera, the oaked Schioppettino di Prepotto, the super limited edition Schioppettino Riserva., and the 100% air-dried Schioppettino Perla Nera dessert wine. Read more about schioppettino here where we talked with Vigna Petrussa winemaker Hilde Petrussa about her quest to revive the grape after it was outlawed by the EU to cultivate.
Here are some of the best best cheese and wine pairing.
When considering a cheese pairing with Schioppettino, they recommend ‘aged cheeses like Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano and other hard cheeses like pecorino.’ Even cheeses flavored with black pepper give a nice complement to the peppery notes of Schioppettino.
For their other wines, their recommendations really cover all the bases of potential pairings for wine and cheeses. Their suggestions ranged from the traditional Picolit dessert wine with blue cheeses, to the more interesting refosco red wine with hard cheeses like Castelmagno, cheddar, and pecorino. Desiderio (a sweet passito style wine), they recommended with bloomy cheeses like Camembert and Brie. And for their last indigenous grape, that of the white Friulano, ‘fresh caprino [chèvre], Montasio or Asiago, and bloomy cheeses’ really seems like a great versatile white wine for cheese pairings!
Zamichele and Lugana Lake Garda Wines
On the picturesque shores of Lake Garda in Northern Italy, we find Zamichele, a biodynamic winery crafting the local specialty of Lugana wines.
So what does Alessandro of Zamichele recommend to pair with his wines? To start off, with the unoaked Lugana he likes semi-soft cheeses like asiago and caciotta. With the more aged and slightly oaked Gardè, he prefers harder and stronger cheeses, like Parmigiano Reggiano or the local Monte Veronese. He also mentions some light blue cheeses work well with the Gardè as well.
Ready to Try?
To get you started on your pairing journey, we have a great assortment of “cheese friendly” wines for many types of cheeses in the VeroShop.
If you work in the wine trade, contact us to learn more about our portfolio. Otherwise, go to the VeroShop to pick out your favorites. And don’t forget to jazz up your cheese with a dab of some organic extra virgin olive oil.
Bring summer to your glass with these three wines, hand selected by our sommeliers. Great for summertime, and with a range of a pet nat prosecco sparkler, a refreshing complex white wine blend, and a light chillable red wine from Abruzzo, pleasureable for all palates. And these three wines are great for chilling to cool down in th hot summertime- even the red!
This box includes these unique farm-to-glass wines:
From the Czech Republic, Thaya crafts organic wines in the area of South Moravia, near the Austrian border.
A bright lemon color with apple and carnation flower aromas, this chardonnay is round, fresh and fruity with a chalky texture and long finish, all-in-all, nicely balanced. Aged 6 months in stainless steel before bottling.
Made from 100% Turbiana (considered similar to Verdicchio), this unoaked white wine from the sought after Lugana wine region has a bright yellow color, a natural balance of acidity and fruit with a textured mouthfeel and a long finish. It has inviting aromas of honeysuckle, tropical fruits, caramel and a hint of basil. Think of it as an alternative to an unoaked Chardonnay, since turbiana is also a noble white grape. Plus Zamichele’s terrroir with the influence from nearby Lake Garda and mineral rich glacial alluvial soil provides the conditions for creating a complex and balanced white wine.
Organically grown grapes, they come from a small part of the Field family vines where the soil is rich in minerals and has a sandy and loamy texture. This chardonnay is made with whole cluster fermentation and native yeast fermentation before being aged in neutral oak.
The 2020 vintage of this Russian River chardonnay is riper, with notes of flint on the nose and pineapple on the palate. Then the 2021 is more reserved and could use some extra time to open. It has a more mineral presence with an apple profile thanks to an earlier harvest in 2021. Overall, in both vintages we find a chardonnay that is balanced with great minerality and fruit and has a long finish.
Small production of only 250 cases were made of this Russian River Chardonnay.
With floral and citrus aromas and a pleasantly structured fruity and mineral salt taste, a chaulky mouthfeel and long finish, this age-worthy white from the indigenous variety Friulano, is made with indigenous yeast, then on the lees for 6 months while aged in used oak. It has a delicate bouquet of wildflowers and hints of almond on the palate. Delightful with hors d’oeuvres, various kinds of cured meats and fish-based dishes.
Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.
Coming from an area known for some of the best Sauvignon Blancs in the world, in the Südsteiermark subzone of in the South Styria of Austria, at 400m altitude with hand picked harvesting, this lemon yellow color sauvignon blanc has an intense bouquet of lemon, lemongrass and flint. It has citrus and apple flavors with a hint of lemongrass. It has great acidity and a long, sapid finish. Soils are red schist and loam. After 24 hours of skin maceration, the fruit was fermented with native yeast and aged in stainless steel. Minimal sulfur additions.
Straw yellow with bright green hues, lingering and vibrant bouquet recalling white peach, sage and tomato leaf. Ian D'Agata who cites Vigna Petrussa as ‘one of the best estates in Italy’ describes this wine as ' a less overtly green Sauvignon Blanc than most people are accustomed too, but offers plenty of refinement and sneaky concentration.'
Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.
An organic & vegan natural wine made from 100% trebbiano abruzzese, a white wine grape which the New York Times cites a grape “worth knowing better”. It has an inviting straw yellow color and an exotic nose (look for the saffron!) and an intriguing fruity and herbal taste.
This white wine is age-worthy too! Fermented and refined in grandfather Febo’s concrete vessels.
Region: Italy > Abruzzo > Chieti
Tastes Like: Peaches and Saffron
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Vegan | Single vineyard | Old Vine | Organic | Natural Wine
Fun Facts: This wine is named from the single vineyard from which it comes, Parella in Chieti.
