Cheese and wine make a great pair, that’s why events and meals are held around it. For every cheese creation, a bottle of wine would complement a slice. As a popular cheese past time, cheese and wine pairing becomes an avenue for new taste discoveries and wonderful recollection of food memories.

There is actually a scientific explanation that makes this pairing so natural and enjoyable. Wine naturally has tannin on its skin, pit and stem, acting as preservative and giving wine (especially young wines) a tactile astringency and bitter taste. When you drink wine and nibble on cheese, the tannin softens in the presence of the cheese.

Douglas Green Wines, a winemaker, supports this theory: “Scientists have found that high fat, high protein foods balance the taste of tannin. That makes cheese the perfect food to go with wine.” The pairing commences once you have settled on the cheese varieties on your cheese plate. Each cheese will have particular wines that bring out the best in them.

There are no hard and fast rules in cheese and wine pairing, just basic guidelines so you get the maximum enjoyment possible. Here is a list of guidelines based on the Dairy Australia website: Look for similar characteristics in both the wine and cheese, and then match them. Tangy cheese goes well with acidic wines. Fruity cheeses go well with fruity wines.

“Balance the weight of the cheese with the weight of the wine.” Soft, fresh goat cheeses should be paired with light wines. “Sweetness in wine counter-balances and complements the acidity and saltiness of cheese.” “Visualise the taste and texture and experiment accordingly.” “The whiter and fresher the cheese, the whiter and crisper the wine.” “The darker and stronger the cheese, the darker and stronger the wine.”