What Cheese do you recommend with Red Wines?

Red wine and Cheese paring is a natural match. The fuller body and rich structure of the wine can buffer very sharp cheeses with an intense personality. Here are some general types of red wines and the cheeses that pair well with them. As with food, try pairing wines that have similar profiles, matching richly flavored cheeses and red wines that have similar, rich flavors.

Medium-Bodied Red Wines

The Wines: Medium-bodied wines include some Pinot Noirs, lighter versions of Zinfandel, and Merlot.

The Cheeses: Look to slightly richer cheeses with pronounced personalities to stand up to these rich wines. Some examples are Emmentaler, Manchego, Morbier, Port Salut, Provolone, and Smoked Gouda

Full-Bodied Red Wines

The Wines: Rich, full bodied wines include Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Shiraz.

The Cheeses: More intense, sharply flavored cheese and red wine of these types make a great pairing. Some examples are sharp, aged Cheddar, aged Fontina and Gouda, Grana Padano, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino-Romano. The full flavors of the wine can stand up to the strong, salty flavor of the cheese. Even some milder blues can work, such as Blue Castello. Northern Italian wines like Barolo, Barbaresco and even Barbera are a natural match for truffled cheeses like Boschetto al Tartufo.

Check out our Messina Hof Wine and Cheese pairings to view other wine and cheese combinations.