Some exciting drink pairings for cheese that aren’t wine

We automatically think of matching wine and cheese or beer and cheese but there are many drinks that work just as well and can give a real ‘wow factor’ to your cheeseboard.

Cider for example makes a very enjoyable lunchtime partner for a selection of cheese or a ploughmans while an elderberry wine or glass of sloe gin can make an unusual alternative to port for an after dinner cheeseboard. I also like soft drinks with cheese, which I often eat as a light lunch or snack, when I don’t particularly want to drink anything alcoholic.

Here are my suggestions for individual types of cheeses:

Goats’ cheeses
Apple, citrus and floral flavours work well with goats cheese so I often turn to soft drinks such as apple juice, elderflower cordial or traditional lemonade with young fresh cheeses, particularly in a salad. With more mature cheeses try an apple-flavoured eau-de-vie.

White-rinded cheeses such as Camembert and Brie
Milder versions work particularly well with red berry-flavoured drinks. (I know I said I wouldn’t talk about beer but a Belgian raspberry or cherry beer is a great partner for a Brie.) Guignolet, an inexpensive French cherry-flavoured aperitif, is a intriguing pairing for a slightly riper cheese though if it’s got to the state where it’s oozing over the board you may be better with a stronger drink like a Calvados or apple brandy. Apple flavoured drinks such as cider and Pommeau also go well with Camembert.

Hard and semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar and Gouda
Again cider will work well with these cheeses if they’re not too mature but aged cheddars and Goudas need something more intense, rich and nutty. Dry amontillado, palo cortado and dry oloroso sherries (though these strictly count as wines they’re an unusual pairing), malt whiskies that are aged in sherry casks, armagnacs and artisanal dark rums are all interesting matches. You might also try sake of which I understand the author Max McCalman, affineur of Artisanal in New York is a great champion. I haven’t given it a run through but imagine it would go particularly well with slightly waxy cheeses such as Beaufort and Comté.

Semi-soft/washed rind cheeses
E.g. Epoisses, Langres, Munster and Pont L’Evêque when allowed to mature to the limit, i.e. the proverbial ‘stinky’ cheese. These are real red wine - and even white wine-killers so it makes sense to look for alternatives. The pairings I find work best (apart from strong Belgian beers) are French ‘marcs’ such as marc de Champagne and marc de Bourgogne and - believe it or not - Dutch genever!

Sheep’s cheeses
The most wine-friendly of cheeses so what other options might tempt you? Poire William, I once discovered, was a fantastic match for Pecorino and I’m sure would go with other sheeps’ cheeses too. You might also try quince-flavoured liqueurs on the Manchego principle. Bramley and Gage makes one and Emporia Brands imports one from Gabriel Boudier. I also like dry, nutty sherries and Madeiras with sheep’s cheese but again that’s straying into wine territory.

Blue cheeses
As I’m sure you well know salty, pungent blue cheeses need a contrasting note of sweetness to balance them so any port drinkalike will fare well. Elderberry wine, sloe or damson gin are real champions. Going in a totally different direction, peaty whiskies such as Lagavulin and Talisker are also fantastic with strong blue cheeses, especially Roquefort.

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What are the best pairings for Provence rosé?

Provence rosé has a distinct character that sets it apart from other rosés on the market. It’s known for being crisp, dry, and refreshing—qualities that align it more closely with white wines than traditional rosés. This unique profile can be attributed to the region’s winemaking techniques and climate, which yield wines that are both light and structured. Within this style, however, there are variations. On one hand, you have the lighter, easy-drinking wines, known as “vins de soif,” which are perfect for casual sipping. On the other hand, you have more complex and robust rosés, referred to as “vins de gastronomie,” which are designed to pair with a wider variety of foods.

When it comes to food pairings for rosé, Provence rosés truly shine. The versatility of these wines makes them a wonderful match for a wide range of dishes and ingredients. For lighter rosés, think simple, fresh flavors—salads with goat cheese, seafood, or light pasta dishes are ideal companions. The crisper the rosé, the better it pairs with delicate flavors that don’t overpower the palate. For the more structured, gastronomic rosés, heartier food pairings come into play, such as grilled meats, Mediterranean vegetables, or even richer seafood dishes like bouillabaisse. These wines have the complexity and body to stand up to more intense flavors, making them a perfect match for a well-thought-out meal.

