Cheese and wine make up an ideal duet, but it is worth serving feta to a drink aged in an oak barrel, and the taste buds will feel bitterness and an unpleasant aftertaste. Cheese, like wine, is multifaceted. It can be aged, spicy, creamy, soft. And each variety is a perfect match for only a few types of liquor.

General rules

When they want to describe cheese, they use all the "wine" epithets. This product can also be aged and young, spicy and sour, light and strong. But for the duo to succeed, it is worth knowing the general rules.

• You should choose products from the same region.
• An appetizer with a bright taste is capable of filling a delicate drink.
• White wines pair better with cheese than reds.
• The cheese plate is not placed on the same table with the alcohol aged in an oak barrel.
• The mature product is served with a mature drink.
• The sour wine will be accompanied by fat cheese.

More and more connoisseurs of this noble drink agree that white alcohol can be eaten with any cheese, and red tannins require special care when choosing a snack.

Traditional combinations

An old proverb says, "Buy with bread and sell with cheese." The expression means that the seller should be offered to bite the wine for sale with a piece of aromatic cheese. With it, even a bad product will reveal an exquisite taste. Each type of product is served with its own drink.

They have a light creamy taste and delicate texture. These include:

• Mozzarella;
• Feta;
• Ricotta.

This snack will not pair well with aged and heavy booze. Young rose or white wine should be placed on the table. In addition, guests should be served red dry Pinot Noir.

Pressed cheese

Uncooked cheese - Gouda, Pecorino, Edamer and Cheddar - has a fruity-sweet flavor that develops spicy notes over time. Red wine is served with these products:

• Sauvignon;
• Cabernet;
• Pinot Noir;
• Merlot.

Boiled cheese - Parmesan, Conte, Gruyere, Beaufort, Emmental - goes well with the following drinks:

• red Beaujolais and Macon;
• white Chablis, Macon, Meursault.

With mature boiled cheese, you can serve champagne or red wine with a strong and bright taste.

The taste and aroma of cheese with a moldy crust (Brie, Camembert) is bright and varied. Therefore, many different wines are combined with it - light and strong. The following drinks are served on the table:

• Alsatian Pinot Noir;
• Chinon;
• Beaujolais Village;
• Pomrol.

White Puligny-Montrachet will suit Bree. Camembert will accompany Bandol and Corbier.

The washed-edged product - Livaro, Marual, Epuiss, Limburgsky - has a bright and strong taste. They are served with sweet, semi-sweet and dessert wines:

• Pauillac;
• Corton;
• Macon.

The spicy Gewurztraminer will make a good company with Marpual.

Blue cheese

Roquefort, Danablu, Gorgonzola, Ble are suitable for dessert and fortified drinks, as well as for whites with a rich taste. You can submit:

• Sauternes;
• Porto Vintage;
• Chataneuf-du-Pape.

Gogonzola will pair with strong red wines from the Madiran and Gigondas regions.

Goat or Sheep Cheese

Saint-Maur, Chevre, Crotin de Chavinbol, Chabichou du Poitau. Fresh cheeses are combined with fruit wines, and dry product is washed down with fresh white or pink drinks, as well as semi-sweet light wine.

Sauvignon will play in a duet with sheep cheese. Goat will complement the taste of champagne.

Ideal couples

There are no strict rules in the world that determine which cheese to offer for wine. Each person chooses a pair according to their liking. But it is worth trying to combine the following products to achieve culinary and organoleptic bliss.

• Cabernet Sauvignon and aged Gouda.
• Rioja or Merlot and medium-aged sheep's cheese.
• Tuscan Chianti and Parmesan.
• Soave and goat cheese aged 1-3 months.
• Sauternes and Roquefort.
• Gewurztraminer and Munster.

These pairs perfectly set off and complement each other's tastes, but do not compete with each other.

Combining wine and cheese is a real skill. Until you mastered it? Then heed the advice of experts.

Which wine goes well with cheese?

White wines are much better suited to cheese than red ones. As it turns out, young red wines, due to their high tannin content, can cause disharmony when combined with most cheeses. Therefore, if the choice fell on red wine, sommeliers recommend serving more seasoned, older varieties with cheeses. Their bouquet harmoniously complements the complex aroma of noble cheeses.

There are well-known win-win pairs of cheese and wine. Dessert wines complement blue cheeses without sacrificing their taste. Combinations of roquefort with sweet sauternes or blue stilton with port are considered classics. However, again, there are some nuances: it is better not to combine aged vintage ports with anything, as well as outstanding sauternes.

The most harmonious cheese-wine pairs arise from the same origin. That is, whenever possible, you need to choose wines from the same regions where the cheese was produced. Of course, in some cases this will be impossible - you will have to select wine from other regions of France to complement the famous Norman cheeses. Among such tandems, Münster cheese and dry wine are recommended.

Soft (fatty) cheeses and wine

For soft, creamy and very fatty cheeses (brie, camembert) wines with high acidity sound in unison.

