ALL red wines complement ALL cheeses. This is a myth; it is much more complicated then that, and much more fun! Trying to match one wine to a cheese board crammed with every style of cheese is a daunting task for even the best of sommeliers. So instead why not choose one or two of your favourites and try with some of the wine suggestions below.

Cabernet, Carignan and Syrah (full flavoured tannic wines) tend to complement the sharp, salty, hard cheeses such as Comté or an aged Brebis, the high fat content in the cheese softens the harshness of the tannins and the wines appear fruitier. However, tangy goats’ cheeses are excellent with dry white wines, particularly an aromatic Sauvignon Blanc; the crisp acidity in the wine lifts and refreshes the palate whilst the intense fruitiness compliments the vibrancy of the cheese. Pungent, intensely flavoured blue cheeses are better accompanied by a sweet wine, for example, the Vins Doux Naturels of Maury or Banyuls with a Bleu de Causses or Roquefort with a Late Harvest Muscat. Here the sweetness softens the saltiness in the cheese whilst the powerful flavours of the wine mirror that of the cheese. Then there are soft cheeses like the creamy Pelardon that should be served with either a nutty Chardonnay, when the cheese is young, or a fruity red St-Chinian, if the cheese is aged.