Red semi-dry wines for cheeses. How to pair cheese with wine

18.07.2020

Everyone knows that cheese and wine are the perfect gastronomic pair. But few people suspect that not every cheese will be good with every wine. Cheese can spoil the taste of wine, no matter how strange this statement may seem. Likewise, wine can drown out the taste of wine.

Today we will talk about which cheese is most suitable for rosé wines - the most controversial in terms of gastronomic combination.

But what is strange, if we talk specifically about cheese, here rosé wine will be the most unpretentious. It goes well with virtually any cheese: hard and soft, salty and with spices.

But still, there are some rules that are best to adhere to so that wine and cheese will bring you maximum pleasure.

For example, it is best to avoid moldy cheeses, as red wine is the ideal companion. Curd cheeses better reserved for light whites. True, such cheeses as Mozzarella, Ricotta, Feta still go well with rose wine.


But goat cheese can be an ideal companion to rosé wine, especially if you take both cheese and wine from the same country, or even better - from the same region. It will be something fantastic! Try to make sure our words are right.

if you love soft cheeses, then there is also a little secret: cheeses with a white crust are best combined with soft wines, and with a washed hard crust - with rich wines, bright and aromatic.

If your rosé wine is very fresh, so summer, then it is better not to serve it with neutral cheeses and sweetish taste, as such cheeses will make your wine sour than it really is.

Keep in mind that hot and spicy cheeses require powerful and complex wines, which rosé wines are usually not.

If you need even simpler advice, then take dry cheeses with rose wine - you definitely won't be mistaken.


And just in case, let's repeat what we said at the beginning: rosé wines for cheeses are the most unpretentious and go well with virtually any kind, variety, type of cheese.

And you can always buy rosé wine at WineStreet store.

Well-chosen snacks can enhance the exquisite taste of red wine. On the contrary, the absence or inharmonious snacks can spoil the experience and cause morning migraines. Win-win options include:

  • Fresh bread with a crust;
  • Local fruits;
  • Meat and cheese cuts.

Red wine should be the center of attention, so the appetizers are no-nonsense. The assortment of snacks depends on the sweetness and aging of the drink.

In a few words about possible mistakes

Red wine has a long tradition of pairing with various dishes... Modern cuisine is characterized by an abundance of recipes with many ingredients and complex flavors. In such a situation, you should start from the main dish.

Ice is totally unacceptable on a red wine table! It is also incompatible to serve the drink in a smoky room.

It is also considered unacceptable to order or serve:

  • Fish and fish dishes;
  • Seafood and sushi;
  • Nuts, asparagus, almonds;
  • Cakes, pastries, soufflé;
  • Spicy and sour sauces;
  • White meat with spices;
  • The meat is too spicy.

Red wine should not be served too sweet, salty, sour, spicy, astringent.

Dishes with a pronounced taste and aroma should be avoided. Citrus fruits are categorically unsuitable, since their bright smell drowns out the refined aroma of the drink. Nuts and chocolate bind taste buds for a long time, which makes it difficult to taste the wine.

Basic principles of pairing dishes with red wine

A pleasant evening with a bottle of good wine is always accompanied by the use of snacks. It is advisable to choose a drink with a familiar taste so as not to be mistaken with the choice of the dish. In case of doubt, it is allowed to pre-uncork the bottle for tasting.

The classic rule of the sommelier is that fine wine must accompany simple snacks conversely, plain wine goes well with gourmet appetizers.

A cheese platter will be an ideal snack if you choose the right variety for:

  • Hard cheeses with a neutral taste go well with strong red wine;
  • Goat, sheep cheese will accentuate the bouquet of the drink with a tart aftertaste;
  • Country fat cheese is in harmony with wine of noble taste.

The next safe choice is meat cuts or dishes from fatty meats: lamb, pork, game, poultry. Meat is also suitable, mushroom pates that can be used for toasted bread sandwiches. A plate of ham and fatty sausage slices is a good solution.

Lovers modern kitchen can use salami pizza, pasta, fried meat and lamb kebabs as a snack. The stronger the drink, the more high-calorie the snack should be.

