A general tip for creating your own perfect pair is that wines over 14.5% ABV pair well with more intensely flavoured cheeses, and under 12% ABV with more delicately flavoured cheeses.
Bloomy Cheese
Bloomy cheeses such as our multi-award winning Lubborn Somerset Brie, Camembert and Chalke Valley Cranborne are the richest and creamiest of cheeses with a soft, spreadable texture. The rind is edible and has a stronger, funkier flavour than the cheese within. Bloomy cheeses need a wine that will go well with distinct flavours while remaining light enough not to overwhelm them.
White wine pairings – Dry, traditional sparkling wines
Light bodied, dry, unoaked Chardonnay
Restrained, light-bodied and dry Sauvignon Blanc
Aged Hunter Valley Semillon or textured white Rhône varieties
Red Wine Pairings – Dry and light-bodied wines that are young, unoaked and fruity such as Pinot Noir, Barbera, Gamay and Dolcetto.
Hard Cheese
Hard Cheeses such as our Dorset Coastal Cheddar, Barbers Vintage, Oakwood Smoked Cheddar and Dorset Red are the product of fine aging and traditional maturing. Hard cheeses are firm and break into crumbles with unique nutty and complex savoury notes. As cheese ages and looses water content, it becomes richer in flavour with its increased fat content. These attributes are perfect for matching with bold red wines as the fat content in the cheese counteracts the high-tannis in the wine.
White wine pairings – Vintage traditional-method sparkling wines for younger cheese
Sherry
Red Wine Pairings – Bold wines with some age such as Merlot, Aglianico, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Rioja or Bordeaux blends
Blue Cheese
Blue cheeses like our prize winning Tuxford & Tebbutt Stilton and Dorset Blue Vinny are characterised by the veins of blue mould that run through the cheese. Tuxford & Tebbutt is soft and creamy and Blue Vinny has a pleasant crumbly texture. Blue cheeses pair well with sweeter wines as they balance the strength of the cheese and make the taste even creamier.
White wine pairings – Noble Rot sweet wines such as Sauternes, Barsac, Monbazillac and Riesling Beerenauslese Trockenbeerenauslese
Dessert wines from dried grapes such as Vin Santo, Juranço and Recioto de Soave
Late-harvest wines including Riesling Spätlese or Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives for cheeses not overtly pungent
Red Wine Pairings – sweet, fortified reds such as Vintage Port, LBV Port, Maury and Banyuls