French Cheese Club

 

Wine Pairing

The old school of thought used to be to pair cheese with red wines. Now white wines tend to be more cheese friendly because of their lack of tannins and they are often cleaner and simpler. Cheeses and wines share similar components and should be paired either because they share similar characteristics or because they have complementary characteristics.

 Taste and Flavor   Vedel Graphic Representation of the Balance of Wine   Comté Cheese Aroma Wheel

For example, the classic pairing of fresh goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc is because both have high acid levels and the blend is seamless. Another classic pairing is Chablis with Comté: the earthy nutty flavors pair with the buttery and oaky qualities of some Chardonnays.

 

Syrah and Gewürztraminers are great cheese wines as the tend to bring out the fruit flavors of cheeses and bring them into balance. Champagne works beautifully with many soft ripened cheeses.

 

In fact wine and cheese pairing is extremely difficult: a great classic combination for someone may taste terrible and clash to anothers. Here are few guidelines:

- The cheese influences the taste of wine much more than the wine influences the taste of cheese: strong cheese should not be matched with light wine

- Cream softens the tannins of wines: pair bold cabernet and tannic wines with creamy cheeses

- Finally try matching wine by region

 

Wine types Mild cheeses Strong Cheeses
Dry Whites Wines
Alsace, Bordeaux (Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers), Saumur, Muscadet, Sancerre, Bourgogne (Saint Véran, Chablis, Mâcon), Savoie		 Traditional Partners
Sweet White Wines
 Bordeaux moelleux AOC (Sauternes, Barsac, Loupiac), Coteaux du Layon, Vouvray, Alsace (Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Blanc), Monbazillac, Jurancon, Pinot Blanc
Contemporary Partners
Dry Rosés
Côtes de Provence, Loire Rosé (Touraine), Côte du Rhône (Lirac, Tavel), Arbois, Béarn		 Contemporary Partners
Semi-sweet Rosés
Anjou Rosé		 Contemporary Partners
Light to medium Red Wines
Bordeaux (Médoc, Graves), Beaujolais, Mâcon, Bergerac, Chinon, Bourgeuil, Saumur Champigny, Costière de Nimes, Coteaux du Languedoc, Gaillac		 Traditional Partners
Medium to Full-Bodied Red
Côtes du Rhône, Bourgogne (Côtes de Beaune, Côtes de Nuit), Bordeaux (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol), Fitou, Corbieres, Minervois, Côtes du Roussillon, Cahors		   Traditional Partners
Sparkling AOC Whites
Brut for the apéritif, Sec for the meal and demi-sec for cheeses and sweets plate
Champagne, Clairette de Die, Blanquette de Limoux, Crémants (Alsace, Burgundy and Loire)		 Contemporary Partners Contemporary Partners

As a conclusion there are no rules just, it's whatever tastes right to you!