Five Must-try Wine & Cheese Pairings
Wine and cheese go together like, well... wine and cheese, and we're talking about the best wine and cheese pairings! The general rule is to pair wines and cheeses with equal intensity, so pair light wines with delicately flavored cheeses and bold wines with pungent, funky cheeses.
Read on to level up your charcuterie boards: here are five classic wine and cheese pairings, and what makes them the perfect match!
Champagne & Brie Cheese
Champagne is cheese's best friend! The acidity and bubbles in sparkling wine cuts through soft creamy cheeses, which makes it the perfect pairing with a creamy brie. The brioche flavors in champagne also add a bit of toastiness to the pairing, and it's absolutely delicious!
Sauvignon Blanc & Goat Cheese
Sauvignon Blanc and goat cheese is one of the most classic pairings out there! Sauvignon Blanc is known for its sharp acidity, minerality, and citrus flavors which complements the level of acid in goat cheese and brings out its tangy, herbal flavors.
Sangiovese & Parmesan Cheese
This pairing is a classic because of the rule of thumb "what grows together, goes together", meaning that wine and food from the same region tend to pair well with one another. Sangiovese, the grape used to produce the wines of Italy's Chianti region, has flavors of red fruit, dried herbs, and smoke that nicely balance the salty, tangy, and nutty flavors of Italian parmesan cheese.
Tempranillo & Manchego Cheese
Another example of the "what grows together, goes together" philosophy is pairing Spanish Tempranillo with manchego cheese. Both have savory, smoky flavors, and manchego's slightly oily texture makes it an excellent choice to serve alongside Tempranillo's rich and savory black fruit, tobacco, and herbal notes.
Port & Blue Cheese
Port is known for its full body, sweetness, and bold character. Wines with a lot of character and flavor are best matched with cheeses with just as much going on, like blue cheese! The pungent and salty flavors in blue cheese nicely contrast a sweet Port. A good rule of thumb to follow: the sweeter the wine, the saltier and funkier the cheese.
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Cheers!