Pairing wine and cheese: 6 ways to do it better

Ask most people what the best wine is with cheese and most would choose a full-bodied red. But is it really the best pairing? It depends on the wine, it depends on the cheese and it depends on you. If you LOVE red wine with cheese nothing is going to put you off the experience.

If however you’d like to up your game when it comes to wine and cheese matching here are some top tips (based on YEARS of wine drinking and cheese scoffing!)

Decide which is the hero, the cheese or the wine

Artisan handmade cheeses are harder to pair with wine than mass produced supermarket cheeses. Why? Because they tend to be matured longer and have a more pronounced texture and flavour. If you really enjoy your cheese at the point at which it’s running off the cheese board don’t pair it with your most precious wine.

If you have a special bottle pick a cheese to match

The more cheeses you have the more unlikely it is one wine will go with them all. If you’re putting together a cheeseboard to show off an expensive wine avoid strong blues and powerful, pongy washed rind cheeses. Cutting the rind off the cheese on your plate also helps to avoid bitter notes that can jar with a fine red.

Other ingredients can help

The bread or crackers you choose, the kind of fruit - fresh or dried - nuts, olives, and cold meats can all help a wine pairing along. Think of the classic match of manchego and membrillo (quince paste) or a a crumbly walnut bread with blue cheese. Introducing another ingredient can build a bridge to the wine you’re drinking and make it taste more delicious. (Brie, fresh cherries and Beaujolais which has cherry notes of its own is another example.)

White wine often goes better with cheese than red

Surprised? Well think of the fruits that go with cheese - apples and pears being the obvious example. Their fresh flavours are reflected in white wines rather than red.

Classic white wine matches are goats cheese and sauvignon blanc and comté with the local crisp whites of the Jura region (alpine cheeses generally go better with white wines than red). And next time you’re eating cheddar try a glass of oaky chardonnay. You may be pleasantly surprised!

Respect tried and tested matches but don’t be afraid to take them a step further

Analyze what makes them work. Stillton and port for example is a demonstration of the fact that sweet red wines go with blue cheese. So why not an amarone or Valpolicella ripasso red with gorgonzola? Or sweet white wines with a blue (just as Sauternes goes with Roquefort)

Decide when you’re going to serve the cheese - French-style after the main course or after dessert

If it’s the former, tailor your cheeseboard to the wine you’re drinking with the main course. That’s quite likely to be red so concentrate on harder cheeses. If it’s the latter choose cheeses that pair well with sweet wines (so blues rather than a delicate goats cheese, for example). If you’re buying from an independent cheese shop let them know what else you’re planning for the menu and, if possible, get a taste.

For many more tips and some sensational cheese pairings why don’t you download my ebook 101 Great Ways to Enjoy Cheese & Wine.

Image © Belokoni Dmitri at fotolia.com

Which wines pair best with pork?

As with most foods, the best wine pairing with pork depends how the pork is cooked, and what it’s served with.

Technically it's regarded as a white meat but ‘whiteness’ somehow seems to suggest lack of flavour. Although that’s still true of much mass-produced pork there’s far more rare breed pork around these days which has a great deal of character.

It’s certainly substantial enough to carry a red, on the other hand it is often accompanied by ingredients - such as apples or fennel - that point in the direction of a white. And it does have chicken’s chameleon-like ability to take on other flavours which means you often have to think of pairing the sauce rather than the meat. It can also be quite fatty which calls for a wine - white or red - with some freshness and acidity to cut through.

It’s not a ‘noble meat’ - I don’t often think of pork and Cabernet or pork and Barolo in the same breath but it can be a fine one, well worth bringing out a good bottle for.

Here are my favourite wine pairings for different ways of cooking pork:

The best wine for roast pork

To tell the truth white wine is a better match than red with most roast pork dishes but psychologically one tends to expect a red with a roast, even one cooked, Italian-style with fennel, lemon and garlic. I personally enjoy Northern Rhône and Italian reds with pork: something like a decent Crozes-Hermitage or a Chianti Classico (particularly with the latter dish) though I know many pork fans prefer a Pinot Noir.

With a more traditional dish of roast pork and apple sauce a decent Côtes du Rhône Villages will do the trick. Even with more delicate roast suckling pig a light to medium-bodied red can work well. I recently enjoyed a Portuguese Bairrada, a Casa de Saima with this dish which hit the spot perfectly.

If you can move outside your comfort zone you will find many whites will match well with roast pork, especially when it’s served cold. Old vine Chenin Blanc is a very enjoyable match for cold roast pork while an off-dry German Riesling makes a delicious match for roast belly pork (though watch the accompanying vegetables. Tomato-based dishes won’t help the pairing).

