5 Top Tips for Pairing Wine with Cheese from People who Make Both

There’s an artful balance to matching cheese with wine so that one doesn’t overpower the other. You want them to complement each other beautifully by drawing out those buttery, fatty, acidic or sharp notes we’ve come to love—and why we were drawn to that cheese in the first place.

For tips on which wine varietals tend to pair best with styles of fromage we turned to the pros: four creameries in North America where making wine is just as much a commercial venture as crafting cheese.

Let Opposites Attract

Convention says to pair like with like but that’s not the only way to achieve a pairing that sings on the palate. “We believe wine and cheese are the classic and most perfect combination. We make several types of cheese and several varietals of wine,” says Shana Miller, the cheesemaker at Upper Bench Estate Winery and Creamery in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. (Her husband makes the wines.) “Our team enjoys playing with pairings, educating ourselves, customers and discovering new pairings.”

A recent pairing the team hit on, says Miller, was blue cheese with its Riesling: “Opposites attract! The bright acidity in the wine really compliments the creaminess of the cheese.”

Explore the Versatility of Blue Cheese

All of the cheesemakers we spoke to for this article couldn’t stop talking about the many routes you can take when pairing blue cheese. The creaminess, acidity, and fatty notes in this cheese lead to numerous options, red and white wines included.

“We make three styles of blue cheese: a soft brie like blue, Grey Baby (named after my cat), a semi-soft blue balancing softness with just the right amount of firmness to get some veining called Moody Cow (named after me!), and our King Cole semi-soft stilton style blue cheese (names from my family),” says Miller. “Our blues are a touch milder and less acidic than some blue cheese on the market.” For visitors to its wine shop, often will suggest blue cheese as it lacks “the typical acidic bite of most blue cheese,” she says. And for its King Cole cheese, Merlot is always a good pick as most people are familiar with it and welcome the fruit-forward qualities and soft mouthfeel. “The cheese is full-flavored, but bold, creamy and long-lasting on the palette, the perfect pairing,” says Miller.

Bring on the Bubbles

“We make all of our cheeses to go well with wine,” says Aiyah Geier, head cheesemaker at Wooldridge Creek Winery and Creamery in Grants Pass, Oregon. In 2015, it was the first state’s first winery/creamery combo and remains so today. “A classic and delicious pairing that I love is a bloomy rind cheese with sparkling wine. In the warmer months, we make a goat brie that is delicious paired with our Sparkling Brut.”

Miller, of Upper Bench, also isn’t shy about opening sparkling wines for an everyday pairing, not necessarily saving bubbles for a special occasion. She especially likes Rosé with double-cream brie. “You sip the wine and taste the cheese and you experience strawberries and cream,” says Miller.

Laychee & Sauvignon Blanc photo courtesy of Pennyroyal Farm, Boonville, California.

Get Fresh with Fresh

On a warm day, when you want to sip a chilled white wine and enjoy a fresh cheese, many creameries—including Pennyroyal Farm in Boonville, California—turn to Sauvignon Blanc and a fresh chèvre. “We produce both at our estate and always serve it as the first to taste together in our wine and cheese tastings,” says Joselyn Thoresen, media manager at Pennyroyal Farm in Boonville, California. “Sauvignon Blanc has bright acidity and its notes of kiwi, tarragon and white-pepper flavors make it a choice pairing with a fresh, tangy chèvre, like our Laychee.”

Chrysalis Vineyards Tximeleta with Locksley Estate Farmstead Cheese Friar Truck Fromage Blanc

Consider ABV Your Guide

If you’re still not sure what bottles to open with a particular cheese, look at their alcohol content. “High-alcohol wines (13.5%+) best pair with intense-flavored cheeses and low-alcohol wines best pair with delicate cheese,” says Erin Saacke, Chrysalis Vineyards’/Locksley Farmstead Cheese Co.’s cheesemaker in Middleburg, Virginia. If you’ve ever drank a California Cabernet Sauvignon with brie then you understand. Another option? Chyrsalis Txmileta, a light-bodied, low alcohol Provençal style dry rosé and Locksley Estate Farmstead Cheese Friar Truck Fromage Blanc.

Want more tips? Check out our companion story, 4 Top Tips for Pairing Cheese with Wine from People who Make Both on Cheese Professor.