A Match Made in Heaven

Brie & Camembert

Soft, buttery and mild, brie and camembert tend to be a usual inclusion on cheese platters at dinner parties and restaurants. Allow the cheese to sit at room temperature before serving for a decent period of time in order to soften up the middle. Match brie or camembert with a full-bodied chardonnay with notes of toasted nuts. If you’re celebrating or just after something a little more decadent, champagne’s yeasty characteristics complement the white crust on brie and camembert beautifully. 

If you’re opting for a beer, try a sour ale craft beer with a mature farmhouse camembert with a strong aroma. The earthy taste will mingle with the sour ale’s intense fermented flavour to create a little magic for your mouth.

Gouda

Gouda cheese is semi-soft cow’s milk cheese. Pair a sweet, creamy aged Gouda with a full-bodied cabernet sauvignon. The rich, earthy notes and full-body of the tannins in a robust cabernet compliment Gounda’s nutty flavours perfectly. 

If you’re in the mood for a refreshing beer, try a beer brewed with cinnamon or nutmeg spices, as these will complement the fruitiness and mild spice of the cumin seed in the gouda. 

Havarti

Havarti cheese is buttery smooth and can be mildly aromatic. The crisp, red fruit in a rose is delicious and delicate and gracefully compliments the mellow flavour of Havarti without overpowering it. 

Cheddar

Cheddar cheese is one of the most widely used cheeses in New Zealand. If the cheddar is un-aged, a refined merlot is your go-to. For a rich aged cheddar, an equally rich wine is required to balance out the robust flavours, we suggest a Hawke’s Bay syrah. 

To match the sharp nature of cheddar, give a hoppy IPA a go. This beer has just the right amount of crispness to cut through the creaminess of the cheddar. 

Blue Cheese 

Blue cheese is bold and packs a punch. They can vary from sharp, salty and crumbly to rich, creamy and soft. A sweet riesling or pinot gris is the perfect refreshment to take the edge off blue cheese. 

If your preference is a beer try a rich, malty stout. The sweet and chocolatey notes in the malt flavours of the beer combined with the sodium in blue cheese make for a delightful dessert pairing. 

Feta

Mild, fresh and milky, Feta cheese is loved for its ability to offer nuances of many herbs and spices. From crumbled through a roast vegetable salad to grilled with pita or naan bread, feta will enhance the flavours of any dish with it’s salty tanginess. Feta is excellently paired with a crisp, dry sauvignon blanc due to it’s high acidity and structure. 

Halloumi

This exotic “squeaky” cheese has gained huge popularity due to its diversity and complex flavours. With the ability to be fried, grilled, baked, roasted, halloumi is incredibly versatile and an excellent non-protein addition to salad or meat replacement. Try halloumi with a crisp Marlborough sauvignon blanc. The acidity of a sauvignon blanc balances out the salty flavours of halloumi brilliantly.

Tip: You can buy all these cheeses and other great platter ingredients online at all of our FreshChoice stores and have them delivered to your door.