6Ft6 guide to pairing wine and cheese

Be a cheese and wine expert in no time

If you’re here, we can be pretty sure that you’ll agree that wine, on its own, is pretty darn great, but if there’s anything that can take casual wine drinking to the next level, it’s breaking out the wine and cheese pairings.  Both superstars in their own right, but together wine and cheese become a match truly made in heaven.

But, with so many varieties to choose from, selecting a winning pairing can be a daunting task.  So, to help remove the guesswork, we’ve put together a pairing guide complete with serving suggestions from some of our favourite local cheesemakers.  

This handy dandy compendium will guide you through the best flavour combinations to impress your family and friends!

Download the printable cheese and wine guide here

Our patented 6Ft6 guide to finding the best cheese and wine pairings:

Cheeses to pair with PROSECCO

Try: Mild, Italian, soft, fresh or hard

Those who enjoy a glass of crisp prosecco will appreciate the delicate floral notes and slight citrusy finish.  And these subtle flavours can lend themselves toward more subtly flavoured cheeses.  Being an Italian grape varietal, we would recommend pairing with a beautiful Italian cheese such as a mild Taleggio.  

Like Champagne, prosecco pairs well with A LOT of cheeses.  A very traditional pairing in Italy is prosecco and parmesan cheese as the acidity in the wine can cut through the fat in dense, harder cheeses.   

TBH, here at 6Ft6 we’re happy to eat almost any cheese with our prosecco!

Our favourite cheeses to pair with prosecco

From the supermarket: Le Fromager D’Affinois

From the Deli: L’Artisan Mountain Man

The Vegan Dairy: Fruit and Pistacchio

Cheeses to pair with SAUVIGNON BLANC

Try: Clean, fresh, organic, sheep, goat milk cheeses

Sauvignon Blanc is commonly paired with sheep or goats milk cheeses.  Our Savvy B has a more refined acidity than you’ll find in a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, which lends itself to soft and fresh cheese styles.  And we are SO lucky to have a myriad of wonderful goat’s cheese producers in our region! 

Our favourite cheese to eat with our Sauvignon Blanc?  A Meredith Feta cheese atop a beautiful salad or smeared across a slice of crusty white bread. 

If sheep and goat’s cheeses aren’t your bag, look for creamy, milder flavoured soft cheeses such as a triple cream brie (AKA the ever popular Fromager D’Affinois).  Remember when selecting your cheese to always consider buying local first

Our favourite cheeses to pair with sauvignon blanc

From the supermarket: Meredith marinated goats feta

From the Deli: L’Artisan Extravagant

Vegan Cheese: The Vegan Dairy – Ashed Chevre

Cheese to pair with ROSÉ

Try: Fresh, goats, sheep, hard, salty 

Rosé is a super versatile wine to enjoy alongside a cheeseboard.  Just imagine yourself sitting among the citrus and olive trees in Provence, poolside with a crisp glass of rosé and a platter of peaches, prosciutto and cheese.  Paradise, oui?  Okay now snap out of it, you’re actually making us jealous.

Rosé has the benefit of a little extra acidity which means that it can pair well with a variety of cheeses.  Think of a delicious feta cheese crumbled on a salad or perhaps a Manchego sheep’s milk cheese alongside that prosciutto we mentioned earlier.  Rosé is one of the few wines that really stacks up against saltier cheeses.

Drier styles of rosé like ours also lend themselves toward hard cheeses like aged cheddar or a gruyere.

Our favourite cheeses to pair with rosé

From the Supermarket: Warnambool Heritage Vintage Cheddar

From the Deli: L’Artisan Fermier

Vegan Cheese: The Vegan Dairy Marinated Feta

Cheese to pair with PINOT GRIS

Try: Nutty cow’s milk cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella, alpine

This easy drinker is also a fairly easy wine pairer.  Originating in Alsace, the French region bordering Switzerland and Germany, this wine is great to pair with alpine style cheese.  Think Gruyere, Raclette or everybody’s secret retro favourite – fondue!  

And we’re back on that dream tour of Europe…  Perhaps when the world reopens, a European holiday might be on the cards. 

For those of us ensconced firmly here in the land of Oz, you’ll have to settle for the many amazing local producers of these cheese styles.  Our favourite being L’Artisan.  Their raclette is second to none!

Pinot Gris is equally good paired with goat cheese (either hard or soft) and a winning combination that delight most palates is Pinot Gris with mozzarella.  Try a fresh tomato and basil salad drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and fresh bocconcini or fior di latte, after all, cheese doesn’t always have to come on a board!  

Our favourite cheeses to pair with pinot gris:

Readily available cheese: Mozzarella Cheese

Local cheesemaker: L’Artisan Raclette or Fermier

Vegan Cheese: Herb Garlic Boursin

Cheeses to pair with PINOT NOIR

Try: Delicate and creamy, semi hard, fresh, smooth

Light red equals light cheese!  Try soft through to medium hard cheeses with your next glass of pinot, but try and keep the flavours mild and nutty.  

Compte, which is an Alpine style of cheese is particularly delicious with our popular 6Ft6 pinot noir or alternatively try out L’Artisan’s Mountain Man Cheese, which is a subtle, soft washed rind.  

As pinot noir is one of the lightest of the reds it doesn’t generally hold up too well against aged hard cheeses and prefers a softer or more mild cheese pairing.

Our favourite cheeses to pair with pinot noir

From the Deli/Supermarket: L’Artisan Petit Rouge

Vegan Cheese: The Vegan Dairy – Red Bell Pepper

Cheeses to pair with SHIRAZ

Try: Bold, hard, smelly, bitey

Are you one of those people who prefers your cheese stinky and strong?  Well a good Aussie shiraz is the pick of the bunch (no pun intended) for all you smelly, aged cheese fans out there. 

Shiraz’s bolder flavours and aromas should be paired with stronger flavoured or aged cheeses.  You can really start getting adventurous on your cheese board if you’re drinking a bottle of our 6Ft6 shiraz alongside it.  Try a stinky washed rind cheese, an aged Gouda from Holland or keep it local with everyone’s secret favourite, a crumbly Mersey Valley Cheese.

The tannins in the wine will bind with the proteins and fats in the cheese ensuring a cleansed palate after each and every mouthful.

Our favourite cheeses to pair with shiraz

From the supermarket: Mersey Valley Classic

From the Deli: L’Artisan Mepunga Gruyere 

Vegan Cheese: The Vegan Dairy -Aged and Smokey

Download the printable cheese and wine guide here