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Austin’s wine and cheese pairing guide

Become a wine and cheese matching expert

And find links to our top local cheese producers

Is there anything better than devouring a delicious cheese board paired with just the right glass, or bottle of wine? [no is most likely the answer]. Add in some great company and you have the perfect trifecta for a lazy Sunday afternoon.  But let’s not keep it to Sunday. Cheese and wine is a good combination any day of the week!  

Here at Austin’s we know as well as you do that wine and cheese are a stellar combination in any form. Whether in a meal or on a cheese board, you really can’t go wrong. 

This cheese and wine pairing guide means that you can be rest assured knowing we have done the work already for them. Through countless hours of testing, we are now well and truly qualified to give you a great pairing experience, whether that be at home, with family, or shared among friends.

Essentially there are two basic guidelines to adhere to when matching cheese and wine:

  1. The harder or older (aged) the cheese, the more tannin the wine can have, such as a shiraz. 
  2. The creamier the cheese, the more acidic your wine can be, such as a riesling. Acidity can cut through hard cheeses and cleanse the palate after eating creamier styles of cheese.

We have come up with a great selection of pairings with a variety of international and outstanding local cheeses to pair with our premium Austin’s Range.  

While we always encourage supporting local first, a sneaky Camembert from France every now and then never hurt anyone.

Are you ready to be the go-to cheese and wine expert to impress your guests? 

Cuvée – nutty, buttery, youthful and creamy cheeses

Camembert is a firm favourite among the team here at Austin’s and there are many supreme local examples of Camembert cheeses for you to select from your local delicatessen  

There are also some brilliant French numbers to eat alongside our Cuvée, including a favourite of ours, Coulommiers, which is a Brie style of cheese from the Seine-et-Marne region of France.

Tip: try some alongside some sliced pear or quince paste following a meal, rather than a dessert.

You could also pair this delicate sparkling wine with a lovely, ripe, D’Affinois or any Triple Cream Brie, even a Tallegio or Ricotta and honey. If you prefer harder cheeses a mild Compte would stand its ground, or even a young Gouda.

Cuvée or Champagne really pairs well with many decadent foods and cheeses. You will be hard pressed to find a bad pairing!  

Riesling – clean, fresh, organic, sheep, goat milk cheeses

Due to the higher levels of acidity found in a Riesling, we always enjoy pairing ours with cheese-based desserts, or anything sheep or goat’s milk or a soft organic milk cheese. 

Here at Austin’s we are very lucky to have many wonderful cheese artisans in our region.

For those who do enjoy goats milk cheeses, we would recommend looking out for Meredith Dairy Cheese, in particular the Ashed Chevre. The ash helps to add a savoury edge to the cheese which compliments our Riesling very well.

If you are in Victoria, another great option is Bellarine Blanc by Drysdale Cheese, a Camembert style cheese with a white mould coat over a dusting of ash.

If sheep and goats cheeses aren’t for you, Camembert and Brie are a perfect match with this dry crisp Riesling. 

Our top pairing we have chosen to pair our Riesling with the creamy, triple cream brie called L’artisan Extravagant, an Australian cheese made by French cheesemaker Matthieu Megard using organic milk and cream from the Timboon region in Victoria’s Western District.  This is a cheese all will enjoy and is equally as good paired with the Austin’s Cuvée.  

Chardonnay – Rich, buttery, creamy, white mould, mild creamy blues, buffalo

Our Chardonnay is a brilliant match with many cheeses.  A ripe Tarago River – Shadows of Blue a milder Castello blue or a Stilton would compliment the Chardonnay perfectly.  

This wine is wild fermented in 30% new oak and these flavours combined with the right cheese can really bring a nuttiness to the milder, creamier blue cheeses. L’Artisan has a beautiful semi-hard cheese not dissimilar to a Morbier which is called Fermier.

We have chosen this cheese from their range as the perfect combination with our Chardonnay.  The washed rind and ash centre really compliments the oak perfectly.

If you prefer a milder style of cheese, a great summer combination would be a buffalo mozzarella or burrata salad served on a hot afternoon at a barbeque with friends. You won’t be disappointed, this combination makes for a very special meal.

You will find a brilliant range of fresh buffalo milk cheeses from another great Victorian producer, Shaw River Cheeses.  We are so lucky to have cheesemakers like Shaw River producing top quality specialised products like this to enjoy with our wines.  

Tip: these cheeses are also readily available at quality delicatessens.  

If you happen to stumble across the Shaw River Smoked Buffalino cheese, grab it and eat it with this Chardonnay (or our Riesling!).

Pinot Noir – Delicate and creamy, semi hard, fresh, smooth, washed rind

As Pinot Noir is one of the lightest of the reds, it generally doesn’t hold up as well against the aged hard cheeses and prefers a softer, or more mild cheese pairing.

L’Artisan has a few great cheeses to pair with our Pinot Noir including the Mountain Man, a subtle Reblochon style washed rind cheese produced locally using milk from a nearby herd of Jersey Cows.

But today we have chosen a new little number from L’Artisan. The Petit Rouge is a pungent, oozy cheese, teetering on the edge of being a risky combination due to being stronger on the nose. But when combined with our Pinot you will find the flavours compliment each other very well. Tres Bien!

Tip: For something from further afield a delicious French Comte along with a nice glass of Pinot is a killer combination.

Shiraz – Bold, hard, smelly, bitey

Anyone up for a stinky cheese, or something harder with a bit more bite? If so, this is your wine!

Shiraz needs to be paired with a stronger style of cheese.  The tannins in the wine will bind with the proteins and fats in the cheese, ensuring a cleansed palate after each mouthful of wine.

Perhaps a Gouda, or a favourite of many Gruyere.  L’Artisan have a great Gruyere called Mepunga, which has hints of savoury with a sweet nutty finish.  

Epoisses, or any of the stinky washed rinds are a winning combo with our Shiraz.

Let’s not forget the old cheddar cheese. Often neglected on cheeseboards of late. with all of the trendy newcomers stealing the limelight, the Warrnambool Club Cheddar is a tasty little cheese with our Shiraz.

Late Harvest Riesling – Blue, sweet, goats, , soft, pungent, fresh

This special wine is a great one to bring out and impress your friends with a lovely platter of cheeses.  It is super versatile and will likely work with most of the cheeses on your board.

Pairs beautifully with a Roquefort or one of your stronger Camemberts.  We love the Coulommiers Camembert which you can often find in store.  

Tip: Whilst the Late Harvest Riesling is great with the more pungent cheeses, it is equally as good with a delicate ricotta or even the uber cool Quark from Schulz Organic Dairy based in Timboon, Victoria.

Try these pairings at home

Austin’s Wines are delighted to partner with local epicurean businesses L’Artisan and the Fresh Food Merchant to provide the luxury of fine wine and French-inspired cheeses from the comfort of home. Offered every Friday throughout July and August, this package supports local farmers and businesses while giving recipients an indulgent in-home foodie experience.

Just like making wine, crafting beautiful cheese is an art. We’re delighted to partner with L’Artisan who are passionate about what they do; producing indulgent local cheeses. Cheese and wine are a match made in heaven. It was a joy matching our wine with L’Artisan’s French heritage cheeses because they are just delicious!

Wine and cheese packs start at $85 delivered. Each pack includes a wine and cheese pairing guide and an Austin’s wine guide. All orders placed before 3 pm on Thursdays will be delivered the next day.

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