Pairing Cheese and Wine

Soft Cheeses    Type of Wine

Mild                       Light to medium-bodied whites
Strong/Aged        Full-bodied whites
Blue                      Sweet or dessert whites
Ewe/Goat             Light to medium-bodied whites
Creamy                Champagne

Semi-Hard Cheeses   Type of Wine

Mild                                   Light to medium-bodied, whites or reds
Strong/Aged                    Full-bodied whites or reds
Blue                                  Port, sweet or dessert whites or reds

Hard Cheeses   Type of Wine

Mild                        Light to medium-bodied reds
Strong/Aged         Full-bodied reds

Description of Cheeses by Country

Denmark

Havarti   Soft   Mild, smooth, buttery. There are two types: dry rind or washed rind (has a richer flavor).

France

Babybel   Soft    Mild French version of Dutch Edam, features colored wax coatings.

Bleu   Soft   Tangy, ripe, earthy and peppery.

Brie   Soft   Creamy, smooth, rich, buttery.

Camembert   Soft   Initially crumbly and soft, but gets creamier within 2-3 weeks).

Muenster   Soft   8th Century monks from the French valley of Muenster first created this orange-rinded cheese. Mild to mellow.

Roquefort   Semi-Hard   Tingly, pungent taste. From milk of specially bred sheep. Creamy, thick and white on the inside with a thin burnt-orange skin.

Great Britain

Cheddar   Hard   Mild to sharp, tangy and robust.

Stilton   Semi-Hard   Crumbly yet moist. Sharp taste. There are two types of Stilton: Blue and White.

Greece

Feta   Soft   Salty, tangy, sharp flavor. Originally made with either ewe's milk or a mixture of ewe's and goat's milk, but is now being mass-produced with primarily cow's milk. The harder, crumbly version common in supermarkets is aged for up to 3 months.

Italy

Asiago (d'Allevo)   Hard   Sharp and primarily used for grating.

Gorgonzola   Soft   Stimulating, spicy blue cheese flavor Good served with pears.

Mozzarella   Soft   Spun-curd buffalo milk cheese. Mild, delicate, milky.[1]

Parmesan   Hard   Sharp, robust, yet savory.

Provolone   Semi-hard   Slightly tart and salty.

Romano   Hard   Similar, yet slightly richer than Parmesan, has a sharp, stimulating flavor.

Netherlands

Edam   Semi-hard   Mild and slightly salty with a nutty flavor. Available young or aged.

Gouda   Semi-hard   Mellow, rich caramel. Harder aged Goudas are also available with a smoked, strong, biting taste.

Switzerland

Gruyere   Hard   Buttery and toasty.

United States

American   Soft   Mild and delicate. Melts easily.

Brick   Semi-hard   Sweet, spicy and nutty.

Colby   Hard   Similar to cheddar. Mild to mellow, lightly sweet to sharp and tangy.

Colby Jack   A combination of Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses.

Monterey Jack   Semi-hard   Mild, buttery, but zesty. Melts easily. Softer varieties are common in supermarkets.

Pepper Jack   Diced Jalapeños added to Monterey Jack.

Swiss   Hard Mild    Sweet, buttery taste. An American imitation of Swiss Emmental.