There’s never been a couple as perfect for each other as wine and cheese. It seems like it’s always a good time to eat wine and cheese, whether it’s at a party, a fancy restaurant, or after a long day at work.
According to folklore, merchants began pairing wine and cheese together as a selling tactic. Wine had long been paired with cheese because of the stark differences in taste and texture. However, when a wine merchant wanted to sell a particular wine, they often gave the consumer an apple and said, “Buy on an apple and sell on cheese.” With this phrase, merchants contended that if a wine tasted good with an apple, it would taste amazing with a piece of cheese.
To celebrate this amazing and age-old relationship, Vino Cellars has decided to give you a shortlist of delicious wine and cheese pairings for you to experience. We hope our selections brighten your day and help you choose the best cheese for your favorite wines!
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Pinot Noir and Gouda
As one of the most highly prized wines in the world, Pinot Noir is an old favorite and a must-have when you bring out the cheeses. Pinot Noir has notes of cranberry, cherry and raspberry but also has a dry bite. With that in mind, try pairing this wine with a nice Gouda cheese. Gouda has a slightly sweet taste that matches up nicely with Pinot’s berry undertones. -
Garnacha and Manchego
With Garnacha and Manchego, we have a story of complete opposites that make fireworks once together. Garnacha has a candied taste with sweet strawberries, cherries and raspberries. This is perfect with a 3-month Manchego cheese, which is semi-soft and features earthy and tangy notes. This stark contrast makes for an explosion of flavor. -
Cabernet Sauvignon and Sharp Cheddar
Next on our list is Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon features dark and fruity flavors like black cherry, blackberry, black pepper and tobacco. Many Cabernets are light but have strong hints of acidity that will stay on your palette. With this wine, try a nice sharp cheddar. These different varieties of sharpness in both the wine and cheese will complement each other and make for a nice pair. -
Prosecco and Asiago
Our next wine and cheese coupling both hail from Italy, the home to many of the world’s most beloved wines and cheeses in the world. Prosecco is a sparkling wine full of sweet, fruity flavors and delightful bubbles. We suggest pairing Prosecco with aged Asiago. Aged Asiago has a nice crumbly texture that will be a good contrast to the bubbly Prosecco. -
Dry White Wine and Chevre Cheese
And finally, for our last recommendation on the shortlist, we bring you dry white wine and Chevre cheese. We focused more on the cheese for this one and gave you freedom to choose a white wine, because we’d like you to experiment. Chevre cheese is a dry and crumbly French goat cheese with a nice tart flavor. The flavors can be mild or sour, which makes it perfect to contrast with a bright white wine.
And that’s it for our quick wine and cheese pairing guide! The above are great pairings for appetizers at brunch, house gatherings and much more. If you haven’t found a pairing that speaks to your heart, by all means, experiment! Make sure to let us know what pairings you’ve liked and new ones you’ve tried in the comments below!
