Language
Wine Meets Cheese
Up your cheese board game with these expert suggestions for pairings with some of California’s most popular wines. Not sure what cheeses play well with your favorite Chardonnay, Zinfandel, or Cabernet Sauvignon? Now you know.
Pairs With
Ingredients
CHARDONNAY
Chardonnay is California’s most popular white wine, for good reason. It has a creamy texture, abundant fruit aromas—think pear and apple, with a squeeze of lemon—and often a toasty or vanilla note from barrel fermentation.
ZINFANDEL
Zinfandel is zesty, bold, rich in fruit, and long associated with sunny California. The grapes need to be quite ripe before harvest to yield their signature fruit-forward character and spicy aroma, so Zinfandel wines can often be full-bodied.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
California Cabernet Sauvignon is renowned for its elegance, tannic structure, and ageability. Most Cabernet Sauvignon is barrel aged, contributing complexity and spice.
Instructions
- Chardonnay:
- Triple-cream cheese: These cream-enriched, high-fat cow’s milk cheeses have a texture like whipped frosting and a luxurious richness that work well with Chardonnay’s plush, rounded mouthfeel.
- Brie: This semisoft cow’s milk cheese has a buttery, spreadable texture and mushroom scent. A velvety Chardonnay complements that supple, spreadable interior and the Brie doesn’t overwhelm the wine.
- Monterey Jack: California’s iconic table cheese is mild, mellow, and a great melter. Try it on a grilled cheese sandwich with a glass of Chardonnay. The wine’s acidity and minerality help balance the buttery sandwich.
- Zinfandel:
- Hot pepper jack: An everyday cheese with some sass and spice makes a fun pairing for a peppery Zinfandel. Make quesadillas or mac-and-cheese with hot pepper jack, and Zinfandel will be just the right lively match.
- Aged Gouda: Matured for six months or more, cow’s milk Gouda develops butterscotch aromas and a salted-caramel flavor (although the cheese doesn’t have a speck of sugar). A powerful Zinfandel with its ripe blackberry jam scent has the strength for that seeming sweetness.
- Smoked Cheddar: Put a lightly smoked Cheddar on a charcuterie or antipasto platter and open a fruity, medium-weight Zinfandel. Give the wine a quick chill—maybe 15 minutes in the fridge—to brighten its fruity notes and make it a refreshing counterpoint to the smoky Cheddar.
- Cabernet Sauvignon:
- Camembert: Similar to Brie but smaller, Camembert is the perfect size for four people to share with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. A ripe Camembert has a big beefy aroma, with notes of mushroom and garlic. It can stand up to the deep flavor and tannic strength of Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Cheddar: An aged Cheddar has a creamy-yet-crumbly texture, layers of flavor that unfold slowly, and a vivid tang. Seek out a clothbound (also known as bandage-wrapped) Cheddar for maximum complexity and compatibility with a fine California Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Dry jack: The extra-aged version of a Monterey jack is firm, complex, and deeply nutty. It needs a concentrated red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon to match it in strength.
Pairs With
