How pairing works

Start with strength

One idea helps almost every time: match the strength of the drink to the strength of the cheese. A delicate cheese gets lost next to a bold drink, and a strong cheese can overwhelm a delicate one.

Match or contrast

You can pair by matching or by contrast. Matching puts like with like, such as a creamy cheese with something rich and smooth. Contrast puts opposites together, such as something sweet against something salty, or something crisp against something rich. Both work, and most good pairings use a bit of each.

Salt, sweetness, acidity and fat

• Salt and sweetness: salty cheeses are often paired with something sweet, such as honey, a sweet wine or fruit. The sweetness balances the salt.
• Richness and acidity: cheese is rich and fatty, so a crisp, acidic drink or fruit helps cleanse your palate between bites. Bubbles do the same job.
• Tannin: tannins in red wine can feel drying, and salt tends to make them stand out more. A moderate amount can balance a rich cheese, but a very tannic wine can feel harsh against a salty one.
• Where it comes from: drinks and cheeses from the same region often suit each other, because they grew up alongside the same food.

Serve cheese at room temperature

Give cheese at least 30 minutes out of the fridge. Cold cheese tastes muted, and a pairing can only work if you can taste the cheese.

Taste from mild to strong

Start with the lightest cheese and the lightest drink, then work up. A strong blue first will flatten everything that follows it.

There are no hard rules

Plenty of people will tell you wine and cheese is mostly about what you enjoy. Use the ideas here to narrow the choices, then trust your own taste.