Dogliani is known as the area which produces the best dolcettos in the world. This expressive structured yet easy-to-drink red wine has purple color, and floral bouquet with red plum notes. On the palate, this dolcetto opens pleasantly with notable tannins that are, however, not overpowering. It finishes with light almond notes. Coming from a single vineyard near Monchiero, this Dogliani is also make with native yeast fermentation.
It can be enjoyed just after bottling, yet it can better itself after a bit of aging in bottle.
Tastes Like: Juicy plump, plums
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Single Vineyard
Fun Facts: Originally called Dolcetto di Dogliani, local winemakers lobbied to change the denomination to simply ‘Dogliani’ to avoid the misconception that this wine was ‘little sweet’, as suggested by the translation of ‘dolcetto’ in Italian. They wanted this special dry red wine to be able to make its own name, and let its importance stand for itself.
From the Thaya estate winery in the Czech Republic, this single vineyard 100% Saint Laurent, which is called Svatovavřinecké in the Czech language and is a descendant of pinot noir, is from the U Chlupa vineyard with dusty loess and clay soils and which is in a national park. It has an inky deep purple color, a pretty nose, of violets, milk chocolate and spice. It is fresh with chaulky tannins, dark fruit taste, a harmonious and balanced wine. The wine was made naturally and fermented with native yeasts. It aged for 18 months in oak barrels of assorted sizes and types of toasting. It’s what’s called a “beefier Pinot Noir.”
This is one of the best Barolo wines from the Langhe in Piedmont Italy as well as a great value from one of the storied families of Barolo wineries. This Barolo red wine is the maximum expression of the nebbiolo grape from Aldo Clerico. With vineyards right next to those of Domenico Clerico Barolo vineyards, this Barolo is a good substitute for Burgundy wine.
This garnet colored artisan Barolo has red fruit, rose and spicy leather and tea leaf aromas with elegant structure, long finish leaving a silky mouthfeel. On the nose it is very intense while floral notes mix with typical vineyard scents of violets and red berries. On the palate, the violets blend with licorice flavors and noticeable tannins. A creamy texture from the oak barrels creates a pleasant mix of fresh yet complex flavors.
Tastes Like: Cherries and licorice
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Single Vineyard
Fun Facts: This is Aldo's first wine made from 5 different Barolo designated vineyards surrounding his home in Monforte d'Alba, all within the Bricco San Pietro MGA. He vinifies each vineyard and then does an assemblage, creating each vintage a unique expression of his nebbiolo vineyards. It is also made with native yeast fermentation, so can be called a natural wine.
This Brunello di Montalcino from winery Canalino is crafted using specially selected sangiovese grapes. A gorgeous ruby color, the nose is a potpourri of intense mature fruit and spice aromas from prune to menthol to leather. The wine is structured, with freshness, minerality and age worthy tannins and a fantastic mouthfeel.
Tastes Like: Stewed Cherries or Cherry Jolly Rancher candy
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regnerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Unfiltered | Organic | Natural Wine | Vegan
Fun Facts: The name “brunello” comes from the local name used for the type of sangiovese typically used in the area.
This Alta Langa Spumante, or an Italian sparkling wine, is an Extra Brut, with flavors of bread crust, caramel and candied fruit, with great acidity and salinity, a hint of sage and a long mineral finish.
Made following the traditional Champagne method, it ages on the lees for 30 months in the bottle. Alta Langa is a newer DOCG that is steeped in history and is an up-an-comer amongst Italian traditional method sparkling wines.
This vintage wine is from vineyards at 200 meters that are harvested slightly late to give the wine more structure. A Blanc de Blancs made from 100% chardonnay grapes, fine and persistent bubbles are present with an inviting straw yellow perlage.
Tastes Like: Bread crust, caramel, and candied fruit.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Bottle fermented | Champagne Style
Fun Facts: - This wine is named for the current winemaker, Andrea Ivaldi, the 4th generation of his family to make wine, and the first to make a sparkling wine.
- A certified sustainable winery, Ivaldi practices regenerative farming.
With a persistent perlage, a bright gold color lights up the glass as complex exotic fruits and citrus aromas burst forth. Tasting, it is a dry wine with a delicate balance of acidity and sapidity keep you sipping and enjoying until the last drop.
The volcanic soil of the Sandro de Bruno vineyards lend well to this ancient, yet up and coming grape known as Durella. With a thick skin rich in polyphenols, they expertly craft this grape in a sparkling wine using a classic Champagne method. A zero dosage, for 36 months the wine rests on the lees before dégorgement and it then rests again.
It is markedly less intense than its 60 month aged and 100 month aged counterparts, creating a great entry point to the durello grape. You can try all three of these wines for yourself in the Durello Flight Set!
Tastes Like: Limes and Green Apples
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Sustainable Winery | Volcanic Soil | Bottle Fermented | Champagne Style
Fun Facts: - “Linear and polished” is how Kerin O’Keefe in this Wine Enthusiast review describes this 95 point wine.
“Run, don’t walk to find and grab this bottle. It is a prime example of the harmony and complexity this style of wine is capable of expressing” is how VinePair describes this wine in their list of 13 of the Best Sweet Wines.
Fruity, spicy and balanced, this multiple award winning women-made dessert wine, Picolit, is the rarest and most treasured varietal in Friuli, the extreme North East of Italy.
It is made from hand-picked and air-dried picolit grapes that went through noble rot, as with the best dessert wines in the world. Fermented and then aged for 18 months in french oak barrique. Only 1200 bottles were made, and we have the last few available so be quick to grab this meditation wine to sip and savor.
Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.
