A Quick and Easy Reference Guide to Matching Cheese and Wine

By Olivia Thomas

If you are like most people, trying to remember which cheeses go with which wines is virtually impossible. Even when you swear that the next time you walk into the store you will remember what you liked the last time or the tip that someone told you, inevitably, you forget and are forced to re-select among the 100's of wine and cheese choices.

Here are some easy tips to help you next time you are looking to pair wine and cheese together:

Salty With Sweet
Salty cheeses taste wonderful with sweet wines. For example, if you are serving a dessert wine such as a port or a sherry, you may consider serving a selection of salty cheeses like blue cheese, roquefort or event a washed rind cheese. The balancing out of the sweet and salty tastes make for a great flavouring for the palate.

Region with Region
Another easy tip is to try to pair wines and cheeses from the same region. For example, if you are serving Spanish wines, serve them with a selection of Spanish cheeses, such as Manchego. This is one of the easiest methods of quick pairing as the wines and cheeses are often sorted and labelled by the nation of their origin.

Acid and Acid
While initially this may seem like the opposite of the earlier suggestion, many favour the taste of acid combined with acid. For example, a wine such as Savignon Blanc goes beautifully with an acidic cheese such as a goat cheese. You will find that many wine descriptions will reference whether the flavour is acidic, helping you to quickly select when you are shopping.

Tannic Flavors with Creamy Cheeses
While this may be a little more challenging to remember when shopping, many prefer the tastes of tannic flavoured wines and creamy cheeses. For example, you may consider pairing a brie or a triple cream cheese with a Bordeaux wine or any other bold, dry red wine. You will find a large selection of both the wine type and the cheese type in most retail groceries.

Bubbly with Rich and Creamy
Finally, something that seems to make sense; rich things together. If you love champagne, you will love pairing it with a rich, creamy cheese such as a Gruyere or any other similar cheese that catches your attention on the cheese aisle.

As always, be sure to have the right tools to do the right job, having a cheese board with cheese knives is your best bet. Plus it looks great when you have your next wine and cheese party.