As a professional wine broker, and an amateur cheese lover, I have noticed that cheese and wine have been paired harmoniously together, sometimes naturally, since their inceptions. Both have a lot in common, from their processing to their aging. They are both made by fermentation and they both have varieties that are made to be consumed while they are new, fresh and young.  Yet their are numerous varieties that are made to get better and more flavorful with age.

There are no pairing rules for wine and cheese that are set in stone. You may follow the old saying that says that red wines go with hard cheeses and that light cheeses are to be paired with light wines. Then there is the tradition that pairs cheeses and wines by region that you could turn to. The problem with either of these is that there will always be exceptions. Cheeses and wines, although born in the same region will not all tastes or perform the same. If you were to buy three different Bries from three different farms, even right next door to each other, the taste would be different. This is also true of the wines.  Three different Cabernet Sauvignon’s will not taste the same and this will translate into the pairings as well. Wine and cheeses are constantly changing and evolving. This is what makes the search so exciting. You can get some unexpected results by just experimenting on your own instead of adhering to what others like.

A perfectly paired wine and cheese combination will be in sync. They will complement each other, and one will not overpower the other. When pairing, look for combinations that are interesting without being cloying. It would be a grave injustice to pair a strong wine with a light cheese. The flavor of the cheese would get lost. For your consideration we have listed the most common wine and cheese pairings.

1. Cheese made from goat’s milk.  It is generally light when it is young and very milky.  For this reason you need to pair it with a Beaujolais or a Sauvignon Blanc.
2. An assertive wine such as the robust family of reds, the Chianti or the Syrah, can be served chilled with an equally assertive Provolone.
3. A soft and well ripened cheese such as Brie and Camembert are great with Champagne or Chardonnays.
4. At the other end of the goat cheese spectrum, you will find some very strong and tangy cheeses that would simply overshadow a light wine like Champagne. With this you need a burgundy or a Crottin Di Chavignol.

The finer and creamier the cheese, the older and more refined the wine should be. Never forget that it is also a matter of taste and that your personal preferences may not coincide with what is considered the norm. This doesn’t mean that it is not right. As long as it is right for you, nothing else matters.

If you are looking to buy wine online look no further. Pat Lindle is a wine broker and the co-owner of an online wine store based in Scottsdale Arizona.  He is a wine aficionado and loves all kinds of cheeses and chocolates from around the world (way too much in fact).