Cheese & Wine
This page is here to guide you through everything that surrounds cheese. What to you want to know?
Wine makes a wonderful accompaniment to cheese, but which to choose? Here’s the Paxton & Whitfield light guide to pairing the perfect cheese and wine.
Which cheese goes with which wine?
Firstly, the good news. There are so many cheeses to choose, and so many wines, that you don’t need to feel restricted. If you find a wine you love, there will be a selection of cheeses to suit. If you find a cheese you love, there will be a selection of wines to try. If, like us, you generally enjoy all cheeses, and generally enjoy all wines, even better – welcome to a wonderful world of exploration!
Red, white or sparkling?
Most people automatically pair a red wine with cheese. However, red, white and sparkling wines all make good accompaniments. All you need to bear in mind is that a delicately flavoured cheese will work best with a similarly delicately flavoured wine. Conversely, an older, more mature cheese is best enjoyed with a fuller-bodied wine.
As a guide, you should also try to:
Pair salty cheese with sweet wine.
Contrast rich, creamy cheeses with sparkling wine or Champagne.
Match cheeses and wines which come from the same region, like Alsace Gewurztraminer and Munster.
Use the table below to choose wines which work with your favourite cheese types. But our main advice is to try lots of different cheese and wine pairings to find out which you personally enjoy the most. Feel free to share your recommendations with other cheese lovers over on our Facebook page!
Style of Cheese
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Best served with
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Hard Mild Lancashire, Cheshire, Caerphilly |
Most Dry White Wines Muscadet, Loire Sauvignon (Sancerre), Chenin Blanc Dry (Vouvray), New World Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes de Duras White Wine Light Reds Red Loire (Chinon/Bourgeuil), Beaujolais, Côtes de Duras Red Wine Other Dry Cider
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Hard Full Mature Flavour Comte, Lincolnshire Poacher, Montgomery Cheddar, Parmesan, Pitchfork Cheddar, Cave-aged Cheddar |
Fuller Whites Côtes de Duras Blanc, White Burgundy (Pouilly Fuissé), Alsace Gewurztraminer, Viognier/Condrieu Fruity Reds Bordeaux, Côtes du Rhône, Other Real Ales or Tawny Port
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Soft Fuller Flavour |
Fuller Whites Côtes de Duras Blanc, White Burgundy, Reisling, Viognier/Condrieu, Unoaked Chardonnay (Chablis), Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault Characterful Reds Douro, Syrah, Rioja Fortified White Port, Old Tawny Port, Vintage Port
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Soft Milder Brillat Savarin, Tunworth, Waterloo, Camembert, Baron Bigod |
Fuller Whites Chardonnay, Maçon, White Burgundy Medium Reds Red Burgundy, Merlot Pomerol, Cabernet Sauvignon Other Medium cider
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Blue Colston Bassett Stilton, Stilton, Stichelton, Fourme d'Ambert, Roquefort, Perl Las, Cote Hill Blue |
Sweet Whites Sauternes, Tokaji, Monbazillac Fortified Old Tawny Port, Vintage Port, Bual Madeira Other Sloe Gin
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Goat Selles sur Cher, Pennard Ridge, Golden Cross, Ingot, Rachel, Mothias Sur Feuille, Driftwood |
Dry Whites Chablis, Loire Sauvignon (Sancerre), Gavi Medium Reds Pinot Noir, Beaujolais Other Somerset Brandy, Champagne
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Sheep |
Fuller Whites Côtes de Duras Blanc, White Burgundy, Alsace Gewurztraminer, Viognier-(Condrieu) Medium Reds Red Burgundy, Merlot, Pomerol, Cabernet Sauvignon, Medoc, Rioja Other Light Ales
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