Chardonnay, bubbles or light red
Freshness and bubbles cut through the cheese’s richness.
Adapt the match to the dish
Check maturity: a young creamy cheese differs from a very ripe one whose aroma can overpower a delicate wine.
When the recipe changes
Young creamy cheese differs from mature washed rind. For the latter, seek more aroma intensity and check white-wine sweetness; aromatic grapes are not necessarily sweet.
Wines to compare
Chardonnay — From crisp and mineral to broad and buttery. Compare an unoaked version with a barrel-aged one: the grape stays the same, while fermentation and ageing change texture.
✦
The tip. Very mature cheese needs a stronger partner.
