What wine goes with cheese? Match the weight of the wine to the cheese. Crisp whites suit fresh goat cheese. Sparkling wine and Chardonnay suit brie. Firm, nutty cheeses take Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, aged cheddar takes Cabernet, and blue cheese wants a sweet dessert wine. For a mixed board, open a sparkling, a white and a red.
What is the simplest rule for pairing wine and cheese?
Three ideas cover most cheese plates.
- Match intensity. Delicate cheeses suit lighter wines. Strong, aged cheeses can stand up to fuller reds.
- Acidity cuts richness. A crisp wine refreshes your palate after a bite of creamy or tangy cheese.
- Salt loves bubbles and sweetness. Sparkling wines and sweet wines both balance a salty cheese.
Tannin is the one to watch. The firm grip of a young red can taste harsh next to a fresh, soft cheese. The fat and protein in aged, firm cheeses soften it.
Wine and cheese pairing chart
| Cheese | Wine style | Why it works | ONEHOPE bottle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh goat cheese | Crisp white | Bright acidity matches the tang | Vintner Sauvignon Blanc |
| Feta | Crisp white | Citrus notes balance the salt | Vintner Sauvignon Blanc |
| Ricotta | Sparkling | Fine bubbles and fresh acidity keep a milky cheese tasting clean | Vintner Sparkling Brut |
| Brie and Camembert | Sparkling or Chardonnay | Bubbles lift the cream; a round white mirrors it | Vintner Sparkling Brut or Vintner Chardonnay |
| Gruyère and Comté | Creamy Chardonnay | Sweet cream and vanilla meet nutty notes | Reserve Arroyo Seco Chardonnay |
| Manchego | Medium-bodied red | Red fruit and a silky finish suit a firm, salty cheese | Hospitality Pinot Noir |
| Aged cheddar | Cabernet Sauvignon | The cheese's fat softens the tannin | Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Aged Gouda | Red blend | Cocoa and vanilla meet caramel notes | Vintner Red Blend |
| Blue cheese | Sweet dessert wine | Sweetness balances salt and tang | Reserve Dessert Wine |
| Prosciutto and salami | Sparkling or red blend | Bubbles cut fat; red fruit meets cured, smoky pork | Vintner Sparkling Brut or Vintner Red Blend |
What wine goes with goat cheese and other fresh cheeses?
Fresh cheeses such as goat cheese, feta and ricotta are young, moist and tangy. They want a crisp white with plenty of acidity and little or no oak.
Our 2023 Vintner Sauvignon Blanc brings notes of lime, lemon, guava and star fruit. Its crisp acidity matches the tang of goat cheese. Its citrus balances the salt in feta.
See it at work in our lemon goat cheese crostini with Vintner Sauvignon Blanc. Lemon zest and honey on the cheese echo the citrus in the glass.
Mild, milky ricotta needs only a light touch. A dry sparkling wine keeps the pairing fresh without covering the cheese.
What wine goes with brie and soft, creamy cheeses?
Brie and Camembert are rich and buttery, with a soft center and an earthy rind. Two styles work well, for different reasons.
Sparkling wine is the classic match. Bubbles and acidity clear the cream from your palate, so each bite tastes fresh. Vintner Sparkling Brut brings green apple, luscious pear and tropical aromas, with a lively palate and a creamy finish.
Chardonnay takes the other route and mirrors the texture. 2023 Vintner Chardonnay opens with green apple, bright citrus and vanilla, then a rich, creamy palate. We pair it with creamy cheeses, and brie is the natural place to start.
Serving baked brie with honey or fruit? Lean toward the Chardonnay. Its vanilla and round texture suit the warm, melting cheese.
What wine goes with Gruyère, Comté and Manchego?
Gruyère, Comté and Manchego are firm and nutty, with savory depth that grows as they age. They suit a white with some body or a red with gentle tannins.
The 2023 Reserve Arroyo Seco Chardonnay offers lemon, pineapple, sweet cream and vanilla, with lively acidity and a smooth texture. The sweet cream and vanilla echo the buttery, nutty notes in Gruyère and Comté.
Prefer red? 2021 Hospitality Pinot Noir is medium-bodied, with ripe strawberry, Bing cherry and a touch of cinnamon. Its red fruit and silky finish suit salty, firm Manchego.
For a warm way to serve Gruyère, try our crispy Gruyère stuffed squash blossoms, filled with ricotta, Gruyère and Parmesan. Fried and salty, they also suit a glass of sparkling wine.
What wine goes with aged cheddar and Gouda?
Aged cheddar and aged Gouda are firm, salty and intense. Many have small, crunchy crystals that form as the cheese ages.
These cheeses can stand up to bolder reds. Their fat and protein soften tannin, so the wine tastes smoother next to them.
2023 Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon carries notes of dark berries, toffee and hints of vanilla. Pour it with a sharp, aged cheddar, where dark fruit meets the bite of the cheese.
2022 Vintner Red Blend is bold and richly layered, with cherry, raspberry, cocoa powder and vanilla. Its cocoa and vanilla meet the deep caramel notes of aged Gouda.
