Cabernet Sauvignon Cheese Pairings (Full Guide)

Are you searching for a wine that pairs easily with cheese? Then the Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect choice.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is aged in oak and marked by dark fruits like plums, blackberries and cassis. This full-bodied red is perfect to pair with cheese.

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Cabernet Sauvignon Cheese Pairings (Top 3)

We’ve made a summary below to help you choose the perfect pairing.

Cheeses that Pair Well	Cheeses to Avoid
Cheddar	Goat Cheeses
Gouda	Soft-Ripened Cheeses
Aged Gruyère	Hard Cheeses
Pecorino-style sheep’s cheese	Blue Cheeses
Comté

1. Cheddar Cheese

If you're drinking a big, rich cabernet, you should go for an intense cheddar cheese and maybe an aged Gruyère

2. Gouda Cheese

If you're enjoying a young cabernet with light tannins, you should choose an aged cheese.

For example: cheddar, gouda, Pecorino-style sheep’s cheese and goat.

3. Cows Milk Cheeses 

Older cabernet with soft tannins pair well with semi-firm cow’s milk cheeses, like aged goudas, aged cheddars, Comté and sheep’s milk cheeses.

Wines characterized with a long finish, like cabernet sauvignon, require cheeses with complex flavors that can match that long finish, so that’s why aged cheddars are the best pairing for various types of cabernet sauvignon

Best Types of Cheeses for Cabernet Sauv

What to look for when buying cheese for your cabernet sauvignon?

You need to keep an eye on the following characteristics and types:

1. Sheep’s Cheeses (Slightly Aged)

The aging phase adds a crunchy rich flavor to cheese, making it the perfect pairing for cabernet Sauvignon.

Their crunchy texture and the taste of the cheese will highlight the berry notes in the cabernet sauvignons (old and young), while the tannins in the wine will bind to the fats and proteins in the cheese, helping in cleaning the palate.

Famous pairings with Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon include the famous Vermont’s Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Wisconsin’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve and the Holland’s Beemster 18-Month Aged Gouda.

2. Cow’s Cheeses (Slightly Aged)

These have a more solid texture, subtle nutty flavors, and a more overall complex taste, making them ideal for pairing with cabernet Sauvignon wine.

The gamey odor of these cheeses also complements the structure and finish of a cabernet.

Selected for the Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon cheese plate are the Ossau-Iraty of France and San Andreas and Ewenique from California.

3. Soft Ripened Cheese (Slightly Firm / Earthy Notes)

When pairing Cabernet Sauvignon with smooth-ripened cheeses, it is critical to pick earthy and variations cautiously so that you can keep away from having them clash with a lighter-style, younger cabernet.  

Why?

Because of the creamy cheese.

It will accentuate the heavy tannins into an extra effective cabernet, making the wine overly chewy.

Tender-ripened cheeses which have an earthy or herbaceous thing from the rind or an additional component, such as muffins, are high-quality complemented by means of the dried herb aromas in the younger cabernet, whilst also softly caring for its tannins.

A few examples of those cheeses encompass:

• Marin French Triple Crème Brie with cakes
• Cowgirl Creamery's Mt Tam
• and Feta with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil.

Related Cabernet Sauvignon articles:

• Is Cabernet Sauvignon Sweet?
• Calories in Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot vs Cabernet Sauvignon
• Should Cabernet Sauvignon Be Chilled?

4 Cheeses to Avoid Pairing With Cab Sauvignon

I avoid four categories of cheese with cabernet sauvignon:

1. Goat Cheeses (Soft and Young) 

Often labelled as chèvre.

They are famously tangy due to them being highly acidic and thus can over-power the alcohol in the cabernets.

This does not happen in case the the cheese is accompanied with herbs – These cheeses can do well with a Bordeaux or maybe a Cabernet.

2. Soft-Ripened Cheeses (Creamy) 

Such as Brie, triple crèmes cheeses like Saint André and Brillat-Savarin and Camembert, can mute the flavors of cabernet and expose bitter/metallic notes.

To ensure that the fruit flavors of the cabernet remain prominent, choose cheeses that won't mute the flavors, such as aged cow's milk cheeses with extended age, semi-hard sheep's milk cheeses with some age, and slightly firm soft-ripened cheeses with earthy notes.

3. Hard Cheeses

Cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano can overwhelm the fruit flavors of the wine due to their salty and paradoxically sweet caramel and pineapple flavors.

When pairing Parmigiano with a red wine, it is best to choose a light red wine that is low in tannin, such as still or sparkling Lambrusco, which is an Italian favorite.

If the wine has pronounced tannins, the salt in the cheese will only intensify the flavors of the tannins.

4. Blue Cheeses

Pungent blue cheeses can be difficult to pair with cabernet sauvignon as they often make the wine taste metallic and bitter.

A better match would be a crisp and lean white wine, like a young Jordan Chardonnay or a champagne.

Milder blue cheeses, such as:

• Neal's Yard Cashel Blue

• Rogue Creamery's Caveman Blue

Can do well with a bold, young and fruity classics of Jordan.

These cheeses are usually slightly sweet and have and a buttery texture that complements the overall structure and fruit of the Jordan Cabernet (2012-2013).

Summary of Cheese Pairing With Cabernet Sauvignon

We hope you enjoyed our article on the best cheese pairings for Cabernet Sauvignon.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, or email us at info@expertwinestorage.co.uk

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