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Classic Wine and Cheese Pairing – White Wine

Classic Wine and Cheese Pairing – White Wine
Keep in mind, these tips are from my own experience, I’m not a party organizer nor am I a sommelier or a turophile (a cheese connoisseur). I just love cheese, wine and spending time with my friends.

Looking for the perfect match? A good wine and a good cheese can enhance the flavours and complexities of each other. Select a wine that complements the flavours in your favourite cheese.

If you have a special bottle, pick a cheese to match.

Don’t know which cheese to buy?

You can bet there’s a wine out there for every cheese. In general, white wine tends to work better with cheese, as the high acidity of the wine breaks down the fat. However, there are red wines that can work well with mature cheeses.

You’ll notice some pairings repeat so you can mix and match with ease for your next party.

There are numerous studies finding the strong flavour of cheese accentuates the dominant flavours in wine. Interestingly, researches show your wine palate becomes more sensitive when combining cheese and wine so you will be able to detect more lovely flavours in the wine.

But in order to get this heightened taste sensation, you need to pair the two right.

Here is my guide to pairing the perfect cheese with your delicious wine with the most popular wines and cheeses pairings!

  • Off-Dry Wines pair well with Spicy Cheeses
  • Light Bodied Wines pair well with Light Cheeses
  • Full Bodied Wines pair well with Heavier Cheeses

White Wine

Serve “Cold” (45–55 ºF / 7–13 ºC)
Store open 5–7 days* (store in fridge)

Whites are generally considered a better company for a wide range of cheeses. Due to their natural qualities, white wines almost never can overpower cheese odour and taste, but complement them harmoniously. White Wine pair well with Young, Creamy Cheeses.

Light Bodied Refreshing White Wine

Light-bodied, easy-drinking dry white wines may not command high prices, but are some of the most-sold wines in the world (even if red wines get more attention.

Light whites have increased acidity and thus, pair with a wide array of cuisines. Aromas range from sweet¬er stone fruits to savoury, herby, and peppery flavours.


Riesling

AKA: Johannisberger Riesling – Rhine Riesling – White Riesling – Riesling Renano (Italy)

Notes:

Riesling’s taste gets richer with age, revealing citrus, apricot and peach notes. The wine shines well with hard Gouda or Edam and soft Cotija or Mascarpone cheeses.

Sweet, creamy Ricotta loves tangy Riesling. Try Ricotta with both the sweet and the dry variations of this German classic wine.

Cheese Pairings:

Dry:

Off dry:

  • Brick
  • Colby
  • Cotija
  • Double/Triple Cream cheese
  • Double Glouster
  • Edam
  • Fontina
  • Gorgonzola
  • Gouda
  • Gruyère
  • Havarti
  • Langres
  • Mascarpone
  • Monterey Jack
  • Ricotta
  • Spicy and Powerful Cheeses
  • Vermont Shepard
Sweet:

  • any rich cheese
  • blue cheeses
  • “cheese cake”
  • Ricotta

Characteristics:

Body Acidity Sweetness Tannins
Cool-weather, dry, Old World light high dry low
Warm weather, dry, New World medium medium dry, fruity low
Off-dry medium perceived as medium slightly sweet low
Late harvest full perceived as low sweet low

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Sauvignon Blanc/Sauvignon Vert/Friulano/Sancerre

AKA: Bordeaux Blanc (some) – Fumé Blanc (California) – Friuliano/Friulano (Italy) – Jakot (Slovenia) – Pavillon Blanc (Bordeaux) – Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre (Loire Valley) – Saint-Bris (Burgundy near Chablis) – Sauvignon Gris – Sauvignonasse (Slovenia) – Sauvignon Vert – Tocai Friulano/Tocai Friulano (formerly) – Zeleni Sauvignon

Notes: Sauvignon Blanc is a dry white wine which possesses rich aromas and fresh tastes of herbs and fruits, harmoniously combined with delicate acidity and minerality.

Fresh Chèvre (goat cheese) and Sauvignon Blanc is a match made in heaven. The acidity and upfront fruity and grassy flavours with the citrusy aromatics present of the Sauvignon Blanc are the perfect foil for the sourness and dryness of the tangy Fresh Chèvre (goat cheese). We particularly recommend pairing Sauvignon Blanc with Fresh Chèvre (goat cheese) and it also works well with firmer French Fresh Chèvre (goat cheese) that has developed spicy flavours. The wine is perfectly highlighted by creamy bloomy-rind Fresh Chèvre (goat cheese).