Most recipes Italian cuisine pair with red wine.

Vegetarians often prefer fruits. In this case, it is better to give preference to ripe fruits of local varieties: melon, pears, peaches, grapes.

Sweet wine goes well with fatty meats, neutral desserts. The rich taste of the drink is in harmony with cream cheese, sweet melon, black grapes and dry biscuits. Sweet or dessert spirits are good when accompanied by:

  • Toast with soft cheese and herbs;
  • Sliced ​​sausage and ham;
  • Unsweetened biscuit with light cream;
  • Assorted fruits with ice cream.

Many drinkers prefer not to eat sweet red wine due to the high sugar content of the drink. Technically, the concentration of sugar in it is 45 grams per liter.

However, alcohol is best taken with a snack. Protein foods should be preferred so as not to harm health.

As bread, cakes with spices and herbs, hot sandwiches, toasts, crackers are suitable.

Lovers meat dishes will appreciate the unique combination of sweet wine with red spicy meat cooked after preliminary marinating with herbs and spices.


Semi-sweet and semi dry wine belong to the universal options. These varieties are appropriate, both with buffet snacks and accompanied by an abundant feast. The presence of rich first courses prepared on the basis of meat broth is allowed.

Instead of bread, you can serve Italian focaccia tortillas, buns with vegetables, pies with beans, unsweetened croutons.

When serving semi-sweet and semi-dry red wine, the meat menu should be preferred. These drinks are great, accompanied by stewed, baked, fatty meat fried with sour fruits. In addition, the following will be appropriate on the table:

  • Aged varieties of cheese;
  • Beef fillet, roast beef, steak;
  • Lamb stewed with cherry plum;
  • Baked poultry with apples.

Vegetarians will be able to appreciate the taste and aroma of the drink, accompanied by the following dishes:

  • Mushroom pate;
  • Pasta with cheese and tomatoes;
  • Pizza with mushrooms;
  • Cauliflower.

Fruits should be selected with firm pulp and low juice content. They can be served as a platter, sliced ​​or on skewers. Fruit cakes, puff pastries, mousses are also suitable as a dessert.

Only mature varieties of cheese, preferably with mold, are in harmony with semi-sweet and semi-dry wine.

Dry wine has a low sugar content with a sour aftertaste. Therefore, sweet snacks are not served with it, against which the acidity of the drink increases. The following are perfect as a bread snack:

  • Cheese sticks;
  • Canape with sausage;
  • Herb cakes;
  • Cheese sandwiches;
  • Pizza with mushrooms.

The vegetarian menu includes a wide variety of stewed and pickled vegetables. There are also mushroom pates, mushrooms in croutons, deep-fried.

Dry red wine goes well with all types of meats. The meat can be in the form of a fat kebab with tomatoes, eggplants and bell pepper... Properly cooked game will accentuate the exquisite taste of the ruby ​​drink, just like baked homemade duck.

It is better to fill a cheese plate with slices from mature varieties. Soft cheese does not go well with dry wine. The dense cheese can be diced and served on skewers with olives. Soft cheese works best for fruit desserts or baked meats.

The maturity of the cheese is directly proportional to the dryness of the wine. The drier the wine, the more ripe the cheese should be.

Dry wine is served with cold and hot snacks... Cold cuts include boiled pork, fatty sausages, smoked meats.

It is important not to forget that individual preferences can differ significantly from classic rules... In any drinking, it is important to adhere to the golden mean, avoid alcohol abuse, in order to appreciate the efforts of winemakers.

Quick jump to article

White wines are much better suited to cheese than red ones. As it turned out, young red wines, due to the a large number tannins can cause disharmony when combined with most cheeses. Therefore, if the choice fell on red wine, sommeliers recommend serving more seasoned, older varieties with cheeses. Their bouquet harmoniously complements the complex aroma of noble cheeses.

There are well-known win-win pairs of cheese and wine. Dessert wines complement blue cheeses without prejudice to their taste... Combinations of roquefort with sweet sauternes or blue stilton with port are considered classics. However, again there are some nuances: it is better not to combine aged vintage ports with anything, as well as outstanding sauternes.

