Learning how to pair wine with cheese takes practice, which is why it’s always good to pick the brain of a cheesemonger—especially one who looks a little flush. Don’t forget that beers work well with cheese, too, and so do cocktails and, oh hell, even certain teas, especially green teas and smoky oolongs. Don’t stop exploring the realm of pairings. It’s always fun to make a gorgeous discovery.
•When in doubt, go for a white. White wine is forgiving and easier to pair with cheese than reds. Among lacto nerds, the most cheese-friendly wine is said to be an Alsatian Gewürtztraminer. It’s sweetly aromatic and a little spicy, so it makes friends easily.
•Choose a wine that matches the strength of your cheese. A Sauvignon Blanc with a young goat cheese is sublime—both are a bit fragile. A Cabernet needs a busty hard cheese to keep it in check.
•Consider terroir. Cheese, like wine, exhibits the flavors of its origins. If you pick out a Basque cheese, try to find a wine from the same part of the country—say, a Rioja from northern Spain.
•Red wines work well with hard, crystalline cheeses. Take that Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino and sic a dark, blood-red master on it.
•Use the descriptors on the back of the wine bottle. If you pick out a wine with cherry notes, say, imagine what kind of cheese might pair well with actual cherries. Hopefully, you’ll think of cheesecake, which will lead you to a triple crème. A “brambly” wine might make you think of camping; you’d be right to pick out a rustic cheese, like a little wheel of leaf-wrapped Banon (page 88).
•Dense, fatty cheeses, like triple crèmes, benefit from effervescence. Think of Brie and Champagne. The bubbles cleanse your palate between bites. For this same reason, Italians often nurse Prosecco while snacking on hunks of aged Parm.