Cheese & Wine Matching Tips

Thanks to Alison Downs from The Delta Wine Company for sharing her favourite matches with us…

There are a few key things to bear in mind when pairing cheese and wine, but first and foremost, listen to your taste buds and trust your palate. If you are enjoying a big, bold Argentinian Malbec with a soft and delicate goat’s cheese, then so-be-it. There are no rights and wrongs, but here’s a few helpful tips to guide you on what to pair with your platter:

Soft Goats Cheese

Excellently paired with Sauvignon Blanc, or other crisp white wines high in acidity such as Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner and Albariño. Soft goats cheese is also typically fantastic with Rosé from Provence, or similar styles bursting with crisp fruits.

The Delta Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc alongside a goat cheese is an ideal combination for a summer cheese platter.

Camembert

Creamy Camembert style cheeses are fabulously paired with sparkling wines. The high acidity often found in these wines is an ideal cleanser when enjoying rich and creamy styles of Camembert. The limited release Delta Méthode Traditionelle 2014 is an excellent pair with a New Zealand Camembert.

Blue Cheese

The powerful characters often associated with blue cheese can be elegantly tamed with the perfect wine pairing. The high residual sugars found in Noble Riesling dessert wines balance the boldness of many blue cheeses.

If a Noble Riesling is a bit too sweet for your palate, try a refreshing Pinot Gris or Gewürztraminer. The aromatics will cut through some of the more powerful blue cheese characteristics.

Gruyere Style Cheese

Rich and nutty style Gruyere cheeses are the ideal option for pairing with earthy and complex Pinot Noirs.  Black olive and savoury earthy notes from Delta Hatters Hill Pinot Noir complement the distinct nutty characteristics often found in Gruyere cheeses.  

Aged Cheddar

Typically, a rich aged Cheddar cheese needs an equally robust wine alongside it to balance the flavour intensity. Alison recommends considering an Argentinian Malbec, or a Hawke’s Bay Merlot to help compete with the intense, nutty Cheddar notes.

Additionally, a Chardonnay with the ideal balance of oak should be robust enough to stand alongside a Cheddar, if a white wine is your preferred choice.

Delta Hawke’s Bay Merlot or Delta Hatters Hill Chardonnay are elegant options to go with a robust Cheddar cheese.