See also Six of the best pairings for roast pork

Wine pairing with pork chops

Similar recommendations to the above, depending on the saucing (if creamy, follow the recommendations below). You might well be thinking of accompanying it with something more Italianate like a salsa verde, in which case a dry Italian white or a decent Valpolicella or Chianti would be a good choice.

Pork in a creamy sauce - with mushrooms or mustard

Both red and white burgundy work well (unsurprisingly) with this classic French bistro dish which is often made with pork tenderloin. Other cool climate unoaked or subtly oaked Chardonnay or Pinot Noir should work too as would a dry Alsace Riesling or Pinot Gris or a Vouvray.

Pork casserole or pie with cider or apples

Cider is actually by far the best match here but if you want to drink wine I’d again suggest a good Chenin, Chardonnay or easy-going inexpensive southern French red that’s relatively modest in alcohol. Like Côtes du Rhône again.

Barbecued/char siu pork

The combination of spice and sweetness tends to strip the fruit out of whites so I’d pick a robust jammy red with either of these dishes. A mid-weight Shiraz or Australian Cabernet-Shiraz, a Chilean Merlot or Carmenère, a Pinotage, a Zinfandel - you get the picture. Gutsy wine, sweet fruit.

Pulled pork

Pulled pork is suggesting beer to me (a good IPA for preference) but pinot noir proved a surprisingly good wine pairing recently. If its more about the barbecue sauce follow the suggestions above

Sweet and sour pork

More often than not combined with other dishes that may affect the pairing but a fruity new world rosé especially a Merlot rosé should take it in its stride. Better than the often-recommended match of Riesling, I find. A very fruity white such as a Colombard or Semillon-Chardonnay can also work

Goulash

The paprika is always more important than the pork to me and suggests a rustic red. You could try the Hungarian Kékfrankos (Austrian Blaufrankisch) if you wanted a regional pairing, otherwise I suggest a Rioja or similar Spanish red.

Wines with pork and bean stews e.g. Cassoulet, Feijoada, Fabada

These tend to be quite filling so you don’t want a wine that’s too high in alcohol. A simple medium bodied red, even carafe wine works with Cassoulet. Go for a slightly fuller fruitier wine - maybe an inexpensive Navarra or other Spanish red or a Malbec if the stew is a touch spicier.

See also six of the best wine pairings with cassoulet 

Charcuterie

Pork is what classic French charcuterie is all about so it seems apt to pair a French wine with it. With its bright fruit Beaujolais works particularly well with preparations like terrines, jambon persillé and rillettes - chose a Beaujolais Villages or cru Beaujolais (Morgon particularly appeals). You could also try a rustic Marcillac or a dry rosé

Top image by Jez Timms on Unsplash

What wine to pair with canapés and other party food

You might think wine pairing is a strange subject for a post on canapés as they are by their very nature varied and no-one - even a 3 Michelin-starred restaurant - pairs a different wine with each one.

But there are different styles of canapés these days - hot and cold which suit different styles of wine.

When I say canapés I basically mean finger food. Small bites you pick up off a tray or platter as opposed to more substantial party food or the appetizers you might offer at a sit-down meal.

The main thing to bear in mind is to go for a crowd-pleasing wine that will appeal to the maximum number of your guests. One that is not too high in alcohol or heavily oaked. Party rooms tend to be hot so you want your wines to be refreshing

What wine to pair with cold canapés

Mini canapés with smoked salmon by Mateusz Gzik at shutterstock.com

It’s hard to go wrong with sparkling wine with classic canapés such as smoked salmon, crostini or  mini quiches. For some that’s likely to be prosecco but many people these days prefer a drier sparkling wine such as a crémant or a Cava. If you’re going to splash out on champagne make it a non-vintage one that is designed to be drunk as an aperitif rather than a vintage. A blanc de blancs style (generally 100% chardonnay) works particularly well as does a sparkling rosé. 

You could also serve a crisp white wine like a Picpoul de Pinet or a pinot grigio or - particularly though not exclusively in the summer - a Provençal or other southern French rosé.

What wine goes well with hot canapés

Fried food such as croquetas or arancini also go well with fizz

With more substantial meaty snacks like hot sausages, sausage rolls or bao buns you might want to lay on a smooth, medium-bodied red like a merlot though frankly it’s unlikely you’re going to switch in the middle of a party

Alcohol-free drinks with canapés

There are alcohol-free sparkling wines but with one or two exceptions I’m not a fan. But you can find very drinkable sparkling kombuchas like LA Kombucha and Saicho sparkling tea which make a better alternative.