What wine goes with blue cheese?
Blue cheese is salty, creamy and pungent. Many dry wines struggle against it. A sweet wine balances the salt, much as honey does on a cheese plate.
Reserve Dessert Wine brings notes of toffee, florals, dark plum and sweet cherry. Its sweetness meets the salt and tang of the cheese. It also suits dark chocolate; see our wine and chocolate pairing guide.
For a milder, creamier blue, Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon also works. We pair it with blue cheese, and its dark berries and toffee suit the richness.
How do you pair wine with a charcuterie board?
A mixed board puts many flavors on the table at once, so no single wine matches everything. Open three bottles, from light to bold, and let guests move along the board.
- Start with sparkling. Vintner Sparkling Brut suits prosciutto, brie and salty crackers. Bubbles cut through fat and salt, and its pear and green apple notes suit a drizzle of honey on the prosciutto.
- Add a crisp white. Vintner Sauvignon Blanc suits goat cheese, feta and fresh fruit. It also suits a board with lemon hummus and crisp vegetables.
- Finish with a red. Vintner Red Blend suits salami, smoked meats and aged Gouda. Its cherry and cocoa meet cured, smoky pork.
How do you build a cheese board, step by step?
Start with the cheese, then fill in around it with cured meat, fruit, nuts, something sweet and bread.
- Choose three to five cheeses. Vary the texture and the milk: cow's milk cheeses tend to be buttery, goat's milk tangy and sheep's milk rich and nutty. Give blue cheese its own corner, so its strong flavor stays off the milder cheeses.
- Add one or two cured meats. Fold prosciutto loosely and fan out slices of salami, so they are easy to pick up.
- Add fresh and dried fruit. In fall and winter, reach for pears, grapes, figs, pomegranate or persimmon. Dried cranberries or apricots add a chewy, sweet-tart note.
- Add nuts. Walnuts, pecans and pistachios add crunch and a toasty note beside firm cheeses.
- Add something sweet to spread. Try fig jam, honey, cherry preserves or chutney. Set each beside the cheese it suits, such as honey by the blue cheese and fig jam by the Manchego.
- Add bread and crackers. Sliced baguette and plain crackers let the cheese and the wine lead.
- Lay it out. Place the cheeses first, spaced apart. Cut a few slices from each hard cheese to start, and give soft and blue cheeses their own knives. Fill the gaps with fruit and nuts, then finish with sprigs of rosemary.
- Label the pairings. Set a small card by each cheese that names the wine to try with it. For example, put Vintner Sparkling Brut by the brie and Vintner Sauvignon Blanc by the goat cheese. Vintner Red Blend goes by the aged Gouda, and Reserve Dessert Wine by the blue.
Across those cheeses, aim for something fresh, something soft, something firm and something aged. Keep blue cheese and Reserve Dessert Wine for the end of the board.
Take the cheese out of the fridge about an hour before serving, so its flavor opens up. Chill the whites and sparkling wine, and pour lighter wines before fuller ones. Set out water and a non-alcoholic option for guests who aren't drinking. For more detail, see our guide to serving temperatures for white and red wine.
Build your board from our white wine collection and red wine collection, and see how ONEHOPE wine gives back. For dishes beyond the cheese board, see our food and wine pairing chart.
Frequently asked questions
Is red or white wine better with cheese?
White wine suits more cheeses. Its acidity refreshes the palate, and it has little or no tannin to clash with soft cheeses. Reds come into their own with firm, aged cheeses such as cheddar and Gouda. On a mixed board, offer both.
What wine goes with brie?
Sparkling wine or a rounded Chardonnay. Vintner Sparkling Brut lifts the creamy center. Vintner Chardonnay mirrors it with green apple, citrus and vanilla.
What wine goes with goat cheese?
Sauvignon Blanc is the classic match. The crisp acidity and lime and lemon notes of Vintner Sauvignon Blanc meet the tang of fresh goat cheese.
What wine goes with a charcuterie board?
Open a sparkling, a crisp white and a red. Vintner Sparkling Brut suits prosciutto and soft cheeses. Vintner Sauvignon Blanc suits fresh cheeses, and Vintner Red Blend suits salami and aged cheeses.
Can you pair sparkling wine with cheese?
Yes. Bubbles and acidity refresh the palate after rich, salty bites. Dry sparkling wine suits brie, Camembert, ricotta and salty aged cheeses such as Parmesan. Our sparkling wine guide covers the styles.
What wine goes with blue cheese?
A sweet dessert wine. Reserve Dessert Wine brings toffee, dark plum and sweet cherry to balance the salt. For a milder blue, Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon also works.
What goes on a cheese board besides cheese?
Besides cheese, a board usually holds cured meats such as prosciutto and salami, fresh and dried fruit, and nuts. Add a sweet spread such as fig jam or honey, plus sliced bread and plain crackers. In fall and winter, pears, grapes, figs and pomegranate suit the season. Giving cheese and wine as a present? See our guide to building a wine and cheese gift basket.