The most harmonious cheese-wine pairs arise from the same origin. That is, whenever possible, you need to choose wines from the same regions where the cheese was produced. Of course, in some cases this will be impossible - you will have to select wine from other regions of France to complement the famous Norman cheeses. Among such tandems, Münster cheese and dry wine are recommended.

Soft (fatty) cheeses and wine

For soft, creamy and very fatty cheeses (brie, camembert), wines with high acidity sound in unison.

  • They are served with light red wines, with more mature cheeses of this type - stronger ones. White wines such as dry riesling, chardonnay or brut champagne also go well with them.
  • Brie cheese is perfectly complemented by chilled Chablis or white Burgundy wines.
  • But for Camembert, apple or pear cider is suitable. However, this is a matter of taste. The white wines of the Loire can become a win-win partner for camamber ...

Hard cheeses and wine

  • Hard cheeses are usually served with a fairly dense Pinot Noir or similar red dry wines from Italy - from Chianti to Barolo.
  • Hard cheeses like par-migiano, grana padano are best combined with red wines from Italy, but you should choose not too tannic. The most compatible - Tuscan wines - Chianti Classico and Brunello. But these are general recommendations, since Chianti Classico are very different from each other depending on the manufacturer, so you need to try and select to your liking. However, most experts now tend to pair them with the Côte de Bona white wines.
  • Hard and pressed-cooked cheeses, like Gruyere and Manchego, are “peaceful” to wine and are combined with both white and red varieties.

Goat cheese and wine

  • Goat cheeses, both fresh and aged, are perfect for white wines. The classic pair is the combination of such cheeses with Loire sauvignons. It should be noted here that no other wines should be combined with these cheeses.
  • For light goat cheeses, it is best to choose light white wines of Loire, Sancerre and Puy-Fumé. Which ones are up to you.

What wine is cheese with

Fresh (feta, mozzarella, ricotta)

They are as delicate as possible, with characteristic creamy and even curd notes, so a light alcohol is needed to pair them. Pink lines from French Chatelain Desjacues and Portuguese Mateus, light reds from Beaujolais Villages and Alsace Pinot Noir, and whites like Puligny Montrachet are perfect.

Soft with a moldy crust (brie, camembert)

The older they get, the more intense the smell and taste they acquire. Therefore, mature cheese goes well with full-bodied wines, for example, red Pauillac, Corbieres, Pomerol, Bandol with their bright fruity notes. Of the easier options, Chinon, Anjou Villages, Saint Emilion are good. From white to brie or camamber, you can choose Chablis Chateau de Maligny or Chardonnay Sicily IGT Planeta.

Soft with a washed crust (Limburgsky, Munster, Epuiss, Livaro, Marual)

This group is as rich and diverse as possible: the organoleptic properties of its varieties vary from delicate to sharp. So the field for experimentation is huge. A well-balanced white Macon Villages or Alsace Gewurtzraminer are perfect for a young Munster. Mature Epuiss is chicly combined with red Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Corton. The original Livaro will make a very exotic pair with a white dessert Saint Croix du Mont or Bonnezeaux, by the way, this is also a very interesting wine for chicken. Gourmets have plenty to choose from.

Goat and sheep (Chevre, Saint-Mor, Crotin de Chavignol)

If they are fresh, their tenderness will be luxuriously complemented by a fruity red drink, if dry - pink or white grade... Even sparkling brands and champagne are on the list of harmonious combinations. In the top of the popular options for the line Muscadet, Pouilly Fume, Bordeaux Sec, Sancerre, Bandol.

Boiled pressed (Parmesan, Gruyere, Emmental, Conte)

Depending on maturity, they can be elite additions for both fruit and calm, balanced varieties. For example, a mature Gruyere goes well with a strong red burgundy, while a young one is an almost ideal cheese for white wine chablis. Conte goes well with Fleurie or Brouilly, Graves or Meursault, and even some champagnes.

