March 2003
Wine and Cheese are said to be one the purest romantic links between humans and nature. Uniquely, every style of wine and cheese maintains it's own flavor, texture and other inherent characteristics.

Common Facts:
• Both date back to ancient times (Wine 10,000 years - Cheese 4,000 years).
• They both are a product of fermentation and most do maintain quality standards or appellations.
• Both are a reflection of their terroir and will vary from the style in which they are produced.
• Both are alive and will continually change as they age.

When considering your pairing options, one could always take the easy route and fall back to tradition, regional wine with regional cheese. However, following tradition would limit your selections. Granted, there are a cornucopia of exceptional New World options for both wine and cheese but the choices brought forth to the consumer can become rather confusing.

Recognizing these perplexities, offering simplicity for consumers is paramount. So let's demystify and begin our pairings!

Helpful guidelines to follow:
•Note there will always be exceptions, so experiment.
• The harder the cheese the higher the degree of tannin a wine can have.
• Creamy cheeses require a wine with higher acidity.
• The whiter and fresher the cheese, the crisper and fruitier the wine.
• Heavy rich cheeses will partner with light reds and Chardonnay.
• Strong veined cheeses usually demand a sweeter wine.
• Soft cheeses with bloomy white or red dotted rinds need full bodied whites or younger reds with lower tannins
• Orange-red rind soft cheeses pair well with full-bodied reds with lower tannins or heavy whites.
• Semi-soft cheeses with a pink-grey rind require strong powerful whites and mature whites.

Pairing Chart:

Wine Selections	Cheese Selections
Dry White Wines, light to med-bodied Auxerrois, Gruner Vetliner, Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, Chenin Blanc (dry), Muscadet, Chardonnay (no oak), Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Semillon, Lighter Champagne or Sparkling.	Cream based fresh no rind, most Goat's cheeses, and blueish-grey natural rind. Examples: Cream cheese, crème fraiche, mozzarella, fontina, chevre, crottin, feta, averti, st-marcellin, tete de moine, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Emmental , Ricotta, Monterey Jack, Barbu, Bouleau, Knockalara.
Dry White Wines, Full-Bodied Chardonnay (with oak), Fume Blanc, Bordeaux whites, Dry Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Semillon, Champagne, Full Flavored Champagne or Sparkling, Gavi.	Semi-soft Cheeses, grey-pink thick rind & Soft cheeses with bloomy white or red dotted rind Examples: Brie, Camembert, Port-Salut, Chaource, Bougon, Livarot, Pont l'Eveque, Reblochon, Oka, Tomme de Savoie, St-Nectaire, St. Andre, Taleggio, Dunberra.
Dry Red Wines, Light to Med-Bodied, Fruity Beaujolais or Gamay Noir, Valpolicella, Dry Rose, Zweigelt, Chinon, Bourgueil, Cabernet Franc, Barbaresco, Pinot Noir.	Fresh with no rind, soft cheeses with bloomy rind, and some colored thick rinds Brick, Brie, Cheshire, Edam, Emmental, Gouda, Gruyere, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Wensleydale, Jarlsberg, Oka, Migneron, Coolea, Munster.
Dry Red Wines, Medium-Full Bodied, Complex and Rustic New World Pinot Noir or Complex Burgundian Red, Cru Beaujolais, Chianti, Barbaresco, Barbera, Pinotage, Valpolicella. Older Rustic styles with softer Tannins Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Super Tuscans, Amarone, Chianti Classico, Malbec, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Ribera del Duero,	Soft Cheeses with washed and sticky orange-red, brownish rinds Pied-de-Vent, Mi-carême, Vacherin, Brie d'Mieux, Chaput, Munster, Langres, Mature Époisses, Maroilles, Raw milk Brie, Coulommiers, Morbier, Milleens, Reblochon, Limburger, Sir Laurier d'Arthabaska, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, St-Damase Au Gre des Champs, Gubbeen.
Dry Red Wines, Light to Med-Bodied, Fruity Beaujolais or Gamay Noir, Valpolicella, Dry Rose, Zweigelt, Chinon, Bourgueil, Cabernet Franc, Barbaresco, Pinot Noir.	Fresh with no rind, soft cheeses with bloomy rind, and some colored thick rinds Brick, Brie, Cheshire, Edam, Emmental, Gouda, Gruyere, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Wensleydale, Jarlsberg, Oka, Migneron, Coolea, Munster.
Dry Red Wines Full-Bodied Bordeaux Reds, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Meritage, Merlot, Shiraz or Syrah, Barolo, Rioja, Brunello di Montalcino, Super Tuscans, Amarone, Chianti Classico, Malbec, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Ribera del Duero, Grenache.	Hard Cheeses, waxed or oiled Parmigiano Reggiano, Ricotta Salata, Romano, Asiago, Pont l'Eveque, Gruyere family, Manchego, Cantal, Comte, Old Gouda, Old Cheddar, Baulderstone, Beaufort, Leicester, Aged Chesire, Chevre Noir, Wensleydale, Tilsit, Iberico, Mahon, Roncal, Mizithra
Sweet Wines AuxeIcewine, Sweet Vouvray, Quarts de Chaume, Sauternes or Barsac, Tokaji Aszu, Trockenbeerenauslese, Beerenauslese,VendageTardive, Monbazillac, Sweet Rieslings.	Blue Veined Cheeses and Some Cream Cheeses Roquefort, Saga, Cambonzola, Blue Ermite, Le Ciel de Charlevoix, Bleu de la Moutonniere, Bleubry Cayer, Cabrales, Mascarpone, Devon Cream, Torta, Gorgonzola.

Written By Maria Moessner, Inniskillin Wines Estate Sommelier

Recommended Links:
www.riedelcrystal.com
www.Inniskillin.com

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