Home > Learn Wine

ask dr. vinny

Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, or "Vinny" for short. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the technical aspects of winemaking to the fine points of etiquette. I hope you find my answers educational and even amusing. Looking for a particular answer? Check my archive and my FAQs.

Dear Dr. Vinny,

I’m hosting a wine and cheese evening and was looking for some specific suggestions of great pairings.

—David B., Rochester, N.Y.

Dear David,

I should point out that we did a cover story on cheese in our Sept. 30, 2008, issue. If you’re a member of WineSpectator.com, there’s a story in our archive specifically about pairing cheese with wine that you might find helpful, as well as a list of 100 great cheeses.

Beyond that, there are a few not-to-be-missed classic pairings I should let you know about. The first is fresh goat cheese with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc—just the thought of it makes my mouth water. There’s also Sauternes and Roquefort, and Port with a Stilton or cheddar.

To broadly generalize, you’ll find that rich white wines will pair with softer-textured cheeses like Brie, while bold red wines do well with firm, mellow cheeses. I think it would be fun to just get a whole bunch of cheeses from your favorite cheese monger, along with some tasty wines, and have your guests explore how the wines and cheeses interact.

—Dr. Vinny

Do you have a question for Dr. Vinny? Ask it here...