Easy-Wine Guides: Pairing Wine with Cheese

Easy-Wine Guides

A glass of red wine with cheese on a table with grassy mountains in the background.

Whether you are hosting a party, having a few friends over, or just want to enjoy a relaxing glass of wine. Before you pop those corks, learn how to pair your wine with the best cheeses by using this handy guide.

Six Tips for Pairing Wine With Cheese

Assorted cheese and red grapes.

1. Pair bold red wines with a harder aged cheese ~ Aged Gouda, Manchego, Cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmesan pair well with full-bodied red wines. As cheese ages, water is lost, leaving it with a deeper flavor. Select a more intense, rich red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or a Malbec that has more tannins.

2. Match the intensity of your wine and cheese ~ Full- to medium-bodied red wines pair best with bolder cheeses. Sweet wines like Moscato or Port pair well with blue cheese. Sauvignon Blanc or a Chardonnay goes well with softer cheeses like mozzarella or goat cheese.

3. Select items from the same region ~ Wines and food are affected by their region’s climate and soil. When unsure as to what items to buy, select them from the same region, such as a Spanish Garnacha paired with Manchego cheese. (Check with a reputable cheese store to ask for suggestions.)

4. Pair Creamy cheeses with wines of higher acidity ~ Camembert, Brie, and Goat Cheese pair better with wines of higher acidity. The higher acidity in the wine brings out the subtle flavor in the cheese by cutting through the creamy texture. Some good choices are Sparkling Rosé wine, unoaked Chardonnay, and crisp Sauvignon.

5. Pair sweeter wines with salty cheeses ~ The fruity undertones in a Riesling wine make the perfect match for a salty Feta, Grana, blue cheese, or aged Gouda.

6. “Nutty” goes well with everything! ~ If you are unsure which cheese to pair with your wine, choose a firm, nutty cheese. This will balance out a full-bodied Cabernet, a medium-bodied Malbec, and enhance a sweet Riesling. The best selections are Emmental, Swiss, and Gruyere.

A bottle of wine with cheese, red peppers, onions, and bread.

Author’s Bio

Isabella “Bella” Boston is an etiquette consultant, style theorist, and the visionary creator behind Bella’s Attic Studio Series.  Dedicated to reviving the lost arts of poise, intentional living, and classic refinement, she provides modern individuals with timeless frameworks for self-presentation.

She gives God all the praise and glory in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, for her many blessings and accomplishments.

Her writing platform, Bella’s Attic Studio®, was featured as an industry fashion voice on the Vienne Milano Timeline, an authentic made-in-Italy hosiery brand, for her editorial insights on luxury hosiery styling.

With a firm belief that true sophistication is accessible to every generation, Isabella combines traditional protocol with practical lifestyle curation.

When she is not writing or consulting, she curates her own minimalist wardrobe and studies fashion history.

Aside from having a passion for fashion & writing, Isabella is a book lover, a human rights advocate, a language enthusiast, and, most importantly, a woman of God in Christ Jesus!

"Writing from the Heart."