Wine lifeFood & wine pairing
The cheese sommelier's guide to wine and cheese
What a cheese sommelier does, the five rules I use to match wine and cheese, the classic pairings that never fail, and how to build a board.
Alper Billik · Advanced Sommelier
Updated October 2026 · 4 min read · Edited with AI
On this page
The short answer: a cheese sommelier is someone who knows cheese the way a wine sommelier knows wine, and helps you choose, serve and pair it. In English the trade name is cheesemonger; in French, fromager. Most of the craft comes down to a few rules, and the most important one surprises people: with cheese, white wine usually beats red.
What does a cheese sommelier do?
- Chooses and ages cheese: buying from makers, and caring for cheese until it is ready to eat.
- Builds the cheese course in a restaurant or a shop, in an order that goes from mild to strong.
- Pairs it with wine, beer, cider and spirits, and with bread, fruit and honey.
- Trains for it: in the US, the American Cheese Society runs the Certified Cheese Professional exam; in the UK, the Academy of Cheese runs a programme in levels.
Many wine sommeliers also run the cheese trolley, so pairing cheese is part of the job.
Five rules for wine and cheese
- White before red. Acidity cuts fat and salt; tannin often turns bitter or metallic against cheese. A crisp white works with more cheeses than any red.
- What grows together goes together. Cheese and wine from the same place were shaped by the same table: goat's cheese and Loire Sauvignon Blanc, Comté and Jura wine.
- Sweet with salty and blue. Sweet wine and blue cheese is the classic contrast.
- Match the weight. Delicate fresh cheese with light wine; aged, powerful cheese with a wine that has body or sweetness.
- Bubbles for creamy and rich. Sparkling wine cleans the palate after a soft, buttery cheese.
Classic pairings that never fail
| Cheese | Wine | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh goat's cheese, Crottin de Chavignol | Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Sauvignon Blanc | Tangy cheese and crisp, citrus wine from the same corner of the Loire |
| Brie, Camembert | Champagne, Crémant, unoaked Chardonnay | Bubbles and acidity cut the creamy paste |
| Comté | Vin Jaune or Savagnin from the Jura, Chardonnay | Nutty cheese, nutty wine, same region |
| Aged Cheddar | Tawny Port, dry Amontillado sherry, or a fruity red with soft tannin | Strong, savoury cheese needs body or sweetness |
| Aged Gouda | Tawny Port, Oloroso sherry, off-dry Riesling | Caramel notes in the cheese meet nutty, sweet notes in the wine |
| Parmigiano Reggiano | Lambrusco, Champagne, Chianti Classico | Bubbles and acidity for salt and crystals; Sangiovese from the same country |
| Roquefort | Sauternes | Salt and sweet, the most famous contrast in French pairing |
| Stilton | Vintage or Late Bottled Vintage Port | A British tradition: sweet, rich wine against strong blue |
| Washed-rind cheese (Époisses, Munster) | Gewürztraminer, Marc de Bourgogne, Burgundy | Pungent cheese needs aromatic or regional partners |
- Fresh goat's cheese, Crottin de Chavignol
- WineSancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Sauvignon Blanc
- Why it worksTangy cheese and crisp, citrus wine from the same corner of the Loire
- Brie, Camembert
- WineChampagne, Crémant, unoaked Chardonnay
- Why it worksBubbles and acidity cut the creamy paste
- Comté
- WineVin Jaune or Savagnin from the Jura, Chardonnay
- Why it worksNutty cheese, nutty wine, same region
- Aged Cheddar
- WineTawny Port, dry Amontillado sherry, or a fruity red with soft tannin
- Why it worksStrong, savoury cheese needs body or sweetness
- Aged Gouda
- WineTawny Port, Oloroso sherry, off-dry Riesling
- Why it worksCaramel notes in the cheese meet nutty, sweet notes in the wine
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- WineLambrusco, Champagne, Chianti Classico
- Why it worksBubbles and acidity for salt and crystals; Sangiovese from the same country
- Roquefort
- WineSauternes
- Why it worksSalt and sweet, the most famous contrast in French pairing
- Stilton
- WineVintage or Late Bottled Vintage Port
- Why it worksA British tradition: sweet, rich wine against strong blue
- Washed-rind cheese (Époisses, Munster)
- WineGewürztraminer, Marc de Bourgogne, Burgundy
- Why it worksPungent cheese needs aromatic or regional partners
How to build a cheese board
- Three to five cheeses with different milks and textures: one fresh or soft, one bloomy rind, one hard, one blue.
- Take them out of the fridge about half an hour before serving. Cold mutes flavour.
- Eat from mild to strong, finishing with blue.
- Add a few partners: plain bread or crackers, grapes, pear or apple, walnuts, honey for the blue, quince paste for hard cheese.
- Give each cheese its own knife, so the blue does not travel.
- Two wines are enough: a crisp white or sparkling for the soft cheeses, and a sweet or fortified wine for the blue and the aged ones.
For the logic behind every pairing, read my food and wine pairing guide. For the Sauvignon Blanc that goes with goat's cheese, see the best Sancerre producers; for the Port that goes with Stilton, choosing a Taylor's Port. Got a cheese in the fridge and no idea what to open? Ask SOMM DIGI AI.
Questions people ask
What is a cheese sommelier called?
Usually a cheesemonger in English or a fromager in French. Cheese sommelier is an informal name for the same expert.
Is red or white wine better with cheese?
White wine works with more cheeses, because its acidity cuts fat and salt and it has no tannin to clash. Save red for a few aged hard cheeses, and choose one with soft tannin.
What wine goes with blue cheese?
A sweet wine: Sauternes with Roquefort, Port with Stilton.
What wine goes with Brie?
Champagne or another sparkling wine, or an unoaked Chardonnay.
How many cheeses should be on a cheese board?
Three to five, with different milks and textures.
For wine lovers · next steps