Wine and Cheese Pairing Ideas: A Simple Guide to Getting It Right

There are a lot of different variables that go into a delicious and satisfying pairing, from texture and intensity to aroma, acidity, and even the fat content of the cheese. 

And most great wine and cheese pairing ideas will take all of these variables into account. 

If you know what they are and have a decent understanding of them, you can play around and experiment with them until you discover your own favorite combinations. 

That way, you’ll be more likely to get what you’re looking for than if we just rattled off an arbitrary list of popular pairings, because each person has their own preferences. 

If we asked you and someone else what the “best” pairing is, you’d both likely give us two different answers, and you’d both be right. 

So, instead of giving you a list, we’re going to cover the fundamentals in this short beginner’s guide.

1. Pursue Harmony

The mark of a great pairing is that neither of the two overwhelms or overpowers the other. 

For example, if you are trying to pair a cheese with a bold, robust, full-bodied red, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, you won’t select a light, mild cheese, like Havarti. 

This is because the Cabernet Sauvignon is so much stronger than the Havarti that it will almost drown it out to the point where you barely notice the qualities of the cheese. 

The same rule applies to strong cheeses and light wines (one overpowers the other). 

When it comes to intensity, pair like with like (strong with strong, and light with light) so you can fully appreciate the qualities of both and sense how they interact with each other. 

All workable wine and cheese pairing ideas will start from this point and proceed to…

2. Cut Fat With Acidity

If you’re trying to match a cheese with high fat content to a wine, it’s best to select a wine that is high in acidity. 

We’re talking about cheeses like Camembert, Brie, and Gorgonzola that have a robust taste and even aroma that is immediately noticeable as soon as the wheel is cut open. 

One reason they’re like that is that they’re made with full-fat milk and can also come in double- or triple-cream varieties that have additional cream added. 

How Do I Know If My Cheese Is High-Fat?

Check the nutrition label. 

In general, a cheese is considered to be a “high-fat” or “full-fat” cheese if it is composed of at least 45% fat, with double- and triple-cream varieties being as much as 60-90% fat. 

It’s worth noting, though, that different governing bodies in different countries classify cheeses differently according to fat content. 

The British classification system isn’t the same as the German one, and so on. 

So, don’t get hung up on exact numbers.

And How Do I Know How Acidic My Wine Is?

Acidity is measured using the pH (potential of Hydrogen) scale, and you’ll be able to tell that way if there’s any information provided regarding your wine’s pH level. 

The lower the pH, the more acidic the wine is, so pH 3 is significantly more acidic than pH 4. 

If you can’t find that information, then take a sip and hold it in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. 

And if you notice that your mouth starts producing a lot of saliva, you’ve probably got a wine with high acidity. 

3. Sweet & Salty

Like bread, cheese has salt in it. 

But the amount of salt can vary a lot from one cheese to another. 

In general, the harder and older a cheese is (aged), the more salt content it’s likely to have. 

Blue cheeses are also typically pretty salty, as far as cheeses go. 

Conversely, the softer and younger a cheese is, the less salty it’s probably going to be. 

So, on the saltier side, you have Halloumi and Feta (both of which are also great when grilled), and on the less salty side, you’ve got Swiss and Mozzarella. 

How Does This Relate to Wine Pairing?

Well, if you’re trying to come up with wine and cheese pairing ideas for a salty cheese, you’ll ideally want to match it with a sweeter wine. 

The saltier the cheese, the sweeter the wine should be, and vice versa. 

Remember that thing about harmony we mentioned earlier? 

That applies here, too. 

A powerful and very salty Roquefort (blue cheese) will pair better with a sweet white wine than with a dark, full-bodied red. 

Most of the time, a good rule of thumb is to pair lighter-colored wines with saltier cheeses and darker-colored wines with less salty cheeses.

Follow The Fundamentals

If you look up a list of popular or classic wine and cheese pairing ideas, you’ll most likely notice that they each diligently adhere to the rules we’ve laid out here. 

Remember that each of these famous or traditional pairings was once invented by some person a long time ago who was just experimenting. 

These principles of flavor, texture, and so on aren’t ones that we’ve just made up. 

They were all figured out by many people over a long period of time. 

And now that you know them, you can go forth and join in this process of culinary development and discovery that has been going on for at least since the first human tried to consume both wine and cheese at the same meal thousands of years ago. 🍷🧀