• They are served light red wines, to more mature cheeses of this type - stronger ones. White wines such as dry riesling, chardonnay or brut champagne also go well with them.
• Brie cheese perfectly complemented by chilled chablis or white Burgundy wines.
• But for camembert apple or pear cider is suitable. However, this is a matter of taste. The white wines of the Loire can become a win-win partner to camamber ...

Hard cheeses and wine

• Hard cheeses usually served with a fairly dense Pinot Noir or similar red dry wines from Italy - from Chianti to Barolo.
• Hard cheeses like par-midziano, Grana Padano pairs best with red wines from Italy, however, you should choose not too tannin. The most compatible - Tuscan wines - Chianti Classico and Brunello. But these are general recommendations, since Chianti Classico is very different from each other depending on the manufacturer, so you need to try and select to your liking. However, most experts now tend to pair them with the Côte de Bona white wines.
• Hard and pressed-boiled cheeses, both Gruyere and Manchego are “peaceful” to wine and are combined with both white and red varieties.

Goat cheese and wine

• Goat cheeses - both fresh and aged- white wines are great. The classic pair is the combination of such cheeses with Loire sauvignons. It should be noted here that no other wines should be combined with these cheeses.
• To light goat cheeses l the best choice is the light white wines of Loire, Sancerre and Puy-Fumé. Which ones are up to you.

Cheese plate for wine

The French, for example, are convinced that the right cheese plate is the one with whole pieces of cheese laid out and decorated on. In their opinion, the participants of the meal should be engaged in the cutting process themselves. In any case, the cheese platter is served according to certain rules. Think of the plate as a clock face.

1. At 6 o'clock, they put cheese with the most delicate and mild flavor.
2. From 6 to 12, the power of the aroma increases, and at 12 o'clock there is a very expressive cheese.
3. Between 12 and 3 o'clock, the most savory cheeses are placed.
4. Between 3 and 6 o'clock - the most "powerful" representatives of the cheese platter.

When serving, the different varieties should not touch and should be cut so that each piece contains a crust, an edge, and a core. Delicious additions are required: to soft cheeses - pears and figs.

Now try it yourself! In fact, looking for such tandems "cheese and wine" is much more interesting than following some rules!

The ban on the import of imported products, introduced in Russia in August this year, sounded like a sentence for fans of expensive wines, because now they will have to abandon Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Brie. Fortunately, we have prepared a selection of Russian cheeses that are ideal for different types of wines, so you can not deny yourself the pleasure and continue to enjoy expensive alcohol in combination with new snacks.

Let's start from the basics

In order to quickly deal with the issue of replacing imported cheeses with Russian counterparts, it is worth learning about the general rules of compatibility. In this case, even if you cannot find a 100% analogue of the cheese that has disappeared from the shelves, you can pick up another, but no less good option that can complement your favorite wine and help its flavor bouquet to open up.

Swiss cheese with its spicy sweetish flavor will perfectly complement the sweetness of the drink and will help you to more sharply experience all facets of taste. Soviet cheese can be combined not only with sweet white wines, but also with dry ones, as well as red ones. Its moderately sweet taste can be called versatile and suitable for different bouquets of aromas.

For those who are looking for more tart and spicy tastes, there are Altai and Biysk cheeses. Strong red wines go well with them.

Small hard cheeses

Hard small varieties of Russian cheeses have a less bright taste, and therefore are better combined with light white wines or variants made on the basis of Shiraz grapes.

Soft and pickled cheeses

Domestic feta cheese will delight fans of this type of cheese with its rich taste and 100% ability to replace an imported product. Cheese perfectly complements light dry red wines with high acidity, such as Beaujolais.

Suluguni belongs to the category of original cheeses that are best combined with low-strength white wines.

Finally, chechil will go with red drinks. Be careful, however, there is a specific flavor to the cheese that needs to be tasted before tasting the wine to see how well both will work together.

Foreign cheeses that have disappeared from the shelves are not a problem for those who know a lot about good flavor combinations. A little practice, some valuable advice from Winestreet and you will find new options for snacks.

Not all haute cuisine dishes have a noble past. Many of them were authored by ordinary peasants. They were not so much interested in the combination of taste and aroma as in simplicity and economy. If you believe the records of historical archives, it was the peasants who began to drink wine with a bite of cheese. Among the nobility, the gastronomic couple gained popularity only in the 18th century, after King Louis XVI tasted brie cheese with bread and butter and dry red wine.

Cheese accompaniment to wine is considered a classic these days. There are no clear and unchanging rules for choosing the components of this gastronomic pair. The duo is created rather on a creative basis, and first of all, you should focus on your own taste. Secondly, adhere to several simple principles, the basis of which is the classification of cheeses into groups.

1. It is believed that white wines are more suitable for cheeses. But in the meantime, even among the reds, there are positions that are in perfect harmony with the cheese. When choosing cheese and wine, you should pay attention to the origin: the most harmonious pairs are obtained from cheese and wine produced in the same country or even in the same region. When picking up a couple, the cheese is first tasted separately. Then, together with the wine, they taste the second slice of cheese, noting for themselves how its taste has changed and how cheese and wine are combined with each other.

