Cabernet Sauvignon Pairing

Personality makes the perfect cabernet sauvignon pairing

When you have a big, bold, and complex personality like cabernet sauvignon, you're bound it to be a little picky when it comes to choosing your friends. That's what makes a cabernet sauvignon pairing so interesting – and a little tricky. A full-bodied cab has no patience for young, soft cheeses. Spending time with creamy soft-ripened cheeses can really make cabernet bitter. And if there is a particularly pungent blue cheese on the table, cabernet sauvignon will just turn and walk away.

Here in Wisconsin, when we really want to get in good with a cab, we start with a Wisconsin cheddar – one of cabernet's all-time favorites. A nutty, aged asiago will make the heart of a cabernet beat a little faster. And when we really want to impress a cab, we'll pull out the gruyere, Emmentaler, and other alpine-style cheeses. That's why when it comes to a cabernet sauvignon pairing, this king of wine knows it always has a friend in Wisconsin.

Poke around our website to explore the cheeses that make a good cabernet sauvignon or a chardonnay pairing, as well as the best cheeses for a cheese board. Search our site to find recipes for the best charcuterie boards. Or read on for details on some of our favorite cabernet sauvignon pairings.

Our favorite Cabernet sauvignon pairings

Here are a few of our favorite cheeses for a cabernet sauvignon pairing.

• Cheddar. The complex flavor of cheddar pairs well with the long finish of a cabernet.
• Gorgonzola. While most blue cheeses may bring out bitter notes in a cabernet, the mild, buttery flavor of gorgonzola can complement the fruit notes in a cabernet.
• Aged gouda. The nutty flavors in this cow's milk cheese bring out the berry notes in young and older cabernets, while the tannins from the wine bind to the fat and protein in the cheese, cleansing the palate.
• Gruyere. This alpine-style cheese is slightly salty, nutty, and creamy when young. As it ages, it becomes more earthy and complex, making it a worthy partner in a cabernet sauvignon pairing.

Wisconsin cheese has off-the-charts charm

Whether you're looking for a charismatic cheese for a cabernet sauvignon pairing, for an awesome cheese party, or for dinner on Tuesday night, Wisconsin has your back. We make more than 600 styles, flavors, and varieties of cheese, including some of the biggest, boldest, most audacious cheeses on the planet.

For 180 years, our cheesemakers have been obsessed with making the tastiest, highest-quality cheese on earth. And judging by the number of awards in our barn-sized trophy case, we're knocking it out of the park. That's what happens when an entire state dreams in cheese.

So, when choosing the perfect cheese for your cab, as long as it says Proudly Wisconsin Cheese on the label, you know it'll charm the label off your bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.