With charcuterie boards being all the rage right now, finding a wine to pair with the various other cheeses you have on the board can feel intimidating. I mean, the last thing you want to do is pair a wine with the cheeses and it taste terrible. No one wants that. There are a few golden rules for pairing wine with cheese that we found,
Pair wines and cheeses with equal intensity.
- Wines over 14% ABV are more intense and require a more intensely flavored cheese, meanwhile wines under 12% ABV match better with more delicate cheeses.
Bold red wines pair best with aged cheeses.
- A sharp aged cheddar cheese is rich in flavor, so look to pair it like you would a steak with a rich bold Cabernet or Carménère.
Match super funky cheeses with sweeter wines.
- Moscato, Port, Sweet Riesling and Gewurztraminer all pair well with stinky, funky, blue veined cheeses. The funkier the better!
Sparkling wines are incredible with soft, creamy cheeses.
- Pairing a Champagne with a Brie is a perfect pairing. The zippy acidity and toastiness of Champagne pairs well together with the creaminess of the Brie.
Wines and cheeses from the same place pair well together.
- “If it grows together, it goes together.” This is a phrase that many sommeliers use and it rings true. Pair Italian wines with Pecorino or Parmesan, Spanish red wine with Manchego, Champagne with Brie and the list goes on and on. When in doubt follow this rule and you’ll be well on your way to impressing all of your friends.
When in doubt, get a firm, nutty cheese.
- Now this is a reverse of all the other points. What if you have a wine but can’t find the right cheese for it? Go with something nutty, firm and can hold its own against anything you throw at it. Think of swiss, gruyere and gouda.
That’s all we have for you today! We hope you can use this to take your next dinner parties to the next level. Let us know if you have any other favorite pairings that we didn’t list!
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