Best Wine Pairings for Charcuterie and Cheese Boards Guide

Wine and food pairing is a delicate balance of complimenting without overpowering to create an unforgettable experience. When it comes to pairing charcuterie with different types of wine, it’s no different.

Before we get into some basic pairing details, let’s learn a little about charcuterie and what it is. 

What is Charcuterie?

Charcuterie refers to the preparation of cured and dried meats and, more commonly, refers to just the meat product itself. Charcuterie is a French word that dates back to the 15th century, translating to “flesh” and “cooked” from the French words “chair” and “cuit.”

For a charcuterie board, I suggest picking at least three different types of cheeses.

Try to include:

• one hard cheese
• one soft cheese
• one fresh cheese

Hard cheese: these tend to be aged, which means that hard cheeses will be saltier and more assertive in flavor. Examples include:

• Manchego
• Gouda
• Gruyere

Soft cheese: these usually have a white, bloomy rind with a creamy texture inside that is fatty and rich. Examples include:

• Brie (baked brie is especially good!)
• Camembert
• Cambozola
• Robiola

Fresh cheese: these are mild, soft, and sometimes a little tangy because they haven’t been aged. Examples include:

• Mozzarella
• Chevre goat cheese (try making a Whipped Goat Cheese dip)
• Feta
• Ricotta

Sometimes cheeses include a washed rind or blue cheese, which gives more funk and character (think “stinky” cheese).

Washed rind cheeses can be hard or soft. Gruyere is an example of a hard, washed rind cheese, and taleggio would be an example of a soft, washed rind cheese.

These cheeses are a great choice with meats and accouterments like olives and other pickled vegetables. 

As with your cheeses, pick three types of meat for your charcuterie board.

• Mild
• Medium bold or spicy
• Bold and spicy

Including a variety of different kinds of meat will ensure that you have excellent wine and cheese pairings.

Mild meat choices: these meats are versatile, and their light flavors make them easy to pair with other cheeses and wines.

• Prosciutto (my fav!)
• Soppressata
• Chicken liver pate

Medium/slightly more bold or spicy meats: these meats are not mild but also not too bold to pair with lighter accompaniments. Examples include:

• Pastrami
• Guanciale
• Coppa

Bold and spicy meats: these have lots of spice and flavor for your third choice to complete the board. Examples would be:

• Spicy salami
• Bresaola
• Jamon Iberico
• Peppered country pate
• Truffled meats

To make your best pairing when it comes to wine with meats and cheeses, consider your foods’ fat, salt, and heat characteristics. A few tips for you:

• The wine you are serving with your food must always be more acidic. Acidic and crisp white wines will cut through fatty foods by “cleansing the palate.”
  • For red wines consider bolder red wines with lots of tannins that can stand up to lots of fat since high tannins give the bolder reds a dry characteristic. That crisp or tannic flavor helps balance the flavors of the charcuterie board.

• While it is essential to serve the wines you love, make sure you don’t choose wines that may “disappear” amongst the potentially big flavors of your charcuterie board.
  • Match the boldness of your wine with the boldness of your food, or, if you are going with lighter cheeses and meats, stick with delicate and lighter wines that will still come across when paired with the food. 

• Pick a delicate red and white to enjoy alongside lighter charcuterie items. Fresh cheeses are very mild, with tangy notes, while milder meat tends to have less salt and little heat or spice.

• Red wines that pair well with these types of meat and cheese will have low tannins that don’t interrupt the flavor of the food. Grenache and Cinsaut are red wines low in tannins but still with some light acidity.

• For lighter-bodied white wines, try something like a sauvignon blanc or pinot gris.

• Sparkling and rosé wines are good options for fresh cheeses and mild charcuteries since they can be slightly fruit-forward. The acidity of these wines pairs well with some of the high salt content from the charcuterie.

• Muscadet (melon), from the Loire Valley of France, is another great option among light-bodied whites with plenty of acidity that pairs well with pickled vegetables. It’s considered a great “palate cleanser.”
  • It’s typically paired with seafood, so it’s even better if you are adding smoked fish, seafood pate, oysters, or my personal favorite, pickled shrimp to your board.
  • Note: Muscadet is not sweet – don’t confuse it with muscadine or moscato wine.

• Don’t choose a wine that will completely take over your taste buds, preventing you from enjoying the charcuterie.

• Fruity reds such as Pinot Noir and Beaujolais are flavorful without overpowering, perfect for a creamy cheese with some character from the rind. 

• For dry sparkling wine, pairing it with creamy cheeses and medium charcuterie is an excellent match. Not only does the effervescence from the bubbly clear the creaminess from your palate, but it also cuts through the fat content of the meat.

• These meats and cheeses will be balanced out by bolder wines that can stand up to flavor.

• Full-bodied red wines like petite Sirah or a jammy Zinfandel are excellent for hard cheeses and spicy meats.

• For full-bodied whites, go with an oaked Chardonnay or Viognier. Oaked chardonnays tend to be from California, Chile, Spain, and Argentina.

• A dry riesling is an aromatic wine that does well with both spice and higher fat content meats.

Other good options to include:

• Dried and fresh fruits
• Salted and raw nuts
• Jams
• Honey
• Pickles
• Raw vegetables
• Dips (hummus, pimento cheese spread, tapenade, pesto, etc.)
• Bread and crackers