Flavor

Cheese and wine flavors can match or, more often, they can pleasantly oppose and counterbalance. A citrusy Sauvignon Blanc can echo the tartness of a fresh chèvre beautifully, but a sweet dessert wine can complement a salty blue cheese as well. The flavors to look for when choosing a wine to pair with cheese are acidity or tartness (which comes from the grapes); bitterness (from the grape skins and wooden barrels used for aging); sweetness (from the residual sugar that remains after fermentation); and spiciness (the peppery flavor that some wines, such as Syrah, may display).