Just as France is a cheese producing country par excellence, it is also a wine producing country par excellence. Such is the relationship between wine and cheese in French culture that we could say that the French have a heart made of cheese and in their veins runs wine.
Wine and cheese have been on every table at mealtimes for many generations. They have adapted to each other over the years, achieving an incomparable symbiosis.
But how do you know how to pair them when France has more than 1200 cheeses and 3200 different wines? No doubt a titanic task. Just as we choose the wine according to the main course, we must first choose the cheese and then the wine. In other words, we must first choose the intensity of the cheese and then the wine that matches it. So, if you are wondering which cheese goes with Sancerre, Bordeaux, or Riesling, etc.? Better ask which wine goes with which cheese.
Well, once we have chosen the type of cheese we are going to taste, it is time to choose the wine, although the first thing that will come to our mind is to choose a red wine, in most cases the best wine to pair with French cheeses, according to the best sommeliers, will be a good dry white wine.
What is the best wine to drink with cheese?
The best wine to accompany French cheese is a dry white wine. This was confirmed by a sensory analysis study carried out by L’Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE). At the same time, the study indicated that cheese modifies and improves the taste of wine, but not the other way around. It shows that it is easier for people to accept a change of wine than a change of cheese.
But to be honest, in the end it all depends on taste and budget. If what you have on hand is a red wine, don’t worry, some cheeses will be perfectly fine. Just keep in mind that if it were a dry white wine, it would be even better.
When should we pair red wine and French cheese?
Once we have chosen the cheese, we must determine what type of cheese it is. In this article we explain the Classification of cheeses according to the French. Red wine is best with a mature, fatty cheese, whether it is soft or hard.
In the case of a soft cheese, such as Camembert, they are usually quite creamy, which does not pair well with a wine strong in tannins, so it is better to choose fruity wines such as a Pinot Noir d’Alsace or a Beaujolais. If you want to know more about Camembert cheese I leave you this article, how do the French eat Camembert cheese?
However, if you are a passionate lover of red wines with strong tannins, you should be aware that they are best paired with hard cheeses, such as Comté, thanks to their high fat content. This is because the latter helps to reduce the sensation of tannins on the palate. If you want to know more about Comté cheese, read this article, how do the French eat Comté cheese?
Which French wine goes with French cheese?
As we indicated above, dry white wine is usually the best ally to accompany French cheeses. However, if you are looking for a quick and easy way to choose a wine that goes well with your cheese, choose one that belongs to the same region as the cheese. The logic behind this recommendation is that, over the generations, wine and cheese producers have adapted each other’s recipes to achieve harmony at the table.
French wine and soft cheese with bloomy rind paring
| Cheese | White wine | Red Wine | Effervescent Wine |
| Brie de Meaux | Dry white wine from Alsace, Savoie, or Bourgogne | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, Bourgogne or Rhône | Champagne brut, Effervescent rosé |
| Brie de Melun | Dry white wine from Alsace, Savoie, or Bourgogne | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, Bourgogne or Rhône | Champagne brut, Effervescent rosé |
| Camembert de Normandie | Sauternes, Chardonnay, Meursault. | Château Neuf du Pape, Pinot noir d’Alsace, Chinon, Beaujolais,Saint-Estèphe, Côtes du Rhône, Gamay, Gevrey-Chambertin, Gigondas. | Champagne |
| Chaource | Dry white wine from Alsace, Savoie, or Bourgogne | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, Bourgogne or Rhône | Effervescent rosé |
| Neufchâtel | Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Graves, Saumur, Chinon, Anjou, Bourgueil. | ||
| Saint Marcellin | Sweet white wine | Porto |
French wine and soft cheese with washed rind paring
| Cheese | White wine | Red Wine | Effervescent Wine |
| Époisses | Dry white wine from Bourgogne, Alsace, or Savoie | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, or Rhône | Champagne brut, effervescent rosé |
