Pairing cheese with wine can seem intimidating. With hundreds of varieties of cheese and wine to choose from, how do you know which ones go well together? The key is understanding the basic principles of pairing. When cheese and wine work in harmony, they enhance each other’s best qualities.
In general, you want to match the weight, texture, and flavor intensity of the cheese with the body, acidity, and flavor notes of the wine. Delicate, light-bodied white wines like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc pair best with similarly lightweight and mild cheeses like goat cheese, ricotta, and young goudas. Fuller-bodied Chardonnays and oaked white wines stand up better to more assertive cheeses like aged cheddars and Parmesan.
Here’s a cheat sheet for pairing some of the most popular white wine varieties with cheeses:
Pairings for Light, Crisp Whites
Wines like Pinot Grigio, Vinho Verde, Muscadet, and basic Sauvignon Blanc have high acidity and light fruit flavors. Their crispness contrasts with and cuts through the richness of soft, mild cheeses. These wines also complement the tanginess of fresh goat cheeses.
Recommended cheese types:
- Fresh and young goat cheeses like chèvre
- Burrata
- Mozzarella
- Mascarpone
- Cottage cheese
- Ricotta
- Quark
- Feta
- Young, mild goudas
Pairings for Aromatic Whites
Floral and fruit-forward wines like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Torrontes, and Albariño highlight the fruity flavors in soft-ripened cheeses. Their low tannins won’t overpower the delicate cheeses. The sweetness in sweeter-style Rieslings and Gewürztraminers complements cheeses like Brie that get sweeter as they ripen.
Recommended cheese types:
- Brie
- Camembert
- Brillat-Savarin
- Robiola
- Taleggio
Pairings for Light, Minerally Whites
Dry, citrusy wines like unoaked Chablis, Muscadet, Alto Adige and Rheinhessen Rieslings have an almost saline minerality. They’re excellent foils for cheeses with a similar saltiness like feta and goat cheeses. The cut of the wine’s acidity keeps the cheese from tasting too heavy.
Recommended cheese types:
- Feta
- Goat cheeses
- Haloumi
- Manchego
- Pecorino
- Ossau-iraty
Pairings for Oak-Aged Whites
Barrel-fermented whites like oaked Chardonnay, white Rioja, and White Burgundy have a creamier, rounder palate and notes of vanilla and spice from oak aging. These fuller-bodied wines can handle the sharper, gamier flavors of aged cheeses like cheddar, Parmesan, and Pecorino.
Recommended cheese types:
- Aged cheddar
- Aged gouda
- Gruyère
- Comté
- Parmesan
- Pecorino
- Manchego
Pairings for Sweet Whites
Late harvest and dessert wines like Sauternes, Tokaji, and Icewine echo the intense sweetness in pungent washed rind cheeses like Époisses. Sweet wines also provide contrast for salty blue cheeses, which can taste less sharp when paired with sugary wines.
Recommended cheese types:
- Époisses de Bourgogne
- Pont l’Évêque
- Limburger
- Stinking Bishop
- Gorgonzola
- Roquefort
- Stilton
Classic Cheese and White Wine Pairings
Some easy, time-tested cheese and white wine combinations to get you started:
| Wine | Cheese |
|---|---|
| Sauvignon Blanc | Goat cheese |
| Chablis | Oysters and goat cheese |
| Champagne | Brie |
| Pinot Grigio | Buffalo mozzarella |
| Riesling | Camembert |
| Viognier | Fresh ricotta |
| Unoaked Chardonnay | Gruyère |
| White Burgundy | Aged gouda |
| Late harvest Riesling | Blue cheese |
Tips for Pairing Cheese and White Wine
Beyond the basics of matching cheese and wine weights, here are some extra tips for foolproof pairings:
- Cut through the richness: Acidic whites help cut through heavy cheeses.
- Bridge sweetness: Off-dry to sweet whites complement cheeses with sugar crystallization.
- Compare origins: Pair Old World wines with cheeses from the same region (e.g. Chablis with French chèvre).
- Try contrasts: Streaming, pungent cheeses with light whites makes interesting pairings.
- Mind the oak: Aged whites match well with aged cheeses.
- Consider texture: Soft, creamy cheeses pair better with rounder wines.
- Play with fat content: Full-fat cheeses stand up to fuller wines.
- Taste the rind: Pair bloomy rind cheeses with fruity wines that complement their flavors.
Cheese Flights
Compose a cheese flight by picking cheeses across a spectrum of textures and flavors, and pair them with a selection of wines. Here are some cheese flight ideas for white wines:
Fresh and Young Cheese Flight
- Brillat-Savarin triple cream
- Fresh chèvre log
- Burrata
- Bucheron goat cheese
Pair with: Sauvignon Blanc, dry Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Vinho Verde
Bloomy Rind Cheese Flight
- Saint André
- Camembert
- Brie
- Snowdale goat cheese
Pair with: White Burgundy, Alsace Riesling, Gewürztraminer, sparkling wine
Washed Rind Cheese Flight
- Taleggio
- Pont l’Évêque
- Epoisses
- Langres
Pair with: Aged Chardonnay, late harvest Riesling, Sauternes
Aged Cheese Flight
- Aged gouda
- Aged cheddar
- Parmesan
- Pecorino
Pair with: Oaked Chardonnay, white Rioja, vintage Champagne
Conclusion
Pairing cheese and white wine may seem complicated, but a basic guideline is to match light wines with soft, mild cheeses and fuller, oak-aged wines with hard, aged cheeses. Consider the texture, flavor intensity, origin, and any rinds when making a pairing. Play with cheese flights featuring different styles to experience a range of combinations. With so many varieties of cheese and white wine available, there are endless delicious pairing possibilities to discover!