But Sauvignon Blanc also pairs well with other cheeses.

The wine’s crispy and refreshing character is also perfectly highlighted by Brie De Meaux, Cambozola or Feta.

This bright and light-bodied dry wine with hints of citrus and grass is the rare wine that would not overpower the subtleties of Monterey Jack.

Sauvignon Blanc is also good with halloumi and cheeses with garlic and herbs, such as Boursin.

Monterey Jack is known for its subtleness and needs to be paired with a wine that won’t overwhelm it. Sauvignon Blanc is a light-bodied, dry and bright white wine that has citrus and grassy notes that complement the cheese.

Cheese Pairings:

  • Majorero (Spanish hard goat cheese)
  • Mahon
  • Monterey Jack
  • Neufchâtel
  • Parmesan
  • Pecorino Toscano
  • Saint -Felicien (French cow;s milk cheese)
  • Raclette
  • Pave Affinois

Characteristics:

Body Acidity Sweetness Tannins
Cool Climate light to medium high and tangy dry low
Warm Climate light to medium high slight fruity low
Sauvignion Vert/Friulano light to medium high slight fruity low
Fumé Blanc light to medium medium to high slight fruity and hint oak low

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Full-Bodied White Wine

Full-bodied white wines are great wines for red wine lovers because of their rich smooth taste and subtle creamy notes.

What makes white wines so rich? Aging white wines in oak barrels causes several interactions to occur that increase body. So, be sure to look up the aging pro¬gram to ensure the wine has had some barrel aging (usually from 6–12 months.)


Chardonnay/Chablis/White Burgundy

AKA: Burgundy Villages names – California – Pouilly-Fuisse – Blanc de Blanc (for many sparkling wines) – Morillon (Austria)

Notes:*White Burgundy is 100% Chardonnay from the Burgundy region of France and is one of the many styles of Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a dry, medium-bodied white wine with rich creamy and nutty flavour, sometimes with apple, pear or citrus hints, which makes it fruity and crisp.

It is one of the most versatile wines and matches well both hard and soft cheeses, varying from Gruyere and Cheddar to Brie and Camembert.
The crisp and fruity wine enhances the creaminess of milder cheeses making them almost sweet.

Creamy Camembert, Brie or other soft, surface ripened cheeses pair so much better with white wine. Chardonnay shines with these types of cheeses. The combination of rich texture and high acidity can make Chardonnay a good wine to enjoy with creamy cheeses, like Brie. The fruit of the wine will elevate the buttery, salty taste of the cheese.

Anything from a steely Burgundian Chablis to a unoaked or moderately oaked style works. And, preferably one from a cooler climate with bright acidity usually works. Think New Zealand, Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley or Carneros. The more subtle flavours of Chardonnay allow the flavours of the cheese to shine and the acidity in the wine cuts through the creamy richness.

Pungent washed-rind cow’s cheeses will lose its stinky characteristics when paired with Chardonnay, but you can also opt for milder, traditional triple Cream cheese to avoid the smell.
Whether you choose to snack on Gruyère whole or melty, the fruit and nut flavours in Chardonnay are an ideal mate.

Cheese Pairings:

Unoaked/Oaked

  • Affidelice
  • Alpine Shepard
  • Bel Paese
  • Brie
  • Cambazola
  • Camembert
  • Cantal
  • Cashel Blue
  • Chaource
  • Colby jack
  • Cotija
  • Époisses
  • Gouda
  • Grey Owl
  • Garrotxa
  • Gruyère
  • Jarlsberg (esp. Chablis)
  • Panela
  • Parmesan/Parmigiano-
  • Reggiano
  • Pavé d’Auge
  • Pecorino (esp. Pouilly-Fuisse)
  • Provolone
  • Raclette
  • Saint André
  • Tete de Moine

Unoaked

Oaked

  • Beamster
  • Cheddar (Mild buttery)
  • Chaumes
  • Double Glouchester
  • Smoked Gouda
  • Manchego
  • Mimolette
  • Monterey Jack
  • St Nectaire
  • Zamarano (Spanish sheep’s milk cheese)
  • Tomme de Savoie

Characteristics:

Body Acidity Sweetness Tannins
Chablis style light high dry, minerally low
unoaked, warm climate light to medium medium dry, fruity low
lightly oaked cool climate
(white Burgundy style)
medium medium dry low
lightly oaked warm climate medium medium dry, fruity medium
moderately oaked, warm climate medium to full low dry, but creamy medium

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Chenin Blanc/Vouvray

AKA: Bonnezeaux – Cremant d’ Loire (sparkling) – Pineau – Pineau de la Loire – Pino Blanco (Latin America) – Quarts de Chaume –Savennieres – Steen (South Africa)- Vouvray*

Notes:*Vouvray is 100% Chenin Blanc from the Vouvray region of the Loire Valley in France.

