Pairing wine with cheese doesn’t have to be difficult and can make even a novice host look like an expert! Use this handy guide to pair easy-to-find cheeses with the perfect wine.
Brie
Brie is a soft cheese that makes for an excellent dessert because of its mild flavor and creamy texture. Its thin, white crust is edible — really! Pair Brie with medium red wines like Merlot, Shiraz or Spanish reds.
Blue
Blue is a semi-soft cheese, noted for its crumbly texture, silky consistency and salty flavor. Pair Blue cheese with hearty red wines, including Burgundy, Zinfandel, Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon.
Swiss
Swiss is a hard cheese with a nutty flavor, a firm texture and large shiny eyes. Pair Swiss with fruity red wines, including white Zinfandel, Gamay Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. Want to impress your guests even more — share this fun fact: Ohio produces more Swiss cheese than any other state!
Cheddar
Cheddar is a hard cheese that gains a sharper flavor the more it ages and can be found in yellow and white varieties. Pair Cheddar cheese with red wines like a fruity Gamay Beaujolais or create contrast with a fruity white Riesling.
Parmesan
Parmesan is a very hard cheese with a robust flavor. Did you know that Parmesan provides about 11 grams of protein per ounce, which is more than any other type of cheese? Pair Parmesan with full-bodied red wines like Burgundy, Zinfandel, Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon.
What’s your favorite wine and cheese pairing? Comment below!
For Parmesan my absolute favorite is Amarone della Valpolicella!
Soft cheeses I like with Merlot or Swiss white wine!
The hearty of the Swiss cheeses I like to have with Rhone valley or Nebbiolo grape wines!
I think that is already too much, …. But those are the two things in live I like most, cheese and wine, growing up with an Italian mom and a real Berner Swiss dad, the right combination.