| Langres | Dry white wine from Bourgogne, Alsace, or Savoie | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, or Rhône | Champagne brut, effervescent rosé |
| Livarot | Moelleux Montlouis, Sancerre, Tokay, Vouvray, Coteau-du-Layon, Bonnezeaux | Pauillac, Pomerol, Pommard, Corbières, Montlouis | Champagne rosé |
| Maroilles | Dry white wine from Bourgogne, Alsace, or Savoie | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, or Rhône | Champagne brut, effervescent rosé |
| Mont d’Or | Dry white wine from Bourgogne, Alsace, or Savoie | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, or Bourgogne | Champagne brut, effervescent rosé |
| Munster | Dry white wine from Bourgogne, Alsace, or Savoie | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, or Rhône | Champagne brut, effervescent rosé |
| Pont l’Évêque | Riesling, Meursault | Fronsac rouge, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Pomerol, Saint-Emilion, Bourgueil, Volnay, Chardonnay | Champagne rosé |
French wine and blue cheese paring
| Cheese | White wine | Red Wine | Effervescent Wine | Rosé Wine |
| Bleu d’Auvergne | Moelleux de Monbazillac, Pineau des Charentes | Natural sweet wine, Rasteau | ||
| Bleu de Gex Haut Jura | Straw wine from the Jura | Cerdon du Bugey | ||
| Bleu de Vercors-Sassenage | White Châtillon-en-Diois | Red Châtillon-en-Diois | Clairette de Die | Rosé Châtillon-en-Diois |
| Bleu des Causses | Natural sweet wines such as Muscat, Liquoreux wines, Moelleux Côte de Bergerac | |||
| Fourme d’Ambert | Côtes d’Auvergne AOC, Moelleux Coteaux du Layon, Muscat de St Jean de Minervois | |||
| Fourme de Montbrison | White wine IGP du Pays d’Urfé | Red wine Côtes du Forez AOP | ||
| Roquefort | Moelleux | Banyuls |
French wine and cooked pressed cheese paring
| Cheese | White wine | Red Wine | Effervescent Wine |
| Abondance | Dry white wine from Savoie | Red wine fromSavoie | Crémant de Savoie, effervescent rosé |
| Beaufort | Chignin-Bergeron | Crémant de Savoie | |
| Comté | White wine fromJura, Châteauneuf du Pape | ||
| Emmental français | Altesse, Péclette, Chignin, Chignin-Bergeron | Jacquère | Crémant de Savoie |
French wine and uncooked pressed cheese paring
| Cheese | White wine | Red Wine | Effervescent Wine |
| Cantal | Dry white wine from Jura | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, or Champagne | Champagne brut, demi-sec, and rosé |
| Chevrotin | Dry white wine from Loire, Bourgogne, or Corse | Red wine from Bourgogne, or Loire | |
| Laguiole | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, or Champagne | Champagne brut, demi-sec, and rosé | |
| Morbier | Dry white wine from Jura | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, or Champagne | Champagne brut, demi-sec, and rosé |
| Ossau Iraty | Dry white wine from Béarn Jurançon, Irouléguy, or Jura | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, or Champagne | Champagne brut, demi-sec, and rosé |
| Reblochon | Dry white wine from Savoie, Jura | Red wine from Loire, Jura, or Rhône | Champagne brut, demi-sec, and rosé |
| Saint-Nectaire | Dry white wine from Jura | Red wine fromLoire, Bordeaux, or Bourgogne | Champagne brut, demi-sec, and rosé |
| Salers | Dry white wine from Jura | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, or Champagne | Champagne brut, demi-sec, and rosé |
| Tome des Bauges | Dry white wine from Jura | Red wine fromLoire, Jura, Bordeaux, or Champagne | Champagne brut, demi-sec, and rosé |
French wine and goat cheese paring
| Cheese | White wine | Red Wine | Rosé Wine |
| Banon | White wine from its terroir | ||
| Brocciu | Dry white wine from Roussillon,Liquoreux wines | ||
| Charolais | Dry white wine from Loire, Bourgogne, or Corse. | Red wine from Loire, or Bourgogne. | |
| Crottin de Chavignol | Sancerre, Vin blanc sec de Loire, Chavignol | ||
| Mâconnais | Dry white wine from Loire, Bourgogne, or Corse. | Red wine from Loire, or Bourgogne. | |
| Picodon | White wine from its terroir | ||
| Pouligny-Saint-Pierre | Reuilly, Quincy,Menetou-Salon,Sancerre,Valençay,Sauvignon de Touraine. | ||
| Rigotte de Condrieu | Dry white wine from Loire, Bourgogne, or Corse. | Red wine from Loire, or Bourgogne. | |
| Rocamadour | Dry white wine from Loire, Bourgogne, or Corse. | Red wine from Loire, or Bourgogne. | |
| Sainte Maure de Touraine | Dry white wine from Loire, Bourgogne, or Corse. | Red wine from Loire, or Bourgogne. | |
| Selles sur Cher | White wine from its terroir | Red wine from its terroir | |
| Valençay | White wine from its terroir | Red wine from its terroir | Rosé wine from its terroir |
