Wine, Bread & Cheese Pairings, Made Simple

Match intensity. Crisp whites like Sauvignon Blanc suit fresh cheeses, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir suit medium cheeses like Gruyère, bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon suit hard aged cheeses, and sweet wines like Port or Sauternes suit blue cheese. Dry sparkling wine works with almost any cheese.

White wine pairs with more cheeses because its acidity matches their tang and it has no tannin to clash with creamy textures. Red wine shines with hard, aged cheeses like Cheddar, Manchego and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Dry sparkling wine, Pinot Noir and dry Riesling are the most versatile food wines because they combine high acidity with little or no tannin.

A crusty baguette is the most versatile choice. Sourdough adds tang, walnut or fruit bread suits blue and aged cheeses, and dark rye stands up to strong, pungent cheeses.

For an appetizer board, plan about 2 ounces of cheese and 2 ounces of cured meat per person. As a main course, double it. Plan on about half a bottle of wine per guest for a two to three hour gathering.

Dry rosé, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais and dry sparkling wine are the safest choices because they handle salty cured meats, soft and hard cheeses, fruit and pickles without overpowering anything.

Sweet wines are the classic match. Sauternes with Roquefort, Port with Stilton and late harvest Riesling with Gorgonzola all balance the salt and pungency of blue cheese.

Sparkling wine lasts 1 to 3 days with a stopper, light whites and rosé 3 to 5 days, full bodied reds 3 to 5 days, and fortified wines like Port several weeks. Always recork and refrigerate open wine.