Would you like some Cheese with that Wine?

So lets face it, at one point or another you are going to want to impress your guests by putting out a wine and cheese platter. But if you are anything like me and don't know Jack about Swiss or wine you may be in some trouble.
Well being a newbie to the whole vino-verse I am here to offer some helpful insights to what I have learned.

Consider the Age and Intensity:

Cheese come in many forms and flavors. Younger cheeses are more watery and milky, and have a creamy texture to them. Whereas cheese that are older tend to take on tastes and become more savory and rich. Also depending on the cheese will depend on what flavor you can expect. Like a Brie, its outside rind will become hard but the innards will stay creamy and spreadable and take on an earthy tastes from the cave it was housed in. Other cheeses like Gruyère as it ages will take on a nutty flavor. Blue Cheese will take on a more pungent taste from the mold in it.

Wine is like this too. The younger the wine the more floral and fruity the taste. Where as a wine that is a bit older and has spent more time in the barrel or bottle will take on more mature nuances like oak, earthy, tones along with their primary flavors. So younger cheese would be better paired with a younger fruitier, juicer, sparkling wine, and dry reds. Older cheeses would best be paired with more robust wines that have some age and body to them.

But cheese age isnt the only thing to keep in mind. You also want to look at the saltiness, texture, and pungency also affect the wines taste.

Tannin:

Because the tannin in a wine will adhere to an older cheeses fat and protein, you would want to pair an older cheese with a nice red wine that is very tannic. But if you pair a bold red with a young cheese you will be left with a chalky aftertaste which would be quite off putting.

Sweet and Salty:

Salty loves sweets. So when serving a salty cheese like a blue cheese or an aged gouda or feta, serve a nice sweet wine like a Moscato or Riesling. The salt in the cheese will make the wine seem even sweeter.

Cheese Loves Company:

When plating cheeses always make sure to include fresh and dried fruits along with nuts. The young juicy fruits would pair nicely with Bire. Where dried fruit would be good with Stilton. Buttery and bitter nuts with Cheddar. So when in doubt pair the wine with the cheese, and garnish accordingly.

Here is a great cheat sheet I found on Pinterest (click the image to make it larger.)

There are other tricks to pairing but with the above in mind you should be able to wing any social engagement. And if your hosting chances are you will have some time to sit down and do a little research. I actually printed the above image so that I could have it for later use, because lets face it, we all need a little help sometimes right?

~Cheers