The correct pairing of Cheese and Wine Articles | Benefits of Wine

By: Michael Kirby

One thing that just about everyone will agree on is that there is no better food combination possible than when you pair cheese and wine together. It is as if they were made for each other. Serving cheese and wine together at dinner parties is an excellent idea that will surely win over your entire guest list, even the ones that are hard to please. Cheese is served during wine tasting events as well to enhance this unique and wonderful experience.

Cheese has a tendency of enhancing the flavor of wine in a way that no other food can. However, you have to keep in mind that some combinations of cheese and wine will clash together while others will amplify the flavor of both the wine and the cheese. With this in mind below is a list of wine and cheese combinations that do go together very well.

• Serve champagne and other sparkling wines with creamy rich cheeses such as Camembert, Explorateur, Saint-Andre, Brillat-Savarin or Brie because the acidity of these wines will cut through the rich creaminess of this type of cheeses.

• Desert wines such as Sauternes and Port are best served with blue cheeses like Stilton and Roquefort. Even though this may seem to be an odd combination they actually go very well together.

• Serve red Burgundy wines with a rich tangy pungent cheese such as Crottin di Chavignol, Bandol or Epoisse.

• Young full-bodied wine such as Merlot, Sauternes or Reislings should be served with strong pungent chesses such as Taleggio or Pont l’Eveque.

• Sauvignon Blanc and Beaujolais are fruity delicate wines that are best served with a young mild milky cheese such as the Chevre.

• Serve Piedmontese wines with cheeses such as Boschetto al Tartufo for a great combination that goes together beautifully.

• Very young and robust red wines like Syrah and Chianti are best served with strong flavored cheeses like Provolone.

As a general rule you should pair salty cheeses together with sweet wines and creamy cheeses together with acidic wines. You will also find that when serving the fine older wines a soft rich cheese without overwhelming flavors will work the best.

There are unlimited possibilities when it comes to pairing wine and cheeses together so experimenting is recommended but the suggestions above will help you get started. Once you discover a few of these wonderful combinations for yourself, you will never turn back. You will want to continue experimenting with even more great combinations.