Wine and cheese go hand and hand. They are both fermentation products. They just have very different outcomes.
There are some rules of thumb when pairing wine and cheese, but all rules are made to be broken. So, just like when I said that the best wine is the one you like, the best cheese to pair with your wine is the cheese you like.
Now on the the rules guidelines.
- Sparkling wines pair well with most cheese. The acidity and bubbles helps to cut through the fat. Creamy cheeses are particularly nice, but do limit yourself.
- Pair wines with cheeses that have similar intensity. A strong, or high alcohol (15% and above) wine pairs well with a strongly flavored cheese and alternatively a delicate, or low alcohol wine (12% and below) pairs well with a more delicately flavored cheese.
- Bold red wines pair very well with aged cheeses. Cabernet Sauvignon pairs incredibly well with an Aged Gouda. A cheese aged at least a year is best to pair with these concentrated red wines. The fat in the cheese will help to soften the perception of the astringent tannins.
- Pair stinky cheese with dessert wines. A blue cheese is amazing with Port.
- Wines and cheeses from the same region tend to pair well. Think Garnacha and Manchego.
- Very creamy cheeses pair well with wines that are described as creamy. The one wine that comes to my mind is Chardonnay. If you are looking for a wine to pair with a Brie then look no further than a creamy/buttery Chardonnay.
These guidelines are just that. There is no reason not to experiment with your wine and cheese pairing. Keep in mind that every cheese will have an impact on how a wine tastes. I like to taste the wine before I have a bite of the cheese so I can see the difference.
You do you and enjoy your wine with any cheese you like.