If you're throwing a party, crafting an elaborate charcuterie board can be a daunting task, especially if you're aiming to please everyone. But putting together a wine and cheese pairing menu can be a simpler, more straightforward approach. Even the most basic of cheese platters paired with the right red, white, or bubbly offers something every guest is sure to love.

Of course, wine and cheese platters can become more complicated if you're trying to delve into more daring and experimental pairings — or you're a total beginner. We spoke with cheese expert and James Beard award-winning author Laura Werlin, as well as Leslie Sbrocco, host of the national PBS show 100 Days, Drinks, Dishes & Destinations, to gather the best wine and cheese pairing tips. Their expert advice will help you prepare a wine and cheese platter that will wow every guest at your next holiday party or picnic lunch — so pop the cork and start plating your dream cheese board.

Wine and Cheese Pairings for Beginners

Match-making is the fun part, but it's not just a matter of heading to your local grocery store and purchasing cheeses, meats, and wines all willy nilly. There's a culinary science to matching different kinds of cheeses with their ideal soulmate: a bottle of red, white, rosé, or sparkling. If this is your first time pairing with intention, a good rule of thumb is to pair certain types of cheeses with equally intense wines, so one won't overwhelm the other. With that general note in mind, here are the best wine and cheese pairing ideas to try.

A Semi-firm Cheese and a Medium-bodied Wine

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There will probably be at least one nutty, milder cheese on your platter, like an aged Gouda or Cheddar. Both of these options are salty and pungent which pair best with wines that have berry notes, like a medium-bodied pinot noir. Sbrocco also recommends a rich white, a big, fruity red, or a sweet Riesling like Hogue Cellars Late Harvest Riesling ($12).

A Soft Cheese and a Sparkling Wine

wooden board with cheese, ham, bread stick, nut cashew, walnut and honey on camembert with glasses of wine on white background
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It's a good idea to have some variety in both flavor and texture on your cheese board. Choose your favorite spreadable cheese, like Brie or Camembert, for a decadent bite that will only become more luxurious with a bubbly drink that has the power to cut through the cheese's richness. Experts recommend a sparkling wine like Chandon Brut ($25). You can also experiment with triple-cream cheeses like Saint Andre or Explorateur. These French cheeses are sure to please any cheese connoisseur that joins your tasting party.

A Funky Cheese and a Sweet Wine

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If you opt to serve something on the funkier side, like Roquefort blue cheese or Gruyère, a sweeter wine like moscato or port will pair best. We recommend Warre's Otima 10 Year Tawny ($22), which has green fig, dried cherry, and hazelnut notes. A salty sweet combo like this will have you reaching for another crumble of cheese rather than a chunk of chocolate. (But no one will blame you if you go for both.)

A Hard Cheese and a Bold Wine

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Opt for a hard cheese like Parmesan and Cheddar, both traditional picks that won't make picky folks turn up their noises at stinky smells. These aged cheeses require a bold wine that is able to match their flavor intensity. We recommend Wander + Ivy's 2020 Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon ($64 for 8 servings) with notes of black cherry and vanilla, as well as their 2019 Chardonnay ($64 for 8 servings) which has rich and bright notes of pear and apricot.

A Fresh Cheese and a Citrus Wine

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If you're ready to venture beyond the basic cheese offerings, keep guests on their toes with a platter that casts goat cheese as its main character. Though goat cheese can seem expensive at first glance, keep in mind that the flavor is quite intense, so you don't need to buy as much as you would of a more mild cheese.

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There are soft and semi-hard goat cheeses available on the market, including a slightly lemony Spanish Monte Enebro, a more mellow aged Spanish Garrotxa, or a fresh herb-coated chèvre. Regardless of which goat cheese you choose, you'll need to serve wines that pair well with its tang. We love August Bonhomme La Forcine Sancerre 2020 ($32) for its citrusy acidity that brings out the tangy flavors of the goat cheese. You can also go for a dry rosé.

Pro Tips for Serving Wine and Cheese

There is a special art to plating a beautiful cheese platter that showcases swirls of crackers, slices of cheese, and bunches of fruits. But if you have ever found yourself overwhelmed, these experts weigh in to make the process go down smoothly (like a fine aged wine):

  • Include bread on your platter. Werlin actually recommends skipping the traditional crackers and serving slices of a plain baguette instead. "It's texturally softer and better for most cheeses," explains Werlin. Not to mention, a sliced fresh baguette adds a certain je ne sais quoi to a romantic evening.
  • Don't forget the fruit. While cheese (and bread) may be the highlights of your board, it's a good idea to include some palate-cleansing fresh fruits like grapes or apples, as well as dried fruits, like dried apricots, dates, and figs.
  • Have several cheese knives on hand. Provide a separate knife for each cheese so flavors aren't crossed. While this might mean more clean-up, it's definitely worth it in the long run for your taste buds.
  • Purchase an aerator. Of course you'll need to have a bottle opener on hand, but when it comes to serving wine, an aerator is also a handy tool that will enhance the taste of your wine through a quick filtering process.
  • Make sure you have enough wine and cheese on hand. For cheese, a safe estimate is 1 to 2 ounces of each type of cheese per guest. For wine, estimate one half-bottle of wine per person; one bottle typically contains five glasses of wine, and most people drink around 2.5 glasses over the course of an evening.
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Elizabeth Berry
Updates Editor

Elizabeth Berry (she/her) is the Updates Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she optimizes lifestyle content across verticals. Prior to this role, she was an Editorial Assistant for Woman’s Day where she covered everything from gift guides to recipes. She also has experience fact checking commerce articles and holds a B.A. in English and Italian Studies from Connecticut College.