Pairing Wine and Cheese

Whether you are planning a dinner party or a date night, wine and cheese is classy and elegant to serve! Pairing wine and cheese will mean a delicious and successful night. I have a few suggestions for best pairings of simple and affordable wines and cheeses.

Wine and cheese spread can be the center of your date night or served before or after the meal.

We had a date night the other night to celebrate the end of my school semester. I realized we have never had a wine and cheese spread. I always wanted to have a wine and cheese night and I’ve been doing some research for a while.

I got a beautiful new serving trey and I wanted to show it off. This was just the perfect way to display my new trey and have a wonderful night.  The night was great and so was the spread!

So let me introduce this new serving trey first! This is actually a beautiful Carve and Serve station from Nambé.

It’s the sort of versatile classic that everyone should have around holidays. The moat design around the edge makes this ideal for carving up juicy meats of all kinds. The polished wood and Nambé alloy handle design adds elegance to any classy night. Don’t confine it to dinner, though. This is a gorgeous serving trey, so load it with fresh French bread and an array of fruits and cheeses and don’t forget the wine!

I’m in love with how elegant and sophisticated this Carve and Serve station is. Don’t be fooled by it’s elegance, this station is high quality made of a durable and thick wood and solid, beautifully crafted alloy.

Let’s talk wine…

Wine and cheese is a classic combination and there is a reason for that. It’s delicious if paired right! This is why I’m putting my long research into this simple breakdown for you! I chose to show simple and affordable options. If you are a wine condenseur, this would be way to simple for you…

There are a number of considerations when it comes to choosing wine and cheese, such as texture, acidity, fat and tannin. Tannins are derived from the skins, stems and seeds of the grapes used to produce the wine. They are usually dominant in younger wines and ease up in ages wines.

Harder types of cheese can handle more tannic wines and creamy cheeses, such as Brie, would be better with wines that have more acidity, like a Chardonnay. If you like sweet wines, blue cheese is you best bet.

To give your cheese trey a little more flavor, try experimenting with drizzling some honey over cheese.

*Note, these are suggestions, you can be rebellious and try your own pairings!

By Cheese:

Aged Chedder– Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel

Blue Cheese – Port, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Sweet Wine Blends

Brie– Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling Wine and Champagne

Gouda – Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Rose

Gruyere– Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz

Parmigiano Reggiano – Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Merlot, Prosecco, Red Blends

Monterey Jack – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

By Wine:

Cabernet Sauvignon – Cheddar, Colby,  Blue, Gorgonzola, Gouda, Parmesan, Blue cheese, Roquefort

Chardonnay – Brie, Goat cheese, Gouda, Gruyere, Parmesan, Provolone

Merlot – Brie, Cheddar, Gorgonzola, Gouda, Gruyere, Jarlsberg, Parmesan

Pinot Noir– Brie, Feta, Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Muenster, Swiss, Gouda

Port– Blue, Gorgonzola

Riesling– Brie, Blue, Colby, Edam, Gouda, Monterey Jack

Sauvignon Blanc– Asiago, Brie, Cheddar, Feta, goat cheese, Gruyere, Parmesan

Zinfandel– Asiago, Blue, Feta, goat cheese, Gouda, Gruyere, Muenster

Beaujolais– Brie, goat cheese

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I will be sharing this recipe at the wonderful parties in my party tab + Weekend Potluck,  and Rattlebridge Farm.  Swing by and link up your own projects!

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Disclosure: I’ve received this Carve & Serve Station from Nambe at no charge, all the opinions and photographs are my own. I was not compensated for this post!