Uncooked pressed (gouda, edamer, cheddar, pecorino)

Delicate sweetish at a young age, with the onset of maturity, they acquire spicy notes. Therefore, the older they are, the more difficult it is to match them with a white drink. After all, it is necessary that the taste and aroma of alcohol match the snack. But with reds, it's a different matter: aged cheddar or edamer are matched with merlot and pinot noir, and each of them is also a wonderful wine for duck. There are always a great variety of options for the classics.

Noble blue (gorgonzola, dorblue, roquefort)

They deserve special attention because they are produced in a very special way. Therefore, we will briefly consider what mold cheese is and what wine it goes with. The main feature is that before ripening, the penicillus fungus is introduced into its mass, which subsequently gives a completely unique tangy nutty taste.

Therefore, sweet dessert, strong or even fortified red brands such as Gevrey Chambertin, Porto Vintage, Gigondas, Sauternes, Banyuls, Madrian, Barsac are suitable for Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Dorblu. It is difficult to pick up whites, because you need to take the driest and richest ones.

In the production of Roquefort, maturation takes place on oak shelves in a limestone grotto. Such conditions give a characteristic aroma in which "stone" notes are heard. And the fungus in gorgonzola is specially distributed evenly so that the original stripes of a green-blue color are visible on the cut.

When discovering new wine snacks, do not forget about cheese, because this is a win-win classic with a thousand interesting combinations.

How to make a cheese platter

A cheese plate is called a plate or board with a cheese platter laid out on it. There may be several options for its design, for example:
1 - The cheese is laid out in clockwise order from tender to spicy. By the way, you should try the cheeses in the same sequence.
2 - Soft cheeses are stacked in the center of the plate, and hard cheeses along the edges.

Wine perfectly emphasizes the taste of cheese with noble mold, provided that it is correctly selected. This article provides guidelines for pairing certain types of cheese and wines. These combinations have been tried by many connoisseurs of the drink and delicacy, and most like them. Before reading this article, you can look at our other text about, and not just with mold.

  • In principle, white wines are better suited to moldy cheeses, although some red wines also go well with them. It's just that it is a little more difficult to choose red wine for blue cheese, and almost any white dry or sweet wine may not always be great, but rarely a bad combination.
  • The richer the aroma of the cheese and the sharper its taste, the older and richer the wine will suit it.
  • Wines long aged in oak barrels are rarely paired with moldy cheeses, as the aromas of wood and noble mold together tend to sound bad. There are exceptions, though. For example, barreled “Barbaresco” works well with many blue cheeses: gorgonzola, robiola, stilton and others.
  • If you feel sweetness in the cheese, then nutmeg wine will go well with it.
  • The higher quality, richer and tastier the wine itself, the better it will set off the taste of blue cheese.
  • If you are arranging a tasting of blue cheeses and wines, then it is better to limit yourself to 4-5 varieties of both, and in order to cleanse the taste buds, it is recommended to eat crackers between cheeses and wines.

Soft cheese: brie, camembert, cambozola, reblochon, livaro, münster, talejo

Champagne and others are best suited to them. sparkling wine... Camembert goes well with Chablis, Bandol and Pinot Gris wines. Brut is very good with brie, still white wines "Puligny-Montrachet", "Côte-de-Bon" or Chablis from Burgundy.

If you prefer red wines, then light, young pinot noir and merlot are suitable for brie, camumber and other soft cheeses with mold. You can serve aged red wine, or a rich tannin wine to the most mature camamber.

"Sancerre" and "Krepi" - wines with a pronounced fruity aroma, go well with Reblochon cheese.

Soft, with an unusual fruity aroma, Taleggio cheese is excellent with Barolo, Chianti wines and a drink from Nebbiolo grapes.

Blue blue cheese: Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Danablu, Dor Blue, Stilton

They are best served with sweet dessert wines that contrast with their salty and pungent flavors. It will be good if the wines are from the grapes "Semillon", "Sauvignon Blanc", "Muscadelle", "Riesling". If you prefer red wine, then you can choose a drink made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It will be especially well combined with mature cheeses.

