How to Properly Pair Dessert Wine and Cheese

Port

Port is a fortified wine (meaning fermentation is stopped to leave residual sugar) from Portugal. Generally speaking, less expensive ports have flavors of sweet, ripe dark berries while vintage and aged ports lean toward flavors of dried fruits with hints of caramelized nuts.

Port and the blue cheese Stilton are a traditional pairing, but port also matches well with other blue cheeses. To bring out the nuttiness of the wine even more, garnish the blue cheese with walnuts or pecans, either raw or candied.

Sherry

Sherry, a fortified wine from Spain, is produced in a variety of styles and levels of sweetness. Varieties include Amontillado, Oloroso, Cream Sherry, and Pedro Ximénez, which range from slightly to very sweet. No matter which you choose, all pair well with cheese.

Sherries often have a nutty flavor with a hint of dried figs and complement nicely with salty Spanish cheeses, such as Manchego, Cabrales, Mahon, and Serra de Estrella.

Madeira

The island of Madeira off the coast of North Africa, which is considered part of Portugal, is the namesake of this dessert wine that ages for decades. Look for a Malmsey Madeira, which is richer and sweeter but still balanced, as it has more acidity than port wine.

With a slight flavor of toasted nuts, Madeira pairs well with cheeses that also have a nutty character, such as Gruyère, Petite Basque, and Zamorano. Madeira pairs well with blue cheeses as well.

Sauternes

The flavor of this sweet wine from France is often compared to apricots, peaches, and honey with a little touch of nuttiness. The flavor profile of sauternes pairs well with blue cheeses or salty washed rind cheeses like Epoisses, a pungent "stinky cheese" with a rich somewhat meaty flavor.

Sweet Riesling

All Rieslings—dry, off-dry, and sweet—are especially cheese-friendly wines. If you're serving cheese as a dessert course, look for Rieslings with Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, or Late Harvest on the label, as these words all indicate the Riesling will be on the sweeter side.

Pair sweet Riesling with creamy cheeses like Selles-sur-Cher (or other soft goat cheeses), Reblochon, Camembert, and Muenster, or with harder cheeses that have a "Swiss flavor" such as Comte, Beaufort, and Hoch Ybrig. Rieslings also complement a nice white Cheddar.

Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer, with its aromatic flavors of rose petals, baking spices, apricots, lychee, and citrus, is a white wine that ranges from dry to sweet in style.

Both styles pair well with full-flavored cheeses—try Hirtenkase or Appenzeller, and Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk, Greenfields by Saxon Creamery, or a Muenster.

Sweet Sparkling Wines

Demi-sec Champagnes or Italian Moscato d'Asti are fun sweet sparkling wines for the start of a meal, but they can create a delicious ending as well—especially when enjoyed along with a variety of cheeses. Pair with Parmigiano-Reggiano, soft goat cheeses, or triple-crème cheese.