Here, listed from A-Z, are some of the top food pairings for rosé wines from the three key Provence appellations: Côtes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, and Coteaux Varois-en-Provence. These dishes, while perfectly suited to Provence rosés, also work well with other southern French rosés, as they share similar characteristics. 

The best food pairings for Provence rosé

Anchovies - especially fresh ones and anchoiade (anchovy spread)
Asian-influenced food - a rather vague concept but think in terms of westernised dishes with Asian influences. Authentic Thai food for example is too powerful.
Artichokes - raw, grilled or preserved in olive oil (not boiled)
Asparagus - grilled or with a vinaigrette rather than with butter
Avocado
Aubergines - cooked lightly as a purée (baba ganoush) or grilled rather than as a bake with cooked tomatoes and cheese
Brie - though don’t let it get too runny
‘Cake’ - the French word for a savoury, usually cheese-flavoured loaf served with an aperitif
Carpaccio - beef or salmon
Chicken - cold e.g. as a terrine or in a salad
Courgettes in most forms, especially lightly cooked e.g. courgettes à la grecque
Couscous and bulghur salads - e.g. tabbouleh
Crab - esp the white meat. Think crab salads and crostini
Crudités - raw vegetables such as celery, cucumber and peppers. Take care any accompanying dip isn’t too strong though
Dim sum, steamed rather than fried, especially with seafood
Fennel - especially with fish
Gazpacho
Goats’ cheese, especially younger or herb-coated ones
Herbs - fresh rather than dry, especially basil, mint, rosemary, tarragon and thyme
Lamb - roast or grilled rack of lamb, esp with herbs, served rare
Lebanese (and probably Greek and Turkish) mezze
Moroccan food especially cooked salads, pastries, fish dishes and lighter tagines e.g. chicken and lemon
Olive oil - esp fresh grassy ones
Olives, esp green olives and green tapenade
Parmesan biscuits or tuiles
Pesto - and Pistou (the Provençal equivalent)
Pink peppercorns
Pissaladière - made the traditional way with onions rather than tomatoes
Parma ham - and similar air-dried hams, esp with fruits like peaches and figs
Pasta - with light sauces e.g. with fresh tomato, prawns
Plateau de fruits de mer - raw shellfish platter
Porchetta - roast pork with herbs, served lukewarm or cold
Prawns - as in griddled prawns, prawn cocktail, Chinese-style prawn toasts (It’s the colour thing too)
Provençal-style stuffed vegetables
Radishes
Rabbit - rillettes or paté
Red mullet, grilled
Risotto - light seafood and vegetable versions
Salads - especially Asian style salads, avoiding heavy dressings (so not blue cheese or thousand island, for example)
Salmon - served raw, cold, poached or as a mousse. Also salmon tartare and smoked salmon
Satay - if not too spicy
Seabass - grilled with oil and lemon
Spices - used with a light hand - especially coriander, cumin, saffron and zatar
Sushi
Strawberries - on their own, with a little fromage frais or in a sharp ‘fruit soup’. Not in a tart or with meringues and cream
Tomatoes, especially fresh tomatoes, as in tomato salads, a fresh tomato sauce, Tomato ‘tarte fine’
Tuna - fresh or tinned. Grilled tuna, salade niçoise
Veal - served cold as in vitello tonnato
Vietnamese spring rolls with herbs and mint
Zucchini (see courgettes)

What doesn’t work so well
Cream or butter based sauces (though yoghurt, crème fraiche and fromage frais work well)
Red meat
Game
Ratatouille (although the French would almost certainly disagree, I find it too heavy for this style of rosé)
Hot curries
Strong cheeses, especially blues
‘Winter food’ generally

You might also enjoy reading: the best food pairings for rosé

I travelled to Provence as a guest of the CIVP

Photo by Pixabay

Why Pinot Gris hits the spot with spicy food

You may think tasting wine sounds arduous but a major wine and food tasting, I assure you, is a much greater assault on the system as I was reminded the other day when Victoria Moore of The Guardian and I ran 14 Pinot Gris through their paces with foods that ranged from smoked eel to chicken tikka masala. Neither of us was able to eat much for several days.