Dry white wines with blue cheese can also "sound" harmoniously. This combination will be appreciated by those who do not like sweets.

Roquefort and Sauternes, Semillon or vintage white port are great with each other. Gorgonzola and red wine Madrian or Gigonda are great together, but even better would be a combination of gorgonzola and white port or marsala.

Cambozola is good with both dry and sweet wines. Wine made from Chardonnay grapes will gently reveal the taste of cambozola.

Dor Blue is best served with wines such as Sweet Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Tokai.

Gorgonzola with "Amarone" is a peculiar, but loved by many combination, which is worth trying.

Danablu is in harmony with dessert wine or dry wines with a strong taste.

Stilton goes well with Madeira, sherry, Banyul wine, port and other sweet, full-bodied wines, both white and red. Stilton and Ice Vine are an amazing couple that leaves few people indifferent.

Of course, these are not all successful combinations, because the choice of wines is very large, and the taste of blue cheese can vary greatly depending on the place of production, aging, raw materials and other factors. That is, the combination of the same seemingly wine and cheese can be either more or less successful. We must not forget about personal tastes - what one likes does not impress the other at all. As usual, we have set the direction for experimentation, and you can only find your ideal pairings "blue cheese + wine". It may be a little more difficult than using ready-made recommendations, but it is also much more fun.

Different types of cheeses go well with wine. In doing so, certain species form a more natural combination, as they either come from the same region, or are ideal for taste.
Wine Spectator suggests using the following pairing sheet.

Barolo and Barbaresco: hard cheeses, especially Pamiigiano-Reggiano
Bordeaux (red):
Bordeaux (white): soft cheeses and goat cheese
Burgundy (white):
Burgundy (red):
Cabernet Sauvignon: hard cheeses, especially dry Jack or aged Cheddar
Champagne and sparkling wines: soft cheeses, especially Brie, Camembert, Reblochon
Chardonnay: hard cheeses, especially Garrotxa and Comte
Chianti (and other Tuscan red wines from the Sangiovese grape variety): hard cheeses, especially Pecorino Toscano
Gewurztraminer (dry): soft or hard cheeses, especially soft rind cheeses such as Livarot
Gewurztraminer (sweet): cheeses with a specific flavor, especially Munster
Merlot: hard cheeses, especially dry Jack
Pinot Noir: hard cheeses, especially Tomme de Savoie
Porto: blue cheeses or cheeses with a specific flavor, especially Stilton
Riesling (dry): soft cheeses, especially Reblochon
Riesling (sweet): soft cheeses or cheeses with a specific flavor, especially Epoisses
Rioja:
Sauternes, Barsac, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc late harvest: blue cheeses, especially Roquefort
Sauvignon Blanc (dry), Sancerre and Poilly-Fumé: goat cheeses, especially fresh
Sherry (dry): hard cheeses, especially Garrotxa or Cheddi
Sherri (sweet): blue cheeses and cheeses with a specific flavor, especially Cabrales
Syrah (including red Rone): hard cheeses, especially cheeses from the Pyrenees region
Dessert wines (such as Australian liqueurs, Pedro Jimenez Sherry): cheeses with a specific flavor, especially Taleggio
Viognier: soft or hard cheeses, especially Camembert or Tomme
Zinfandel: hard cheeses, especially dry Jack or aged Gouda

Cheese with a glass of wine is a treat worthy of kings. It so happened that many of those who love cheese also love wine. Both of these products have a very ancient history, in addition, both products have a variety of flavor options, which allows you to achieve the brightest, most unusual flavor combinations... It's safe to say that the wine and cheese combination is one of the most appealing in food culture. This explains the fact that countries known for their high culture of winemaking are most often famous for good cheeses(e.g. France).

Cheeses are often said to have a “bouquet”, and many adjectives are used in relation to them that also determine the properties of the wine: aged, full-bodied, strong, spicy, fruity, gourmet, herbal or herbaceous, with a scent or aromatic, or floral ... Cheese scents range from the sweet aroma of fresh pasture to the pungent and pungent smell of rot, and generally the most intimidating odors correspond to the most subtle and most delicate taste cheeses.