Chenin Blanc is a versatile grape, capable of producing a wide range of wines, from fresh and fruity to oaked and sweet, and even a blend or a sparkling wine. And with its variety of expressions, there are many pairing possibilities.

Because of Chenin Blanc’s awesome acidity and inherently sweet flavour, you’ll find it pairs well with foods that have a sweet and sour element.

Soft to semi-firm cow’s milk cheeses, such as triple-cream Brie, Gruyère, Cream cheese, yogourt and cheddar work very well with light & dry Chenin Blanc. Also try with a Fresh Chèvre (goat cheese), herb-crusted goat cheeses, or even a barrel-aged Feta.

Avoid pungent cheeses as they will overpower the wine. Instead pair Chenin Blanc with soft cheeses like Brie, Fresh Mozzarella, and goats cheese.

Cheese Pairings:

  • Fouchtra
  • goat cheese
  • Gouda
  • Graddost
  • Gruyère
  • Havarti
  • Majorero (Spanish hard goat cheese) Mahon
  • Bucheron (French goat cheese)
  • dry Jack cheese
  • Neufchâtel
  • Ocooch Mountain
  • Saint-Felicien (French cow;s milk cheese)
  • Raclette
  • Pave Affinois

Characteristics:

Body Acidity Sweetness Tannins
cool climate (Vouvray) light to medium high dry to off-dry medium
warm climate medium medium dry, fruity low
demi-sec medium to full perceived as low sweet low

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Gewürtztraminer

AKA: Clevner – Gewürtz – Heida – Heiden –Klavner – Mala Dinka – Rotclevner – Rusa – Traminac – Traminer– Tramini – Traminette

Notes: In the U.S., Traminette is actually a hybrid but so similar to Gewürtztraminer that it can essentially be considered the same.

The strong floral, spicy and fruitiness aromas of Gewürztraminer are just the foil for strong-smelling cheeses such as Munster, Livarot or Stinking Morbier or Bishop to balance the strong flavours of the cheese.

Cheese Pairings:

Dry:

  • Cheddar
  • Fontina
  • Gruyere
  • Livarot
  • Raclette
  • sheep’s milk cheeses
Dry/ off-dry/ sweet:

Dry/ off-dry/ sweet:

  • Muenster
  • Pecorino Romano
  • Robiola
  • Swiss
  • Wensleydale

Characteristics:

Body Acidity Sweetness Tannins
dry medium medium dry with a floral fruitiness low
off-dry medium low off-dry to semi-sweet low
sweet full low sweet low

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Moscato

AKA: Muscat – Moscato or Muscat Canelli (California) – Moscato di Asti (sparkling wine)– Asti or Fior d’Arancio (Italy) – Vin Doux Natural – Muscat de Beaumes-de- Venise (France) – Liquor di Muscat (Australia) – Muskateller (Germany) – Muscatel (Portugal) – Muscat Blanc – Muscat Canelli – Moscato Bianco – Muscat de Frontignan – Muscat de Lunel – Muscat d’Alsace – Muskateller – Moscatel de Grano Menudo

Moscatel Rosé and Sárgamuskotály Varieties: Muscat of Alexandria – Muscat Ottonel – Muscat Fleur d’Oranger

Notes: Light-bodied white wine with orange blossom and lemon zest notes, and aromatic flavours. Made from the Muscat grape, Moscato usually identifies the off-dry and sweet wine versions made from that grape. The wine has a playful sweetness that surprisingly blends well with spicier cheeses such as . Muenster and Pepper Jack.

A lightly fizzy and beautifully aromatic Moscato goes amazingly with blue cheese. The sweetness of the white wine balances the strong flavours of the moldy cheese.

Muscat is a sweet wine with lush fruitiness in its taste and a touch of honey. It pairs wonderfully with desserts and chocolate, fois gras and soufflés, as well as blue and cheddar cheeses.

