Food Pairing · Cheese & Wine
Ultimate Cheese Board Wine Pairings
Cheese and wine are the great match, but the range of cheese textures and strengths demands specific partners.
Use these pairings to build a cheese board where every selection has a wine companion.
By Worldwide Wines Reviews Team
The pairing by cheese category
Fresh and mild cheeses (mozzarella, feta, goat cheese) pair with crisp, zesty whites and rosé. Aged hard cheeses (Comté, Gouda, Parmigiano) love full-bodied reds and fortified wines. Bloomy-rind cheeses (Brie, Camembert) are happiest with sparkling or Chardonnay. Blue cheese wants the big guns — Sauternes, Port, or intense sweet wines.
- Fresh goat cheese — Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre
- Brie & Camembert — Champagne, Chardonnay
- Aged Comté — Pinot Noir, Rioja
- Asiago & Gouda — Cabernet, Malbec
- Stilton & Blue — Port, Sauternes
The iconic match: Port and Stilton
Vintage Port with Stilton is a legendary pairing — the sweet, powerful wine cuts the salty, pungent blue and they dance into the palate.
Sauternes with Roquefort is the other great sulfur-spiced romance of cheese and sweet wine.
Building a balanced board
Serve an assertive red with hard cheeses, a crisp white or rosé with fresh cheeses, and a sweet or fortified option for the blues — plus plenty of bread and fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What wine goes with Brie?▾
Champagne or a lightly oaked Chardonnay — the creaminess of both complement the soft paste.
Why do people pair Port with Stilton?▾
The contrast of sweet Port and salty, pungent blue cheese is one of the great flavours of gastronomy.
Can I serve red wine with goat cheese?▾
You can, but crisp whites and rosé flatter fresh goat cheese's tangy acidity far better than tannic reds.
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Wines To Try
Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Loire Valley · 2024 (representative vintage)
Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc is an white wine from France, in the Loire Valley region (Central and western France, along the Loire river from Sancerre in the east to Nantes at the Atlantic.), made principally from Sauvignon Blanc. a house-style Loire Valley sauvignon blanc that showcases the grape in this region.
$12–$28 est. retail
Bollinger Special Cuvée
Champagne · 2024 (representative vintage)
Bollinger Special Cuvée is an sparkling wine from France, in the Champagne region (Northeastern France, east of Paris, around the towns of Épernay and Reims.), made principally from Pinot Noir. Bollinger's classic Pinot-led non-vintage Brut — a byword for hearty, structured Champagne.
$70–$110 est. retail
Taylor's Vintage Port
Douro Valley · 2024 (representative vintage)
Taylor's Vintage Port is an fortified wine from Portugal, in the Douro Valley region (Northern Portugal, following the Douro river east from Porto - a World Heritage terraced valley.), made principally from Touriga Nacional. The flagship vintage Port — monumental black fruit and spice with decades of cellaring ahead.
$120–$250 est. retail
Burgundy Chardonnay
Burgundy · 2024 (representative vintage)
Burgundy Chardonnay is an white wine from France, in the Burgundy region (Eastern-central France, running in a narrow band from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south.), made principally from Chardonnay. a house-style Burgundy chardonnay that showcases the grape in this region.
$12–$28 est. retail