Red wines and cheese – a primer
Red wines are not the easiest to pair with cheese. It’s worth thinking about the weight of both the wine and the cheese. Acidity in wine is also important; it cleanses the mouth, balancing the creaminess of the cheese. Wines lower in tannins can present an easier match for many cheeses.
We’ve put together a short cheat sheet to guide you through things.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Profile - dry, full body, medium to high tannins, medium acidity
Flavour notes – cherry/blackcurrant, warm spices
Works well with harder/more intense cheese
- Clothbound Cheddar
- Aged Gouda
- Hard aged cows milk cheeses
Pinot Noir
Profile – dry, medium body, low tannin, medium to high acidity
Flavour notes - cherry, mushroom, spices (as opposed to spicy, think clove particularly)
Pinot noir’s soft, silky mouthfeel makes it a great choice for cheese pairing.
- Onetik Ossau Iraty
- Époisses de Bourgogne
- Peaks Artisan Mountaineer
- Semi-hard ewes milk
- Washed rinds
Shiraz
Profile – dry, medium body/tannins/acidity
Flavour notes -dark fruits (blueberry, plum) sometimes green peppercorn/herbal/tobacco
Just as you might pair shiraz with grilled meats, savoury cheeses particularly rich cows milk cheese work well here.
Nebbiolo
Profile – dry, medium to full body, higher tannins & acidity
Flavour notes - cherry, anise, leather/earth
Nebbiolo’s brightness and higher tannins makes it a natural partner to more intense, complex cheeses.
- Occelli Testun al Barolo
- Tuscan Pecorino
- GCravero Parmigiano Reggiano
- Aged hard Italian cheeses
Tempranillo
Profile – dry, medium to high body/tannins/acidity
Flavour notes - cherry, dried fig, cedar, tobacco
Versatile with ewe, goat and cow cheeses, semi-hard and hard cheeses
- Farmhouse Manchego
- Hard ewes milk cheese
- Semi hard goats milk cheese
Sparkling Shiraz
Profile – off-dry, medium body/tannins/acidity
Flavour notes - dark berries, black pepper, tobacco
Has a natural affinity full-flavoured cheeses, from both cow and sheep milk
- GCravero Parmigiano Reggiano
- Tuscan Pecorino
- Clothbound Cheddar
By Olivia Sutton & Amanda Kennedy