It was all in the good cause of identifying exactly what the best matches were for Pinot Gris, an aromatic white which usually has a touch of sweetness, making it pair with an entirely different range of foods from its cousin Pinot Grigio. It’s original home is Alsace but fine versions are now being made in New Zealand, Oregon and Australia, especially Tasmania. In Alsace it’s often matched with pâté and creamy sauces but it also pairs particularly well with smoked and spicy foods.

You can read Victoria’s account and wine recommendations in The Guardian today. Here are my comments and conclusions, rated as follows:

*** Great match, the best of the tasting
** A good match
* An OK match but one which slightly diminishes the food or the wine
No stars: A misfiring match

Smoked eel and horseradish sauce
I was rather more excited by this combination than Victoria. I thought it went particularly well with the lighter, crisper styles of Pinot Gris such as Pirie’s South Pinot Gris 2006 (**) from the Tamar Valley in Tasmania and Josmeyer’s rather expensive Le Fromenteau 2004 (***) from Alsace. A Finca Las Higueras Pinot Gris (*) from Lurton, an inexpensive Pinot Gris from Argentina, and a useful all-rounder was OK too though not if you're not into eel, obviously.

Gravlax
Always a tricky match because of the herbal notes of the dill and sweetness of the mustard sauce. When it works, as it did with the 2006 Waimea Estate Pinot Gris (**) from New Zealand which had quite a marked touch of sweetness, it’s great. When it doesn’t, as it did with some of the other bottles we tried, it totally misfires.

A Brussels-type pâté with mushrooms
Not a great success with any of the wines but it wasn't a particularly interesting paté. We suspected a foie gras terrine might have been a better match (though given the volume of food we had to try, thankfully we didn't have any handy . . . )

Creamy mushrooms on toast.
This is the kind of sauce that would be served in Alsace so no surprise it worked with our two Alsace wines, an inexpensive Pinot Gris 2004 (**) from Turkheim and the Josmeyer above (***). Victoria was less impressed.

Pan-fried salmon with nam phrik num dressing
The salmon on its own wasn’t a great match but once Peter Gordon’s exotically, sweet, spicy dressing was added (for recipe click here) it was a different story. Possibly the best match of the tasting especially with sweeter styles like the Waimea Estate (***) above or the floral Tamar Ridge 2006 (***), another Pinot Gris from Tasmania.

Roast scallops with pancetta
An OK match with the lighter, drier styles but a decent Chardonnay would have worked better.

Thai fish cakes
Although shop bought, these were quite hot and aromatic, making them a natural for Pinot Gris. The styles that worked best were the simple wines like the Turkheim (**) or the more fresh, floral styles such as the Pirie (**) and Tamar Ridge (**). A rich, tropical Pinot Gris from Tim Adams (**) in the Clare Valley was also good but the Waimea tasted too sweet.

Thai Green Chicken Curry
We souped up this supermarket version with some extra lime juice and coriander to make it taste more authentic. On the whole most of the wines worked pretty well, the best matches being the Tamar Ridge 2006 (**) from Tasmania and the Villa Maria Private Bin 2006 (**) from New Zealand, both of which were quite aromatic.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Surprise, surprise! So this is what goes with CTM! A really good match for a number of the wines, including the Villa Maria (**), Tamar Ridge (**) and full bodied Elk Cove Pinot Gris 2005 (**) from Oregon.

Fried goats cheese with membrillo
A new one on me. I usually serve membrillo (a Spanish quince paste) with a sheep’s cheese such as Manchego but it’s really delicious with warm oozy goats cheese. And with a crisp Pinot Gris. The Turkheim (**), Josmeyer (**) and Tamar Ridge (**) all worked well, as did the off-dry Waimea (**).

Pinot Gris with Spicy Food: Overall conclusions

1. Pinot Gris is potentially a really useful match for spicy food, especially Indian, Thai and fusion dishes with a touch of sweetness.
2. Inexpensive bottles such as the Turkheim and Finca Las Higueras are a good place to start especially with ready meals. More expensive wines - and we particularly liked the two we tried from Tasmania - play better with the cleaner, brighter flavours of home-made dishes
3. Spot-on matching with Pinot Gris is tricky because of the fluctuating levels of sweetness between different bottles so if you want to show off the wine to best effect, have a dry run first. (Note the hotter the dish the more sweetness you need in the wine)
4. This was far too much food for any rational human being to taste on one occasion. Don’t try this at home!

Image credit: DXT_91