What wine goes with cheese?
Depends on the cheese
Grappi pairing score: how well the match works, on a 100-point scale. Grappi's own assessment.
The best wines for cheese
Champagne / sparkling
Sparkling
Acidity and bubbles cut creamy, soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert, and flatter a whole board.
Cabernet / aged red
Full red
Firm, mature reds stand up to hard, aged cheeses like Cheddar, Gouda and Parmesan.
Port / sweet wine
Fortified / sweet
Sweetness is the classic counterpoint to salty, pungent blue cheese like Stilton or Roquefort.
Why it works
Cheese is not one food but dozens, so the old “red wine and cheese” rule only goes so far. The useful principle is contrast and intensity: match the weight of the wine to the weight of the cheese, and use acidity or sweetness to cut richness and salt. Fresh and soft cheeses want freshness (sparkling, crisp whites); hard aged cheeses can take a bold red; and the saltier and funkier the cheese, the more a sweet wine shines.
Serving tips
- Fresh goat’s cheese + Sauvignon Blanc is a near-perfect, foolproof match, both are bright and herbal.
- Building a board? A dry sparkling wine or an off-dry Riesling is the safest single bottle for a range of cheeses.
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