2. So that the path to new gastronomic discoveries is not so thorny and you do not have to study culinary guides, memorizing the names and main properties, wine experts suggest dividing cheeses into 4 groups:

soft cheeses with white and washed crust;

hard and semi-hard cheeses, including aged;

blue cheeses with a green-bluish color of the cheese mass;

fresh cheeses.

As an example of how best to combine wine and cheese, they chose several wines and selected a certain type of cheese in each group, with which the wines form an ideal pair, in their opinion.

3. Wine / Soft cheeses:

Champagne / Camembert

Chardonnay / Brie

Sparkling wines / Robiola

Pinot Blanc / Taleggio

4. Wine / Hard and semi-hard cheeses:

Merlot / Gouda

Cabernet Sauvignon / Cheddar

Chianti / Parmigiano

Zinfandel / Double Gloucester

Valpolicella / Pecorino

Sauvignon Blanc / Gruyere

Bardolino / Fontina

5. Wine / Blue cheeses:

Port / Gorgonzola

Sauternes / Stilton

Riesling / Keshel Blue

Icewein / Cambozola

6. Wine / Fresh cheeses:

Pinot grigio / Ricotta

Sauvignon blanc / Mozzarella

Chenin Blanc / Goat Cheese

Beaujolais Nouveau / Feta

Tokay Friulano / Burrata

Ecology of food: Cheese and wine are a classic union. But making a successful wine and cheese pair is not as easy as it might seem at first glance.

Cheese and wine are a classic union. But making a successful wine and cheese pair is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. How do you make sense of the huge variety and find the perfect combination that will give you true pleasure?

Today we have different types of cheeses, ready to be served with a glass of wine. We suggest trying modern combinations of them.

Rich red wine with cheese

Intense red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Zinfandel pair perfectly with cheeses of similar intensity. Match them with hard, salty cheeses, which are best served with lightly grilled bread.

Creating the perfect match

Each wine is unique. Does your chosen wine taste too dry and too spicy? Less hard cheeses can help soften the bitterness of tannins and reduce acidity. For example, a 5-month-old bra duro is best served with luxurious barolo cheese.

Cheese options that pair well with rich red wines:

• seasoned gouda;
• extra fabric-soaked cheddar;
• goat milk cheddar;
• smoked cheddar or gouda;
• Basque cheese made from sheep's milk;
• gran padano;
• fiore sardo;
• pecorino;
• manchego.

Light red wine with cheese

Light red wines like Pinot Noir or Beaujolais go well with flavored cheeses like Taleggio and semi-hard cheeses with nutty flavors like Gruyere. If you prefer softer cheeses, try pairing light red wines with mature Brie or Camembert.

Cheese options to pair with light red wines:

• Conte extra;
• Swiss cheese;
• kakle;
• provolone;
• sachocavallo;
• Saint nekte;
• pon-l'eve;
• osso-irati;
• nocherino;
• fountain;
• brie;
• Camembert;
• coulomier;
• cutter;
• Taleggio.

White wine and cheese

White wines traditionally go well with more cheeses than red ones. This is due to the fact that white wines are devoid of tannins, which makes them easier to pair. The only type of cheese that does not go well with white wines is blue cheese. In most cases, it sounds brighter than wine and overpowers its taste. There will be no such problems with the rest of the cheeses.

In the Loire Valley, where Sauvignon Blanc originates, numerous herds of goats can be seen. French goat cheeses are quite dense and have a chalk-like texture due to their high calcium content. As they mature, these cheeses take on a spiciness that makes for a fantastic pairing with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Take note of Crotin de Chavignol or Hambolt Fogh as ideal white wine companions.

In the province of Veneto, there are vineyards dominated by Garganega grapes, from which Soave wines are made. This wine has the same fresh taste as the sauvignon blanc, and the aftertaste and the bitter notes of almonds are clearly audible. It is these shades that make this wine a surprisingly successful pair for a young Asiago. But aged Asiago goes well with fruity semi-dry prosecco or moscato d'asti.

Semi-dry types of Riesling (German Riesling from the Moselle, for example) go well with fondue. The sweetness and acidity harmonize well with the nutty rich taste of the fondue and give the taste exquisitely sweet and slightly salty nuances.

The best examples of chardonnay are created in cool climates, where the grapes have complex floral and fruity aromas, and aging in barrels gives the wine hints of vanilla and milky toffee. Interestingly, cow's milk cheeses (such as Epuas) are usually produced in the same region as Chardonnay. These cheeses have a pungent aroma that forms on the rind during aging. However, when combined with chardonnay, the pungent smell goes away! If you do not like this kind of cheese and its intense aroma, then try the combination of Chardonnay with other cheeses: delis de bourgogne or brie.

Combining cheese with dessert wine

At a traditional dinner in Europe, a cheese platter is most often served at the end of the meal. That is why the combination of cheese with sweet dessert wine is considered almost traditional. Even the most aromatic blue cheeses transform into something completely unrecognizable when paired with vintage port.