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Cheese Pairings
This guide was prepared by our resident wine and cheese expert, Joe Ambrus.
Please support him by visiting his shop, Goat Inc Fine Cheese Shoppe www.goatinc.ca
1744 Lakeshore Road West, Unit 5, Mississauga Ontario, L5J 4N8 905 823-3353

Click here for the Component Chart

Click here for Some thoughts on the Marriage of Wine and Cheese

Soft Cheese

Category

Examples

Wine/Cheese Style

Grape Varietal

Wine Recommendation

Soft, Unripened Cheeses

Creme Fraiche
Cottage Cheese
Boursin
Cream Cheese

These cheeses are

high in moisture

content, very young

and mild, although

Chevre can have a bit

of an acidic bite.

Fresh, light, crisp

white wines are your

best bet.

Reisling
Sauvignon Blanc

Kabinett
Sancerre
Champagne

Soft, Ripened Cheeses

Bloomy Rind:
Brie
Camembert

Washed Rind:
Pied de Vent
Epoisses
Feta

These cheeses are

very soft due to high

fat and moisture

content. Their

flavour gets stronger

with age.

 

Washed rind cheeses

are pungent and often

referred to as "smelly".

Believe it or not, Medium Reds.
Try Nebbiolo
Dolcetto
Pinot Noir


Gewurztraminer
Pinot Gris
Riesling

Barolo
Dolcetta D’Alba
Burgundy


Alsace Grand Crus

Semi- Soft, Ripened Cheeses

Light Bodied:
Mozarella
Bocconcini

Full Bodied:
Muenster
Oka
Morbier
Havarti
La Migneron

Light, Crisp White Wines



Pungent, moist cheeses respond well to simple reds or powerful whites

Sauvignon Blanc




Gewurztraminer
Pinot Gris
Riesling
Gamay

Sancerre



Alsace Grand Crus


Cru Beajolais
Niagara

Firm Cheese

Category

Examples

Wine/Cheese Style

Grape Varietal

Wine Recommendation

Firm, Ripened Cheeses

Colby
Edam
Cheddar
Gruyere
Gouda
Jarlsberg
Provolone

 

 

 

Difficult to generalize

here, but the firmer

and saltier a cheese,

the greater it's affinity

toward a full bodied

red wine.

Remember, the

stronger the cheese,

the less refined the

wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Syrah/Shiraz

Bordeaux
California
Rhone
Australia

Hard, Ripened Cheeses

Parmigiano
Pecorino
Grana Padano

Parmigiano Reggiano, made from summer milk is a taste sensation - rich, nutty and tart.

A good match for full bodied reds, including Amarone and Port.

Touriga Nacional

Corvina, Rondinella & Molinara

Vintage Port

Amarone

Blue Vein Cheeses

Soft:
Cambozola

Medium Firm:
Stilton
Roquefort
Gorgonzola

Try a sweet wine with high acidity

The traditional match

here is a sweet wine,

either botrytis affected,

fortified or made from

fozen grapes.

Note: Due to their high

levels of acidity, ice

wines are a great match

for many cheeses.

 

Chenin Blanc
Reisling
 

T. Nacional
Semillon
Furmint
Riesling

Vouvray
(Moelleux)

Auslese

 

Vintage Port
Sauternes
Tokaji Aszu
Ice Wine

Exotic Cheese

Category

Examples

Wine Style

Grape Varietal

Wine Recommendation

Farmstead Cheddar

Montgomery’s
Keen’s

Made in the area

of Somerset,

England, these

cheddars are a

gastronomic

experience. Forget

what you think you

know about cheddar

and try  one of these

masterpieces

 

Burgundy
Pinot Noir
Bordeaux

Cabernet Sauvignon
Nebbiolo
Syrah/Shiraz
Chardonnay
(from Burgundy)

Barolo