Sip, slice and taste: wine regions that have also mastered the art of cheese pairing
Wine regions with strong cheese traditions tend to approach the two not as separate pleasures but as products shaped by the same landscape. In these places, vineyards sit close to grazing land and long-established methods guide everything from milk production to cellar ageing. Local makers work with what the climate supports, producing cheeses that align naturally with the wines grown nearby. The result is a straightforward, place-driven practice that has developed over time. Here are five regions where cheese pairing reflects steady craft and a clear sense of origin.
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Burgundy, France
Burgundy’s vineyards sit within a patchwork of mixed farms that historically produced both wine and dairy, especially in Côte-d’Or and the adjoining plains. The region is known for soft, washed-rind and bloomy cheeses that developed in areas with cooler conditions suited to small-scale cow’s milk production. Époisses, created in the village of the same name in the early 1500s, is washed with Marc de Bourgogne during ageing, which gives it its distinctive surface and aroma. Producers and restaurants often serve it with local pinot noir because both come from nearby villages and share similar agricultural rhythms. As wine lovers like to say, “If it grows together, it goes together.” This reflects how cheese pairing in Burgundy grew from proximity, routine and long-established farming links rather than deliberate stylistic design.
Piedmont, Italy
Cheese and wine complement each other naturally, with textures, flavours and acidity creating balanced combinations (Photo by Quentin Touvard/Unsplash)
Piedmont’s food culture moves between alpine pasture and hillside vineyard, a landscape that shapes what appears on local tables. Dairy towns in Cuneo, Biella and the Langhe have produced variations of robiola for centuries, from the goat’s milk styles of Roccaverano to the mixed-milk cheeses of Alta Langa. These sit easily beside regional wines because they come from the same valleys and follow the same seasonal rhythms. Nebbiolo-based Barolo and Barbaresco are poured with firmer, longer-aged cheeses, while arneis and other local whites match the younger, softer styles. The result is a calm, everyday approach to cheese pairing built on proximity and long-standing routine.
Rioja, Spain
Rioja’s food and wine habits have been shaped by long ageing traditions, from extended barrel time in local cellars to the slow maturation of sheep’s milk cheeses in northern Spain. Although Roncal and Idiazabal come from neighbouring regions in Navarre and the Basque Country, they have circulated through Rioja for centuries via established trade routes and seasonal markets. Their firm texture and savoury profile sit comfortably beside the area’s tempranillo-based reds, which often show gentle oak influence due to traditional ageing rules. These combinations reflect how producers and households have relied on what moved easily across regional borders. Cheese pairing in Rioja remains tied to availability, routine and long-held patterns of exchange.
Napa Valley, United States
Local guidelines offer a starting point, but discovering unexpected matches is part of the enjoyment, showing that cheese pairing can be both rooted in craft and genuinely fun (Photo: Freepik)
Napa’s tasting culture has grown alongside a network of small dairies in neighbouring Sonoma and Marin, where cow’s milk and goat’s milk cheeses are produced in limited batches. Many wineries source directly from these makers, bringing cheddar-style aged cheeses and fresh goat varieties into their tasting rooms as part of a wider focus on regional agriculture. Cabernet sauvignon, with its firmer tannins, is commonly poured with longer-aged styles, while sauvignon blanc is matched with younger, fresher cheeses that reflect the area’s coastal influence. The approach keeps cheese pairing rooted in local supply and steady collaboration between vineyards and nearby farms.
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Victoria, Australia
Victoria’s cool-climate regions, particularly the Yarra Valley, sit within a broader agricultural corridor where wineries and small dairies often operate side by side. Local producers make soft cow’s milk cheeses, fresh styles and washed-rind varieties that reflect the area’s mild conditions and steady milk supply. As Chardonnay and pinot noir production grew through the late 20th century, many cellar doors began offering these cheeses as part of their hospitality programmes, drawing on nearby farms rather than importing from farther afield. The region’s approach to cheese pairing is shaped by proximity, seasonal rhythms and ongoing partnerships between vineyards and local cheesemakers, which keep the combinations grounded in everyday practice.
For anyone exploring these regions, cheese pairing offers a simple way to experience local flavours together. Whether sampling Époisses with a village pinot noir in Burgundy, robiola with Barolo in Piedmont or a fresh goat cheese with sauvignon blanc in Napa, pairing local cheeses with nearby wines makes tasting more intuitive and enjoyable. These combinations are guided by what is available, seasonal and produced close to home, making cheese pairing a straightforward way to connect with the region’s food and wine traditions.
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