Wine & Cheese: 6 Unexpected Pairings You Won't Forget

🍷 1. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2015 × Époisses

The pairing that makes purists go pale.
A 2nd Grand Cru Classé from Saint-Julien going up against Burgundy's most formidable cheese — washed in Marc, oozing, almost aggressive. On paper: a disaster. In the glass: a revelation.
The extraordinarily silky tannins of the 2015 vintage — one of the most sun-drenched of the decade — absorb the power of the Époisses like a velvet sponge. The tertiary aromas of Ducru (leather, cedar, a whisper of truffle) resonate with the washed rind. The result: they calm each other down, and you're left speechless.

Our sommeliers' advice: bring the Époisses to room temperature 2 hours ahead. Serve the Ducru at 17°C — not a degree less.

🥂 2. Meursault 1er Cru Perrières Grivault 2017 × Fourme d'Ambert

A white with a blue. Everyone says no. Our sommeliers say try it.
The rule says: white wines don't go with blue cheeses. The rule is sometimes wrong. The natural acidity and mineral tension of this exceptional Meursault — Perrières, the most mineral plot in the appellation — cuts through the creamy richness of the Fourme with surgical precision. The buttery hazelnut character of the Chardonnay responds to the relative gentleness of this Auvergne blue.
Less aggressive than Roquefort, Fourme d'Ambert is the ideal blue cheese for sceptics of the white-blue pairing. Try it once. Once is all it takes to change your mind forever.

The key to the pairing: the measured intensity of both partners. Neither one overwhelms the other.

🍷 3. Hermitage La Sizeranne Chapoutier 2018 × Roquefort

The South vs the South. A pairing of terroir.
Northern Rhône Syrah in its most noble form — black olives, white pepper, violet, smoked meat. Facing it, the king of blue cheeses, born a few hundred kilometres to the south-west. Two southern characters. Two powerhouses.
Against all expectations, the pronounced saltiness of the Roquefort softens the Syrah's tannins and brings out its dark fruit. The pepper of the Hermitage is amplified by the blue veins. It's powerful, intense, a pairing for experienced tasters — but those who try it never go back.

Advice: half a portion of Roquefort is enough. This is a boxing match, not a caress.

🥂 4. Sancerre Belle Dame Vacheron 2019 × Feta marinated with thyme honey and pink pepper

Sancerre leaves its terroir and travels to the Mediterranean.
Sancerre-chèvre is the marriage of reason. Sancerre-feta with honey and pink pepper is the unexpected love story. The mineral tension and vibrancy of the Belle Dame's Sauvignon Blanc — one of the most accomplished cuvées in the appellation — cuts clean through the honey while letting the spice express itself.
The natural saltiness of the feta replaces the salt you don't put in wine. And the pink pepper dances with the Sauvignon's herbaceous notes like two strangers who found each other by chance.

Our sommeliers' note: use a Greek PDO feta, not an industrial one. The difference is abyssal.

🍷 5. Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Apôtres Usseglio 2019 × 36-month Comté

The pairing that rewards patience.
The extra-aged Comté spent 36 months in the cellar developing its tyrosine crystals, its notes of caramel, walnut and hay. Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Apôtres — Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah from a generous vintage — also waited.
These two recognise each other. The aromatic power of the Grenache (warm spices, candied fruit, garrigue) engages with the complexity of the aged Comté in a harmony that seems almost obvious once in the mouth. The Comté crystals crunch between the teeth while the wine's silky tannins caress the palate.

This is the pairing of slowness and time well spent. Serve with rye bread. Full stop.

🥂 6. Pouilly-Fuissé Labruyère Prieur 2019 × Truffle Brillat-Savarin

Luxury calls to luxury. And it's right.
Truffle Brillat-Savarin is a triple-cream cheese of indecent richness — butter, cream, black truffle. Facing it, a Pouilly-Fuissé of high extraction, built on richness and texture rather than minerality. Two products that embrace their opulence without apology.
The generous richness of the cheese amplifies the Chardonnay's texture and extends its finish. The truffle echoes the wine's buttery, lightly toasted notes. This is pure pleasure — no intellectualisation required.

Recommended use: a Sunday lunch. Alone or in very good company. Not on a weekday.

All these wines are available in our Wine Fair selection — 9 to 23 September, up to -34% off on thirty hand-picked references. The cheeses are your problem.