Wine pairings

When pairing wine and cheese, you want a wine that's going to complement the flavours of the cheese and not overpower it -- and vice versa.

You wouldn't drink a really light wine with a strong-tasting cheese, or a mild cheese with a full-bodied, robust wine.

"There's a general rule of thumb to follow," says Lisa Cameron, spokesperson for the B.C. Wine Institute, "The stronger the cheese is, move up the spectrum of the body of wine."

She says mild, hard cheeses such as cheddar are best paired with Gamet Noir, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, unwooded Chardonnays or Cabernet Francs. While stronger hard cheeses such as aged Gouda or Asiago go best with a full-bodied Shiraz, Zinfandel or Bordeaux blends.

Aromatic wines such as Ehrenfelser, Siegerrebe and Chasselas are great with soft cheeses like brie and Camembert; while a Sauvignon Blanc and rose are classic pairings for goat cheese.

When it comes to blue cheeses, you want to pick an ice wine, late harvest wine or port. "Going for higher sugar content will smooth out the edges of a strong blue cheese," says Cameron.