Cheese & Wine

Sure, one cannot match all wines with all cheeses, and while certain combinations make for a good party, it's not advisable to serve your best wines when there's cheese on the platter - whereas lesser wines can gain in gravitas when enjoyed with cheese.

As with any successful food-and-wine marriage, it's important that neither partner overwhelm the other. Although in this case, if they do clash, it's unlikely that the cheese will come off second best. And it might surprise some to hear that with many cheeses the best wine match isn't red (Pinotage is particularly challenging with cheese, if not impossible).

If you must keep it simple, serve a lightly-wooded Chardonnay with the cheeseboard, as well as a fruity, lighter-style red if you can. Or follow the general guidelines below.

Blue, Roquefort and Gorgonzola . . . call for port-style fortified wine, sweet Muscat, or dessert wines such as Natural Sweet or Noble Late.

Camembert and Brie . . . are often tricky with wine, but can sometimes be enjoyed with a wooded Chardonnay.

Cheddar . . . in its youth tends not to go well with wine. Mature Cheddar - 12 months or older - is best complimented by Cabernet Sauvignon, or Cab-based blends, but can also go well with wooded Chardonnay as well as aromatic wines such as Gewürztraminer and Riesling.

Chèvre . . . goes with a herby, gooseberry Sauvignon Blanc.

Cream cheeses . . . with lighter, fruity whites - fresh Chenin Blanc can work.

Feta . . . can go well with a steely Sauvignon Blanc.

Goats milk cheese . . . is Sauvignon Blanc territory.

Gruyere . . . goes well with a dessert wine, a Noble Late Harvest or Natural Sweet.

Hard cheeses . . . mostly go best with a bold red or wooded Chardonnay.

Stilton . . . and port remains a classic.

Washed-rind cheeses . . . are recommended with Chardonnay, but can also be partnered with a Cabernet Sauvignon, or a dessert wine such as Noble Late Harvest.