Which wine should you serve with which cheese? Should you favor red wine when it is time to bring out your cheese platter? Domaine du Goût answers these questions to give you the best advice for your gourmet evenings with family or friends.
Let’s put an end to misconceptions such as cheese = red wine. Although it is true that most cheeses pair well with red wine, it is not always the best choice. Choosing a white wine will often harmonize the flavors and showcase certain cheeses and wines much better. That does not mean that pairing cheese with red wine should be ruled out. Certain cheeses, such as cantal, Beaufort, or, more surprisingly, reblochon, are enhanced very well by pairing them with red wine. For example, you can serve a lively red wine with your Beaufort, and a light red wine with cantal or Saint-Nectaire. For a perfect red wine and cheese pairing, we recommend young, light, round, low-tannin wines.
Fresh cheeses
Fresh cheeses such as fromage blanc, fresh goat cheese, faisselle, mozzarella, and feta should be served with very dry whites that are not too complex and relatively straightforward. A Jacquère wine from Savoie, a Petit-Chablis, or white Burgundy wines such as Bourgogne Aligoté.
Soft cheeses with washed rinds
Washed-rind cheeses washed with salt water, which gives them a reddish-orange color, such as Époisses, Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Langres, and Pont-l’Évêque, are difficult cheeses to pair with wine. Strongly flavored cheeses call for equally powerful wines. You can turn to fairly full-bodied reds such as Burgundy wines, whether grand cru or not, or a Côte-Rôtie. You can also try a riskier pairing with a sweet wine offering lovely acidity, such as a late-harvest Riesling or a Loire Chenin, which will go very well with Munster or Époisses.
Soft cheeses with bloomy rinds
Soft cheeses with bloomy rinds are cheeses on which, during aging, a layer of mold called “bloom” develops around the cheese. It gives the soft cheese a fine, white, velvety rind. Camembert, Coulommiers, Brie, Chaource, and Brillat-Savarin are among these cheeses. Like washed-rind cheeses, they are fairly difficult to pair. To avoid taking risks, choose a dry white wine that is not too aromatic. If you absolutely want to serve red, choose a light wine such as Gamay, for example a Beaujolais or a Sancerre that is not too oaky. The ideal pairing for this type of cheese remains Champagne, predominantly made from Chardonnay.
Cooked pressed cheeses
Cheeses known as hard cheeses, cooked at temperatures above 50°, are traditionally made in the mountains during the summer and then brought down to the valley in winter. This category includes Comté, Beaufort, Abondance, Emmental, Gruyère, and Tomme de Savoie. For these cheeses, the pairing depends mainly on age and maturation. For young cheeses, choose dry white wines such as Savoie wines, Jura Chardonnays, or Burgundies. With more mature cheeses, you can choose more powerful wines, such as Jura vin jaune, which pairs perfectly with an aged Comté, for example. Finally, a fine Champagne will be a perfect pairing and add a touch of originality.
Uncooked pressed cheeses
This category includes the greatest number of varieties. These mechanically pressed cheeses, pressed before or after molding, are then salted by immersion in a brine bath or by rubbing. They are never heated above 50°. Among the best known are reblochon, cantal, Saint-Nectaire, Salers, Mimolette, and sheep’s milk tomme. To accompany them, choose a red wine that is neither too tannic nor too oaky. A Beaujolais or a Loire red will be perfect. White wines also work very well, such as those from the Rhône Valley or Roussillon. Reblochon pairs perfectly with a dry, lightly aromatic white wine such as Savoie wines, Burgundies, and Chablis. The same applies to sheep’s milk tommes, which can nevertheless pair with a broader range of wines, such as Jurançon or Loire wines.
Blue cheeses
These cheeses, such as Roquefort, Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, and Bleu de Gex, should above all not be paired with red wine. Their flavor would clash badly with the moldy character. However, all shades of white wine are suitable for these cheeses. The pairing of Roquefort and sweet wine remains an unbeatable classic. Just make sure to avoid a wine that is too high in sugar, as it could become heavy with the cheese’s richness. Naturally sweet wines such as Rivesaltes, Banyuls, or Port can also make a good pairing. Finally, if you prefer a dry white wine, a wine from Roussillon or a white Châteauneuf are excellent choices.
To conclude, if you decide to create a cheese platter with different types and want to serve only one wine, choose a white wine and select one that will pair well with most of the cheeses on the platter. A not-too-oaky Chardonnay from Burgundy or a white wine from the Rhône Valley, for example. A blanc de blancs Champagne or an extra-brut Champagne can also be a good compromise.
