Match weight, not flavour
A delicate chèvre is destroyed by a big Châteauneuf. Pair intensity to intensity first.
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Module 2
Pairing in 60 seconds
Acidity is the engine
Cheese is fat and salt. Acid cuts both. This is why crisp white beats red more often than not.
Tannin fights salt
Big reds turn metallic against soft or salty cheese. Save them for hard, aged, dry ones.
Sweet beats salty
Roquefort and foie gras need Sauternes, Monbazillac or Pommeau. This rule is close to absolute.
Terroir logic never fails
If the cheese and the drink grew within a hundred kilometres of each other, it works.
Bubbles are the safety net
Champagne, Crémant and cider all scrub fat off the palate. One bottle, whole board.
Module 4
Cheese and what to pour
| Cheese family | Best | Also works | Cider option | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh & soft goatCrottin de Chavignol, Sainte-Maure, Valençay, fromage frais | Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon | Muscadet, Touraine Sauvignon, Provence rosé, Crémant de Loire | Poiré — delicate and floral | Oaked Chardonnay, anything with tannin |
| Soft bloomy rindBrie de Meaux, Camembert, Chaource, Brillat-Savarin | Champagne Blanc de Blancs, Crémant de Bourgogne, Chablis | Mâcon-Villages; Beaujolais for triple-crème | Cidre Brut de Normandie — better than any wine with a ripe Camembert | Big tannic reds |
| Washed rindÉpoisses, Munster, Reblochon, Pont-l'Évêque, Maroilles | Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris d'Alsace, Vin Jaune | Riesling d'Alsace, Roussette de Savoie | Cidre Brut fermier — the easiest solution to the hardest family | Almost all red wine |
| Semi-hard & mountainComté, Beaufort, Tomme de Savoie, Cantal, Saint-Nectaire | Chardonnay du Jura, Chablis, Côtes du Rhône Villages | Bourgogne Rouge, Vouvray sec, Apremont | Cidre Brut — apple tannin mirrors the nuttiness | Nothing much. The most flexible family. |
| Hard & agedComté 24m+, Mimolette Vieille, Cantal Vieux, Ossau-Iraty | Saint-Émilion, Médoc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Madiran | Vin Jaune with aged Comté; Irouléguy with Ossau-Iraty | Pommeau de Normandie — fortified and nutty | Delicate whites, which simply disappear |
| BlueRoquefort, Fourme d'Ambert, Bleu d'Auvergne, Bleu des Causses | Sauternes, Monbazillac, Jurançon Moelleux | Banyuls, Maury, Coteaux du Layon | Pommeau, or Cidre Doux for a lower-alcohol route | Dry red wine — it goes aggressively bitter |
Module 5
Cold cuts and what to pour
| Cold cut | First choice | Second choice | Cider option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyrenees / Lacaune IGP cured ham | Jurançon Sec | Champagne, Crémant de Bourgogne | Cidre Brut |
| Iberian / Serrano ham | Champagne Rosé | Tavel or Provence rosé | — |
| Jambon de Paris, jambon blanc | Beaujolais-Villages | Chablis, Crémant de Loire | Cidre Demi-Sec |
| Prosciutto di Parma | Crémant d'Alsace | Champagne Blanc de Blancs | — |
| Saucisson sec, rosette | Beaujolais-Villages | Côtes du Rhône, Gamay de Touraine | Cidre Brut |
| Chorizo | Côtes du Roussillon | Corbières, Minervois | — |
| Rillettes du Mans, de canard | Chinon, Bourgueil | Vouvray sec, Saumur-Champigny | Cidre Brut — cuts the fat superbly |
| Pâté de campagne, terrine | Saumur-Champigny | Côtes du Rhône, Crémant d'Alsace | Cidre Brut |
| Foie gras, mousse de canard | Sauternes, Monbazillac | Jurançon, Champagne | Pommeau de Normandie |
| Coppa, bresaola | Bourgogne Rouge | Sancerre Rouge, Champagne Rosé | — |
| Smoked ham, jambon fumé | Riesling d'Alsace | Pinot Gris d'Alsace | Cidre Demi-Sec |
| Andouille de Vire, boudin | Chinon | Muscadet, Côtes du Rhône | Cidre Brut — the Norman classic |