How to Match your Cheese with your Wine

Hunter Valley is renowned for its wine and cheese, being a perfect pair for a romantic night with your partner or a lively gathering of your posse.

It’s the most classic pairing in the book, with the soft to smelly cheeses enhancing the wine’s flavours even further. However, finding out which cheese patches which wine can be a tricky job, and sometimes we don’t always have the professionals to help us out! Luckily, we’ve made it simple, creating an easy guide in how to match your cheese with your wine of choice!

• Hard Cheeses

  Undoubtedly the most popular and easiest cheeses to get, with the delightful Cheddar, Gouda, and more offering the perfect treat! Most hard cheeses are full of fat, which usually goes perfectly with red wine. As the cheese can masks the tannins in a stronger red, its best to choose a lighter style such as a pinot noir. For white wine, the buttery chardonnay is a delicious pairing with the strong hard cheese.

• Soft Cheeses

  An oozing Brie or Camembert is the best indulgence when enjoying a wine and cheese night. As the soft cheese spreads smoothly over the sweet or savoury crackers and offers a charming experience. These cheeses usually range from mild to very pungent in flavour, so depending on the cheese and its age will determine the wine. Many opt for a light rose or a fruity pinot noir, as these wines won’t overpower the mild flavours of the cheese! Making it perfect for an afternoon treat in the sun with friends!

• Blue Cheese

  They might be smelly, but these cheeses can be the very best varieties for a wine tasting experience! The salty, pungent blue-vein cheeses can pair beautifully with sweeter wines, such as dessert varieties or even a style of sherry. With opposites attracting, giving you a pleasantly sweet and savoury mouthful!

• Washed-Rind Cheese

  Being extremely pungent, as well as their interior being sweet, nutty, or creamy flavours, these strong wash rind cheeses go perfectly with bubbly. With a vintage sparkling, either red or white being the perfect match! If you aren’t a fan of sparkling wine, a medium-bodied red, such as a barbera or grenache, will go nicely. With even lighter whites such as riesling or Semillon making lovely companions.

• Goat’s and Sheep’s Cheese

  Sauvignon Blanc is a great match for these earthier flavoured cheeses. As these varieties are chalky in texture, the citrus-leaning flavours of the wine will create the perfect finish!

Related article: The top eight wineries in the Hunter Valley

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