For their part, wines can be overbearing, huge, muscular, thick. They can be tart or lithe, bouncy or calm, fruity, thirst-quenching, simple and rude. It is true that the taste of some delicate, fragile old wines can be overpowered by cheese, but most wines go well with cheeses if the selected cheeses correspond to the nature of the individual wine.

A red wine with an imperious, strong character and tart taste, it goes well with the taste of most aristocratic cheeses - Camembert, Cheddar, Parmesan, Gorgonzolla, aged goat cheese.

TO delicate cheeses (Saint-More, Chavroux, Ram brie), you need to serve delicate aged red wines - for example, Graves from the Bordeaux region. Thin white wines without sourness are also suitable for such cheeses. It can be assumed that the more intense the taste of the cheese, the more sour the wine. For example, smoked cheese can completely crush the taste of delicate red wine, but light Riesling with a pronounced sourness fully corresponds to the dominant taste. this cheese.

Absolutely exquisite combination- cheese with noble blue mold (for example, Trautenfelier made from sheep's milk) - with highly chilled vintage wines from the declared grapes - Sauternes Alexis Lishin - in which, however, acid must be present.

The same wine, but with a high residual grape content sugar is only suitable for extremely spicy goat or sheep milk cheeses. In France, in the Bordeaux region, Sauternes are traditionally served with Roquefort: this combination is called "strength and sweetness."

For example, soft cheeses with a white crust - Camembert, Ram Brie, White Prince harmonize best with strongaged white wines Pouilly Fumé, Chablis Premier Cru, Bon Sant Vinh Château Meursault, Burgundy Chardonnay Hospice DijonPatriarch, Sancerre, and also with young red wines with a little tannin: Beaujolais Patriarch, Bruyi Patriarch, Burgun Pipo Noir Hospice Dijon Patriarch. At the same time, cheeses in the production of which red cultures took part - Austrian Moosbacher Saint Severin are good in combination with young white wine - powerful, rich, but not too elegant - Chenan, White Anjou, White Burgundy, Petit Chablis Patriarch, Torontes Etchart ( Argentina) or ordinary red wines of Beaujolais, as well as rich strong red wines - Cabernet Sauvignon, Côte du Rum Père Patriarch, Châteauneuf dc Pap, Chateau Timberley Robert Giraud, Chateau O "Bayan Grave, Chateau Moulin de Bel Air.

Chavroux goat cheese is good with stronger rosé and white wines, which have a more pronounced taste and with sufficient acidity - rosé wines Roses D 'Anjou and Tavel, but it can also be accompanied by red wines with a small content of tannin - a substance that gives the wine astringency and astringent taste Semi-hard cheeses such as Tilsiter and hard cheeses can be served with a strong Riesling, or good white Burgundy wine (Pouilly Fusset, Meursault) Red wine with a fresh fruit aroma is also acceptable (Beaujolais Villages, Cabernet Sauvignon Remy Panier, wine of Medoc). With very hard varieties Parmesan cheese, cheddar, Edamy pleasant union form red wines with a higher content of extractives Chateau Tunnel Fronsac Robert Giraud, Chateau Côtes du Rhône Robert Giraud, Chateau Pelerin Robert Giraud. From cheeses with blue mold Roquefort, Ostekron, Alpen Blue, a slight sweet aftertaste remains on the tongue, therefore, sweet wines should also be taken, such as French selected wine Château Timberley, Sauternes Alexis Lichim, Château Côte Bel Robert Giraud semi-sweet, as well as extractive white wines - Pouilly Fume, Meursault, Vouvray.

The following statement is true - it is not necessary to serve wine of a well-known brand with cheese. Those who travel a lot may find that cheese and wine from the same region tend to complement each other in the best possible way. For example, Georgian sheep cheese goes well with Georgian wines.

Of course, to the assorted different varieties cheese ( cheese plate) do not serve five or six different wines at the same time. In this case, the following rule applies: the better the wine, the more harmoniously it will be combined with any kind of cheese.