Cheese
Wine with Cheese
The most-loved-and-most-mishandled pairing on Earth.
Short answer
Match cheese to wine by intensity — fresh cheeses with light wines, hard aged cheeses with bold reds, blue cheese with sweet wines. Brie loves Champagne or Pinot Noir. Goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc. Aged cheddar with Cabernet. Roquefort and Stilton with Sauternes or Port. Parmigiano with Brunello or Barolo.
Top wine picks
1
Champagne (soft cheeses)
Brie, Camembert — bubbles cut richness, the textbook pairing.
2
Sauvignon Blanc (fresh cheese)
Goat cheese, mozzarella, burrata — herbal acidity is a natural foil.
3
Cabernet Sauvignon (hard cheese)
Aged cheddar, Manchego — tannin meets the firm protein structure.
4
Sauternes / Port (blue cheese)
Roquefort, Stilton — sweetness contrasts the salty pungency.
5
Barolo (Parmigiano-Reggiano)
Italy's classic match — only a serious red can handle aged Parm.
What to avoid
- Heavy oaked reds with delicate cheeses
- Dry sparkling with blue cheese