Classic combinations of cheese, wine and olives

Classic combinations of cheese, wine and olives

Basic Guidelines

• Mild, hard cheeses complement a wider range of wines than soft, ripe, or mature cheeses do.
• Overall, white wines go better with cheese than do red wines.
• Sweeter whites tend to be more versatile than drier whites when paired with cheeses.
• Tannic red wine (red wine with dry, rich notes) suits the hardest cheeses best. 

Select the cheese, then match the wine

Consider the characteristics of the cheese in selecting the complementary wine.

• Texture — Softer cheeses coat your palate, preventing you from fully appreciating the flavor and body of many wines.
  Solution: Choose white wines, which feature a characteristic, refreshing acidity, and thus provide a palate-cleansing effect when paired with soft or creamy cheeses.
• Sweetness — certain mild cheeses have a sweet flavor — and make dry wines taste acidic and tart in their company.
  Solution: Choose a semi-dry, sweet or dessert wine.

Classic combinations

These classic wine, cheese and olive combinations have withstood the test of time:

Type of Cheese	Best Wine Pairings	Olives
Asiago	Bardolino, Pinot Grigio	Bella Di Cerignola olives; super supreme whole green olives
Brie	Sancerre, Frascati, Medoc, Bordeaux reds, and Cotes du Roussillon
Cheddar	Burgundy, Barolo, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc and tawny ports; Periquita	Picante green pitted olives with Cabernet Franc; Italian aglio green pitted olives
Colby	Reisling	Mixed olive salad
Danish Blue	Full-bodied reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and St. Emilion; Sherry	Blue cheese-stuffed olives
Feta	Dry Greek wines, Retsina, pinot noir, ouzo, light reds, Beaujolais, and Gewurztraminer	Extra-large pitted Kalamata seasoned olives
Fontina (Italian)	Merlot, Pinot grigio, most white wines, Corvo Bianco, and verdicchio
Fontina (Swedish)	Dry reds; Barolo, and Bardolino
Fontinella	Zinfandel	Jumbo Sicilian green olives
Gloucester	Pommard, Sancerre, Pinot noir, and Chenin Blanc
Goat Cheese	Fruity white wines; Vouvray, Sauvignon or Chenin Blanc, and most reds	Sundried tomato-stuffed olives with goat cheese
Gorgonzola	Full-bodied, robust reds; Chianti Classico, Barolo, Bordeaux, Sangiovese or Sardinian	Super colossal Calabrese olives; gorgonzola-stuffed olives
Gouda	Most wines, especially reds; Valpolicella or Greves red or white; Pinot Chardonnay; rosé; dry or cream sherries; ports, and most dessert wines
Gruyere	French reds or whites; most rosé, sherries, and champagnes
Havarti	Dry reds such as Chianti; Bordeaux reds and Rioja reds, or dry whites like Meursault or Bordeaux white	Hot pitted olive salad
Jarlsberg	All wines, especially reds and French country whites
Mozzarella	Marsala	Sicilian green cracked olive
Parmigiano Reggiano	Dry reds such as Amarone, Barolo, and Chianti; dry Italian whites; Chardonnay	Olive medley (California green olives, jumbo Kalamata olives and mammoth black Greek olives)
Provolone	Full-bodied reds; Chianti, Pinot noir, Shiraqz and Rioja reds; light whites, including white Merlot	Seasoned olives gigantic; provolone-stuffed olive
Taleggio	Merlot	Garlic-stuffed olives

The right pairing of wine with cheese, or combination of wine, cheese and olives adds a touch of elegance to any gathering. Try some of these combinations and discover your own favorites. Salude!