Cheese Pairings:

dry

  • Brie with rind
  • Brin D’Amour
  • Camembert (with rind)
  • Emmental
  • Feta
  • Garroxta
  • most goat cheeses
  • Muenster
  • Pepper Jack
  • Raclette
  • Reblochon
  • Saint-Nectaire
  • Swiss
  • Vacherin
off dry

  • Brick
  • Colby
  • Double Glouster
  • Edam
  • Fontina
  • Gorgonzola
  • Gouda
  • Gruyère
  • Havarti
  • Langres
  • Muenster
  • Pepper Jack
  • Vermont Shepard
sweet

  • any rich cheese
  • blue cheeses
  • cheddar
  • “cheese cake”
  • Fourme d’Ambert
  • Gorgonzola

Characteristics:

Body Acidity Sweetness Tannins
dry medium low dry but flowery low
off dry medium low slightly sweet low
sweet full low sweet low

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Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris

AKA: Pinot Grigio (Italy) – Pinot Gris (France) – Tokay Pinot Gris – Pinot Beurot – Malvosie (France) – Grauer Burgunder (Germany) – Graüburgunder (Austria/Germany) – Malvosie (Switzerland) – Szürkebarat (Hungary)

Notes: Light-bodied, aromatic and fresh dry white wine that has refreshing pear and melon flavours with a fruity bouquet of scents and an acid zest.

With its higher acidity Pinot Grigio food pairing is quite diverse, including Thai and Chinese dishes. It works as a perfect palette cleanser for milder cheeses and is ideal for soft cheeses. The acidity of Pinot Grigio tangos well with Fresh Mozzarella (and other mild Italian cheeses, it is good with an antipasti platter), Fresh Chèvre (goat cheese), Ricotta and Fontina among them.

The more full-bodied Pinot Gris tends to go well with cheddar, Edam or Gouda.

Cheese Pairings:

  • Feta
  • Edam
  • Fontina
  • Gouda
  • Havarti
  • Majorero (Spanish hard goat cheese)
  • Mahon
  • Bucheron (French goat cheese)
  • dry Jack cheese
  • Fresh Mozzarella
  • Neufchâtel
  • Pave Affinois
  • Pecorino Toscano
  • Saint – Felicien (French cow;s milk cheese)
  • Saint André
  • Raclette
  • Ricotta (for a unique combo)
  • Tomme de Savoie

Characteristics:

Body Acidity Sweetness Tannins
cool climate medium medium to high dry low
warm climate medium medium dry to slightly fruity low
ice wine medium plus to full perceived as low semi-sweet to sweet low

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Sémillon

AKA: Sémillon – Wyndruif (South Africa) – Hunter Valley Riesling (Australia) – Boal (Portugal) – Blanc Doux – Boal – Colombier – Goulon Blanc – Gros Semillon – Hunter River Riesling – Monsois Blanc – Petit Semmillon – Sauternes – Semijon – Semilion – Semillon Blanc – White Sercial, St. Emilion – Wynedruif

Cheese Pairings:

Varietal Sémillon goes with:

  • Brie (with or without rinds)
  • Camembert (with or without rinds)
  • mild cheddar
  • Chaumes
  • Double Glouchester (similar to mild cheddar)
  • Gouda
  • Smoked Gouda
  • Manchego
  • Monterey Jack
  • Triple Creme
  • Saint André
  • St Nectaire
  • Zamarano (Spanish sheep’s milk cheese)
Late harvest Sauternes-type dessert wine goes with:

  • Blue Cheese
  • strong cheeses like Roquefort
  • fruity and nut desserts
  • nuts

Characteristics:

Body Acidity Sweetness Tannins
as a varietal medium low dry low
late harvest (Sauternes) full low sweet low

One easy rule of thumb if you don’t find what you’re looking for here:
Pairing a wine with a cheese that comes from the same region is usually a fair bet.

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Note: I get really excited about cheese and wine, so it’s difficult for me to be brief when there is so much wonderful information to share!

Also check:

***In Development, please keep checking.


Reference: Content and images based on information from: https://www.wikipedia.org/ https://cheese.com https://www.cookipedia.co.uk
https://culturecheesemag.com https://www.gourmetsleuth.com https://winefolly.com/ https://www.tasteatlas.com https://www.wine.com/ https://winemonger.com https://www.terroir-france.com/


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