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While cheese and wine are a perfect match in many ways, red vintages and wines matured in oak barrels do not pair well with dairy produce at all.
Coffee, however, does.
“The tannins [of red wine] don’t harmonise with the cheese,” says Alexandre Centeleghe, a Swiss wine expert. “You always pair the same aromas, and there are no tannins in cheese. Thus, white wine is the better companion.”
Ideally, you should choose cheese and wine from the same region, says Regina Benecke, a cheese sommelier with the agency Switzerland Cheese Marketing. “Then the minerality will match perfectly.
“Mild cheeses are best served with mild fruity or sparkling wines. The more intense the cheese, the sweeter or more alcoholic the wine should be.”
So what about coffee?

The case for coffee with cheese
“Cheese goes perfectly with coffee and [is] an alternative to a dessert,” says Andrea Borrelli, a barista from the Losone municipality in Switzerland. The taste of the coffee and cheese should complement each other, not compete.
Generally, says, Borrelli, “strong coffee harmonises with a strong cheese, a mild coffee with a fine cheese”.












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Try sipping a not-so-strong espresso, made with beans from Colombia or Guatemala, with a goat’s milk cheese.
“It’s a bit like a latte macchiato or cappuccino,” enthuses Borrelli.
When choosing the right beans, focus less on blends. Coffees of a single origin are preferable for pairings. A 100 per cent Arabica from Peru – it has a medium roast with a chocolate aroma and a full-bodied feeling on the palate – goes well with a Gruyère or blue cheese.

How to serve cheese
Cheese, like wine, needs to breathe.
“Take the cheese platter out of the fridge half an hour before eating to allow the cheese to develop its flavours,” says Martin Spahr, chief marketing officer of Switzerland Cheese Marketing.
Cheese is best stored in a cheese bell jar in the fridge, says Menno Amstutz, dairy owner and a winner of the 2024 Swiss Cheese Awards.
World-famous cheeses such as the tangy Appenzeller, the original Swiss Emmentaler or the fruity, strong Gruyère can feel and taste like they just came from a Swiss cheese cellar when stored with an apple for moisture.
If you do not have a cheese bell jar, store cheese in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. Wrap it in special cheese paper or cling film that has been pricked with a fork to prevent it from drying out and to let it breathe at the same time.
Martin adds: “Swiss cheese has such a pronounced flavour that we recommend doing without chutneys, which usually has too many flavours and ingredients.”


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Wine or coffee with your cheese? Why espresso is the ideal match for dairy produce

Coffee goes just as well as wine with cheese, say experts, who offer pairing tips. Photo: Shutterstock

Coffees of a single origin are preferable for pairings with cheese. Photo: Shutterstock

Cheese is best stored in a cheese bell jar in the fridge. If you do not have a cheese bell jar, store it in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. Photo: Shutterstock 

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Wines bottled on the Brinkmann estate in northwest Germany, formerly a pig farm. Photo: Instagram/weinhof_brinkmann

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Fungus-resistant solaris wine grapes from the 2020 harvest on the Brinkmann farm in Lower Saxony, northwest Germany. Photo: Instagram/weinhof_brinkmann

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This wine is made for breakfast: translated into English, the name on the label is Breakfast Wine. It’s made from a blend of gruener veltliner, riesling and Welschriesling grapes. Photo: Instagram/smithandvine 

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Dishes at Oi Man Sang in Sham Shiu Po, Hong Kong.

Roast goose at 1983 Hong Kong Cuisine, Happy Valley, where food writer Wilson Fok goes to splurge. He tells us his favourite places to eat in the city. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

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Casks of fermenting Hatcho miso. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

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Food & Drink

Need a cheese pairing? Ask a barista. Coffee is a better choice than many wines, experts say. They reveal which beans are best for the job


Need a cheese pairing? Ask a barista. Coffee is a better choice than many wines, experts say. They reveal which beans are best for the job.


Switzerland

Wine and Spirits