If you are hosting a dinner party in the near future, you will want to make sure that you know which wines and cheeses to serve at the same time. Not only will this knowledge impress your guests, but it will also add to their experience since they will be able to take pleasure in these flavours the way that they were meant to be enjoyed.

If you plan on serving a sparkling wine like champagne, creamy cheeses are the way to go. This includes mozzarella, feta, goat’s cheese and cream cheese; as the creaminess of these cheeses will be offset by the bubbles in the wine.

For a light to medium white wine, you will want cheese that is similar to what you would offer with champagne or any other sparkling wine. This is because the light body of this wine sits well with the creamier textures of these cheeses.

If you are serving a fuller bodied white wine, like Chardonnay, you will want to include use harder cheeses like cheddar, Swiss-style, Italian-style, or soft white cheese because these offer a stronger flavour than creamy cheeses. This is vital to getting the entire experience out of the wine, especially if you are serving a wine that has been aged in an oak barrel. Full bodied white wine comes in a number of different forms however, so it might be wise to research the exact flavour combinations a little more thoroughly.

A full bodied dry red wine is very similar to a full bodied white wine when it comes to the type of cheese that should be used. It should be noted the aged cheddar is probably the best match for this wine, as it has a stronger flavour than the other types. An aged parmesan is also a good match for a stronger red wine, since its flavour will be strong enough to blend with the wine.

A medium bodied red wine goes great with mozzarella, but it also can be served with Swiss-style cheese or washed rind cheese. It truly depends on the flavour of the wine, as Swiss-cheese goes better with wines that are made from berries.

Dessert wines have a slightly syrupy texture and as a result, they go well with blue cheese and washed rind cheese. Washed rind cheese comes in a number of different weights, but the general rule is that the heavier the wine, the heavier the cheese you should use. Swiss-style cheese is also a good cheese to use with dessert wine, as its heavier texture can blend with the thick wine.

Fortified wine is a little different from the other types because it generally has additional alcohol added to help it keep longer. Because of this, you must look at what has been added before selecting a cheese to use. Most fortified wines end up being on the sweeter side of things, so look at it as being similar to a dessert wine and serve your cheese accordingly.

Use this guide to help you make your wine and cheese selections and you can prevent a great deal of embarrassment from occurring when you host your next dinner party.

Author Bio: Vincent Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For wine merchants & importers he recommends Alexander Hadleigh, a leading expert in Matching Cheese With Wine.

Category: Food and Drinks
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