What Wine Goes With Cheese
The conventional wisdom says red wine with cheese. The conventional wisdom is mostly wrong. Here's what actually works — and why white wine is usually the better choice.
· 7 min read
Key takeaways
- White wine pairs with most cheese more successfully than red wine — the fat in cheese reacts with tannin to produce a chalky, drying sensation, while acidity cuts through fat cleanly.
- The main exceptions: soft, washed-rind cheeses (Époisses, Langres) with red Burgundy; aged hard cheeses (Parmesan, mature Cheddar) with full-bodied reds or Port; Roquefort and Stilton with Sauternes or vintage Port.
- Swiss cheeses — Raclette, Gruyère, Vacherin, Appenzeller — are best with Swiss whites: Chasselas, Petite Arvine, or a dry Pinot Gris from Alsace or Switzerland.
- Fresh, mild cheeses (ricotta, burrata, fresh goat) want light, bright whites — a delicate Muscadet, a Sancerre, or a light Pinot Grigio.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does red wine taste strange with some cheeses?
- Tannin is the culprit. Tannin binds to fats — the fat in cheese reacts with tannin to produce a chalky, drying, slightly metallic sensation. Soft cheeses with high fat content (Brie, Camembert, Raclette) are the worst offenders. Aged hard cheeses with lower moisture have less free fat and manage tannin better. The fix: choose low-tannin reds (Beaujolais, Pinot Noir) or switch to white wine.
- What wine should I serve at a Swiss cheese board?
- A Lavaux Chasselas or a Valais Chasselas handles the full range of Swiss cheeses well — it's the local solution and it works. For more interest: a dry Pinot Gris from Alsace or Switzerland handles the stronger alpine cheeses (Appenzeller, aged Gruyère). If you want to include a red: a light Swiss Pinot Noir served slightly cool works with mild cheeses, but steer people away from it for the strong ones.
- Is Port the best wine for cheese?
- For strong, aged cheeses and blues — yes. Vintage Port with Stilton or mature Cheddar is one of wine's great pairings. But Port overwhelms delicate or fresh cheeses entirely. It's the ideal end-of-meal cheese wine if you're serving one or two strong cheeses; it's a disaster across a broad board with fresh goat cheese, Brie, and mild Swiss. Match the intensity.
- Can Champagne work with cheese?
- Better than most red wine. Champagne's acidity and bubbles cut through fat effectively, and the autolytic complexity (biscuit, brioche notes) complements most cheeses. It works particularly well with: soft-rind cheeses (Brie, Camembert), hard alpine cheeses (Gruyère, Comté), and fresh goat cheese. A Blanc de Blancs (Chardonnay) Champagne is especially versatile. Avoid it with very strong blues — the acidity can fight the salt.
Not sure which wine to pick? Tell our sommelier what you are eating or the occasion and we will find the right bottle — or browse the full sommelia.ch collection.