Impress Your Guests! - Wine & Cheese Pairing Guide
One of the best ways to impress your guests, whether it's a new girlfriend, a long-term lover, or company from the workplace, is to show off your class with a wine and cheese course before dinner, or instead of dessert. You don't have to be a gourmet guru to know which wine to serve with which cheeses, with this guide to direct your menu.
Buy several (two to four) cheeses depending on budget and guest list, keeping in mind that you want a variety of textures, countries of origin, and sharpness. Then choose one or two wines found in common on more than one of these cheeses' lists, perhaps one red and one white, depending on how many guests you are expecting.
Classy Cheese Boards
Arrange the cheeses in an aesthetically pleasing manner on a wooden cutting board, and serve with a baguette or few kinds of crackers: rye crisps, whole-wheat, water crackers, etc. Make sure you have a cheese slicer handy for the semi-soft cheeses and a sharp knife for the hard cheeses.
Fresh fruit can be a wonderful compliment to wine and cheese, especially if you are serving them as a dessert course. For the best flavor, only buy what's in season (Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer), and choose fruits easy to snack on, such as grapes, berries, or sliced pears or apples.
With minimal preparation, you can have your guests eating out of your hand... whether figuratively (with your boss) or literally (with your lover)!
Swiss cheeses
Examples:
- Emmanthaler
- Gruyère
- Jarlsburg
- Kambera
- Leerdammer
- Maasdam
Pair with:
- Beaujolais
- Bordeaux (white)
- Burgundy (red or white)
- Chardonnay
- Chenin Blanc
- Fumé Blanc
- Pinot Noir
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Sherry (dry)
- Zinfandel
Soft cow's milk cheeses
Examples:
- Brie
- Camembert
Pair with:
- Barolo
- Bordeaux (red or white)
- Burgundy (red)
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Chenin Blanc
- Chianti
- Fumé Blanc
- Gewürztraminer
- Madeira
- Pinot Noir
- Rhône (red)
- Rosé
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Soave
- Vouvray
- Zinfandel
Semi-soft cow's milk cheeses
Examples:
- Bel Paese
- Havarti (mild)
- Mozarella
- Saint-Paulin
Pair with:
- Beaujolais
- Burgundy (red)
- Chianti
- Gamay
- Petit Sirah
- Pinot Noir
- Riesling
- Rosé
Semi-hard cow's milk cheeses
Examples:
- Edam
- Gouda
Pair with:
- Beaujolais
- Bordeaux (red)
- Burgundy (red)
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Chianti
- Petit Sirah
- Pinot Noir
- Soave
- Zinfandel
Blue (bleu) cheeses
Examples:
- Cambozola
- Gorgonzola
- Roquefort
- Stilton
Pair with:
- Barolo
- Bordeaux (red)
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Chianti
- Burgundy (red)
- Gamay
- Pinot Noir
- Port
- Rhône (red)
- Sherry (dry or sweet)
- Soave
- Zinfandel
Goat (chevre) cheeses
Examples:
- Bucheron
- Caprino
- Castelo Branco
- Chabis
- Crottin de Chavignol
- Feta
- Halloumi
Pair with:
- Beaujolais
- Bordeaux (white)
- Burgundy (white)
- Chardonnay
- Fumé Blanc
- Gamay
- Gewürztraminer
- Riesling
- Rosé
- Sauvignon Blanc
Fontina
Pair with:
- Barolo
- Burgundy (red)
- Chianti
- Petit Sirah
- Pinot Noir
- Rosé
- Zinfandel
Port-Salut
Pair with:
- Beaujolais
- Bordeaux (red)
- Burgundy (red)
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Pinot Noir
- Rosé
- Sherry (sweet)
- Soave
Cheddar
Pair with:
- Bordeaux (red)
- Burgundy (red or white)
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Chardonnay
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Chenin Blanc
- Chianti
- Madeira
- Port
- Rhône (red)
- Sherry (dry or sweet)
