7 Tips for Great Wine & Cheese Pairings

There is something magical about the wine and cheese combination. As a devotee of all styles of cheese and a producer of both red and white dry wines here at Château George 7, I don't need any encouragement to experiment.

While wine and cheese have long been natural companions, pairing them well can be wonderful if we follow a few guiding principles: Acidity, tannins, texture, salt, age and even the region where the wine or cheese are made can all influence the outcome.

So what are some guiding principles? Here are my 7 tips for some delicious wine and cheese pairings and unsurprisingly, I highlight the cheeses that go with Château George 7 wines along the way.

Pour a glass, cut a slice and let’s jump in:

1. Look Beyond Red

When we picture wine and cheese, do you imagine a generous glass of red alongside a cheeseboard? In reality, white wines are often easier to pair with cheese. But why?

The milk proteins in cheese can clash with the tannins in red wine, sometimes making the cheese taste sour or slightly soapy. Dry white wines, particularly those with fresh acidity, tend to complement cheese more reliably. That said, a good cheese can still taste lovely with a ‘not so great’ red wine because it covers up just how rough the wine might be!

2. Decide Who Leads the Dance

Before starting, ask yourself: is the wine the star, or is it the cheese?

Are you building a cheeseboard first and then choosing the wines to go with it? Or do you know which wines you’ll be serving for the main course, intend to keep pouring the same ones and need cheese(s) to match? Being clear on this will help you make the right choices.

3. What Grows Together, Goes Together

This phrase about regional pairings is often used and it makes sense but what is the reasoning behind it? Wine reflects its terroir, and the animals producing the milk graze on grass grown in that same soil. France has 46 AOP cheeses for example, each reflecting its region’s landscape and traditions. There can be a natural logic and pleasure in keeping things local.

Classic examples include:

• Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire with Chavignol goat’s cheese

• A Burgundy with Epoisses (though perhaps not your most treasured bottle of white Burgundy as this cheese can be a bit pongy)

• Bubbles high in acidity such as champagne can pair with Brie which can be hard to match a wine with.

4. Match Intensity & Texture

A useful guiding principle is balance: neither the wine nor the cheese should overpower the other.

Smooth, fruity reds with moderate tannins such as my Prince de George 7 (Fronsac) pair beautifully with medium to firm mountain cheeses like a young Comté, a good Gruyère or Abondance. These are all cooked cheese - called ‘pâte pressée cuite’ in French. It means they have been made from curd heated to over 50°C which is a type of cheesemaking that originated in the mountains to help them keep longer. They were made during the summer to be brought down and eaten in the valleys in winter. These cheeses pair well with a medium tannin red because neither overpowers the other.

Likewise, a dry white with lively acidity and notes of pear, citrus or stone fruit works wonderfully with flavoursome goat’s cheese, particularly if the wine has gained texture through lees ageing as is the case with Château George 7 Blanc. Try our Goat’s Cheese Dip recipe and let me know what you think!

5. Consider Oak & Age

Oak-aged wines bring additional weight, spice and texture. I have found that a bolder and complex red such as Château George 7 fermented in large oak barrels before ageing, goes very well with a semi-hard sheep’s cheese such as Ossau-Iraty from the Pyrenees which has a nutty, savoury and fig flavours.

It is also delicious with an aged traditional Salers which is made only with milk from the Salers cows from April to November and aged for anything up to 45 months. Full of nutty, savoury flavours going fabulously with the wine’s depth. The rich Royal Reserve OR de GeORge has so much fruitiness, boldness with savoury notes, that I serve it also with an aged Salers or a matured St Nectaire with concentrated flavours and whose texture loves merlot's tannins.

6. Sweetness Loves Salt: Blue Cheese & Sweet Wine

Sweet and fortified wines with blue-veined cheeses are a classic for good reason. The saltiness of the cheese enhances the wine’s fruit, while the sweetness softens the blue’s intensity.

A light Barsac with Bleu des Causses (made with cow’s milk) or a rich Sauternes with Roquefort (made from raw sheep’s cheese) create beautifully indulgent matches. Let’s face it, the match made in heaven of Stilton and Port is known even in France!

7. Rose-tinted Glasses

Rosé is often at the table especially in the warmer months. Because it spends minimal time in contact with red grape skins, it contains far fewer tannins than red wine, making it surprisingly versatile with cheese. The depth of colour often depends on the grape variety used and that varies according to the region where it is made.

A pale Provençal rosé is delightful with fresh mozzarella or burrata, while a slightly fuller, drier style traditionally found in Bordeaux made from merlot, can handle a young Cheddar or other semi-hard cheeses.

Cut & Pour & Savour

These principles give some guidance, but with so many wonderful wines and cheeses in the world, there are endless opportunities to explore, delight the palate and find your favourites.

The next time you open a bottle or put together a cheeseboard is an invitation to experiment. Taste, try different combinations, savour and enjoy! The only successful pairings are those that bring pleasure to everyone around the table. I would love to have your suggestions for wonderful pairings so that I can try them too.

Get your Château George 7 wines for some fabulous cheese moments - visit our shop

Try our Goat’s Cheese Dip with Château George 7 Blanc

Come for a workshop on Wine & Cheese pairing

Share your favourite pairings with me here or via email sally@chateaugeorge7.com