What Cheeses Pair Well With Sweet Wine?

Sweet wines are a favorite of deserts and casual get-togethers. They are fun and delicious by themselves, but are also particularly well suited to wine pairings. However, some cheeses do not mesh well with the sweet and often nutty flavors of the richer sweet wines. Knowing the cheeses that mix the best will get you far at a wine and cheese party. Here are a few cheese types you will want to consider if you are looking for delicious pairings with sweet wines.

Blue Cheeses:

It is generally accepted that the blue cheeses are some of the best universally paired with sweet wines. These cheeses have a very rich flavor that matches their wine counterparts, and play very nicely together. The richness can be overpowering to some people however, so be careful when pairing blue cheese with nuttier wines that would be better suited with a salty cheese.

Goat Cheeses:

These soft cheeses are creamy and may even be a little sweet themselves. They are a perfect dessert choice for pairings like Rieslings and other richer wines. The one goat cheese to avoid with sweet wines is feta, as this cheese tends to hold onto an excessive amount of sweetness, and can make some wines even taste bitter from too much of the sugars used.

Munster:

This sharp and savory cheese is an amazing pairing with some of the fruitier dessert wines. It is both a compliment, and an opposite to many of the flavors sweet wines express. This delicious juxtaposition is not for everyone however, as the subtle clash of flavors may overwhelm some pallets. However, this is generally the perfect example of two subtle flavors that become very strong together.

Triple-Cream Cheeses:

These are the ultimate dessert cheeses by themselves, buttery and rich, with creamy thickness that fills the palate. However, despite this thick and creaminess, these cheeses do not have a very powerful flavor by themselves. When mixed with a sweet wine though, they hold onto the flavor of the wine in an almost magical way. This is truly the desert cheese to pair with a rich dessert wine.

White Cheddar:

While a fairly sharp cheese may not seem like a good pairing, the mix of flavors is often very satisfying. White cheddar is not quite as overpowering as its’ yellow counterparts, and allows for more of the wine’s flavor to shine, making it a delicious pairing with some of the dryer sweet wines.