Wines to go with other party food

Wine pairings for a cold buffet

Party buffet by Pia Kamp at unsplash.com

Buffets tend to include everything and anything. Quiches, frittatas, salads, dips, cold meats and cheeses .... They're more like a meal than a series of snacks so tend to work better with still wines than bubbles. Smooth dry relatively neutral white wines like Italian whites, chenin blanc and inexpensive white burgundy tend to work well as does dry rosé and light reds such gamay and pinot noir. This South African white and red I recently recommended from Majestic would work really well.

Wines that go with hot party food

Hot party food is not that different from regular meals just made in larger quantities. It could be a casserole, a chilli or a curry (You’ll find pairings to all of those if you click on the links.

If you’re hosting a brunch though you might want to go back to fizz: crémant or cava again I suggest though prosecco works better if you’re making cocktails like bucks fizz (sparkling wine and orange juice) Check out this post on pairing wine and eggs 

Bearing in mind this general advice you might want to theme your drinks if your food is a certain style. So, for example, if you were having a pizza party you might lay on Italian beers like Peroni or Moretti, whites and Sicilian reds, if you're serving dim sum or other Asian-style snacks you might want to serve a dry riesling or if with tapas you could pour a fino or manzanilla sherry as one of the drinks. (I would offer a choice as dry sherry is not for everyone. Cava or a dry white wine like Rueda or an unoaked white rioja would be a good alternative)

See this post on six of the best Spanish wines to pair with tapas

Sweet canapés and party desserts

Often a drinks party will end up with some sweet canapés. To be honest most people will carry on with whatever’s in their glass but in an ideal world you might offer a slightly sweeter sparkling wine like prosecco extra dry (which oddly means a sweeter style than brut. If you're offering a selection of puddings you could choose a light dessert wine like a Monbazillac but it's a tall order to pair a plate that includes a pavlova and chocolate cake. Again prosecco should take you through.

See also what wine to pair with appetizers

Top image: party food by Fusionstudio at shutterstock.com

Top food matches for Beaujolais (and other gamay)

Beaujolais - by which I mean red Beaujolais - is the most French of wines, the perfect wine pairing for a picnic or bistro meal.

It’s generally thought of as light and fruity, though it can also be quite full-bodied. In this post I’ll cover my favourite food pairings for specific types of Beaujolais (and other gamay). You’ll find it an enormously versatile wine.

Food-wise, it pairs with much the same ingredients and dishes as pinot noir, though gamay (the grape Beaujolais is made from) doesn’t have the best pinots’ complexity or silky, sensuous texture.

Beaujolais is almost always a winner with French charcuterie such as patés, terrines, rillettes, and saucisson sec and with white-rinded cheeses such as Brie and Camembert (provided they’re not overripe) but it’s a highly versatile wine that can easily take you through a meal where people are ordering different things.

Lighter styles of Beaujolais such as Beaujolais Nouveau, inexpensive Beaujolais, Beaujolais Villages, and lighter ‘cru’ (top level village) Beaujolais such as Fleurie or Chiroubles. (These wines can happily be served lightly chilled)

*Cold ham, especially the French jambon persillé (jellied ham and parsley)

*Cold turkey and chicken (Beaujolais is brilliant with Thanksgiving or Christmas Day leftovers)

*Salads, especially with chicken or bacon (think frisée with lardons) with pomegranate seeds, with berries like dried cherries or cranberries, or with goats cheese

*Seared tuna and salmon

*Fish stews like this cod pot au feu

*Sushi, if you like a red with it

*Strawberries (delicious with a young fruity Beaujolais poured over them)

More Full-bodied or More Mature Beaujolais

From riper vintages e.g. 2018, 2020 or weightier crus such as Morgon, Julienas, and Moulin à Vent

*Simply roast chicken, guineafowl, duck, or partridge

*Seared duck breast, especially with fruit like cherries or figs

*Classic French dishes in a creamy sauce like chicken with tarragon or kidneys with mustard sauce or even a retro boeuf stroganoff

*Simply grilled pork, lamb, or veal

*Toulouse or other garlicky sausages and lentils. (See also this quirky match with Toulouse sausage and prawn dumplings!)

*Steak tartare, as you can see from this post

*Bavette or hanger steak - the classic ‘steak frites’

*Confit duck

*Coq au vin or oeufs en meurette (Beaujolais makes a good red wine sauce)

*Fruity tagines like this lamb tagine with dates, prunes, and apricots

*Vegetarian dishes with butternut squash or sweet potato

See also What to Pair with Beaujolais Nouveau

There’s a more extensive list on the Beaujolais website

Photo ©jackmac34 at Pixabay.