5 Expert Tips for Picking Out Perfect Wine and Cheese Pairings

Happy National Wine and Cheese Day! Below, Brita Voris of wine.com gives tips on how to choose perfect wine and cheese pairings.

Wine and cheese are a match made in heaven, but sometimes staring at a wall of wine in the grocery store or digging through the cheese section to put together a pairing can leave you feeling dazed–and intimidated. With National Wine and Cheese Day here, we’ve put together some quick tips for picking out the perfect wine and cheese pairings, as well as some ideas for go-to combos to enjoy today (and every day after!).

1. Learn your geography.

Wines and cheeses from the same location will likely pair well together. Have a Spanish Tempranillo you want to try? A sharp Manchego or salty Mahón will pair beautifully. Sipping on Champagne? You can’t go wrong pairing it with French cheeses like Brie or Comté. Look to the region or country the wine or cheese you want to taste is from and use that as your guide to finding a perfect match.

2. Remember: Opposites attract.

The bigger and bolder the wine, the bolder and fattier the cheese you should pair with it. A Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah with lots of tannins will walk all over a mild cheese like Havarti. Instead, pair it with a sharp, aged Cheddar or smoked Gouda. Conversely, a milder wine pairs best with a mild cheese. Try pairing that Havarti with a fruit-forward rosé or Pinot Gris. 

You can also look at the alcohol content to help you choose which cheeses to pair with your wine–for the most part, the higher the ABV percentage of the bottle, the higher fat content you should look for in the cheese.

3. Go easy at first, then build momentum.

When tasting, start with lighter wines and cheeses and work your way up to dessert wines and the stinkiest cheeses. Your menu might start with Prosecco and Pecorino and finish with port and blue Stilton, gradually increasing in flavor intensity of both the wines and cheeses as you go. If you start with the heavier styles of wine and cheese, you can overpower your tastebuds and the lingering flavors can impact the next pairing.

4. When in doubt, keep it simple.

For an easy wine and cheese tasting menu, pick one or two varietals of wine and select a soft, semi-soft or semi-hard, and hard cheese to go with each. A light red wine such as Pinot Noir would go nicely with Camembert (soft cheese), Provolone (semi-hard cheese), and Gruyère (hard cheese). Add some crackers, fruit preserves, olives, and nuts and you have a party!

5. Don’t take it too seriously.

Last, but certainly not least, have fun! You’re eating cheese and drinking wine–there’s almost nothing better and it doesn’t have to be serious business. If you like what you’re tasting, you’re on the right track. While we don’t recommend boxed wine and string cheese for a wine and cheese party, sometimes keeping it simple is best.

Think about what you like to eat and drink on a regular basis and go from there. Maybe you prefer cheeses to contrast the wine you’re drinking instead of complement it, or you only want to sip on a glass of bubbly, no matter what cheese you’re trying. That’s all completely fine and part of the enjoyment!

How will you be celebrating National Wine and Cheese Day? Tell us your favorite wine and cheese pairing in the comments!