National Wine and Cheese Day: The best wine and cheese pairings

For National Wine and Cheese Day on July 25, sip on one of these stellar wines as you nibble on the perfect dairy accompaniment.

Be sure to indulge in these pairings after building a small (or large) spread complete with crackers, meats and more.

See the full list below.

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Darom By Yatir Winery Wines

Go for a white, red, or rosé from this new brand from Yatir Winery. Hailing from the Negev (desert) region in Southern Israel, the climate and terroir makes for standout wines from several grape varieties. 

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"The south is an integral part of the history of the Jewish people and their connection to vineyards there has bloomed and flourished in the region since the dawn of history. It is a wonderful natural habitat in terms of climate and soil, and many high-quality local varieties can be cultivated here. We are proud to lead Israel’s southern wine trend with the Yatir, and now with the new Darom brand," says Yacov Ben Dor, CEO of Yatir Winery, in a company press release.

Try pairing cheddar, gouda or mozzarella with these light and refreshing wines.

From $24.99; kosherwine.com

Dreaming Tree Wines

The Dreaming Tree is a collaboration between musician Dave Matthews and winemaker Sean McKenzie. In honor of National Wine and Cheese Day, pair The Dreaming Tree Pinot Noir with Brie cheese, a lovely match for the cheese’s earthy flavors and the wine’s notes of mushrooms and dried herbs. 

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Or, opt for The Dreaming Tree Crush Red Blend with a hunk of gouda cheese – brimming with robust, caramel-like flavors. You can also try gorgonzola, which features sharp and buttery waves of flavor.

$15; dreamingtreewines.com 

SIMI Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County

This wine is bright, crisp perfection. It’s got bold white peach flavor, as well as passion fruit, citrus, and lime zest with hints of white flowers, herbs and honey. 

The dry wine has a minerality and delightful acidity that makes it very food-friendly, too.

Put out a cheese board with fresh cheese like Chèvre or Mozzarella to enjoy with this vino. Or, serve a salad with burrata cheese, tomatoes, and high-quality extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and pepper, suggests SIMI Director of Winemaking, Lisa Evich  

$15; simiwinery.com

Une Femme Wines The Pinot Noir Piquette and The Chardonnay Piquette

It’s summer. Drink more chardonnay. This cold-climate chardonnay is best enjoyed chilled or over ice and is a veritable gourmet experience when chased with Humbolt Fog goat’s cheese. 

Jen Pelka's (founder and CEO of Une Femme Wines) favorite creamy goat cheese is a wonderful match for the bright acidity in the Chardonnay piquette, she thinks.

Or, opt for Une Femme's Pinot Noir Piquette, which is a blend of organic, biodynamically-farmed Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from the Van der Kamp Vineyard atop Sonoma Mountain. 

Also best served chilled or over ice, this fruit-forward, low-ABV wine is great for weekend picnics or lazy days at the beach or lake, especially when accompanied by goat cheese such as Midnight Moon – an aged organic goat cheese from Cowgirl Creamery, the wine company’s favorite female cheese-makers in California and one of the most beloved dairies in Sonoma County.

$33 per four-pack; unefemmewines.com
 

Cantine Florio Targa Marsala DOC Superiore Riserva Semisecco  

Hello, Marsala dreams. This wine is composed of Grillo grapes and aged for at least seven years in Slavonian oak barrels and is warm, smooth and velvet on the palate, with a delectable finish of dried fruits 

The bouquet is resplendent with hits of caramel, dates, apricots and dried fruit, making it a lovely match for blue cheeses with a pronounced taste such as Gorgonzola or Stilton. 

Or, you can serve it with your favorite semi-hard cheeses and nuts to balance the wine’s mild sweetness.  

$20; duca.it/en/florio

Really Good Boxed Wine Sauvignon Blanc

Yes, boxed wine can be good. More precisely, Really Good. 

If you’re having a backyard barbecue or park picnic this National Wine And Cheese Day, note that each Really Good Boxed Wine box is the equivalent to four bottles of wine, so it’s plenty to quench a crowd’s thirst. 

We love that this specific Sauvignon Blanc is a dry, crisp, and bright varietal with refreshing notes of tropical fruit and lemongrass. 

Sip on it as you nibble on fresh goat cheese and crackers or with a salad with strawberries and fresh goat cheese to draw out its fruity and dry flavors. 

$65; reallygoodboxedwine.com

1924 Double Black Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon  

There’s a lot to love about this Cabernet Sauvignon containing tannins and jammy fruit, with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, freshly cracked black peppercorn and floral violet.

Unlike other Cabernet Sauvignons, this wine is made using grapes from select vineyards throughout Lodi, an area long known amongst California winemakers for its ability to ripen Bordeaux varieties fully. 

When you taste it, you may even detect notes of caramel, butterscotch and charred oak from the barrel in which it ages. 

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In addition to pairing with a laid-back summer day, match this wine with a strong cheese like aged cheddar, which is sharp and salty. For another great choice from 1924 Wines, try their Double Black Red Wine Blend ($10), with aromas of blackberry, mocha, caramel, vanilla, balanced by bold flavors of plum, dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow and allspice. 

Cheese-wise, go for Brie, a soft and creamy cheese that is mild and buttery, with a bit of tang in the finish.

$18; 1924wines.com

Noble Vines 446 Chardonnay 

Chardonnay enthusiasts will swoon for this pick from Noble Vines, showcasing delicate flavors of mango, kiwi and honeydew melon with undertones of lemon zest and cinnamon butter. 

You’ll want to drink it with a fresh, earth-like, creamy cheese like Camembert. Why? The refreshing, tropical flavors of the vino don’t get muddled when you pair it with such a grassy cheese.

If you’re more of a red wine drinker, the Noble Vines 667 Pinot Noir delivers aromas of black cherry, blackberry, and bittersweet cocoa, along with velvety tannins and bright, balanced acidity. The result? Bringing the core flavors of ripe plum, cherry preserves, vanilla and oak to the front – making each sip a fruit-forward delight. 

Serve this wine with Gruyère, a rich, creamy, salty and nutty, Alpine-style Swiss cheese. 

You’ll find that the medium-firm texture of the Gruyère is a particularly nice complement to this light and invigorating wine. 

$10; noblevines.com

Malene 2021 Rosé

This 2021 Rosé from California’s Central Coast is reminiscent of Provençal wines and a true winner when you drink it with a tangy goat cheese. 

Since goat cheese works well with wines that are bright and have acidity — like this one — you may want to always keep extra goat cheese in your fridge for when happy hour calls. 

Bonus: The natural sweetness of goat’s milk becomes more potent with age and when paired with rosé, it is said to taste like strawberries and cream.

This pale peach wine will first have you savoring its complex aromas of stone fruit, watermelon, lychee, crushed oyster shells, and fresh floral before it hits you with its lean acid and savory minerality. 

Another solid pairing recommendation? Asparagus risotto.  

$22; malenewines.com   

Seven Hills Winery 2019 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 

Aromas of black cherries, anise, and cocoa powder? How about baking spices, cordial, fresh herbs, and wet earth, to boot? 

This medium bodied wine with firm tannins and balanced acidity also has flavors of dried cherries, raspberry, dark chocolate, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, and a touch of dried herbs.

Our go-to for noshing during sipping sessions is aged cheddar cheese. This cheese is bold and intense so a beautiful match for this palate-pleasing red wine. Aged cheddar also has a fattiness to it that shines thanks to the mouth-drying tannins you’ll find in Cabernet Sauvignons.

$30;  sevenhillswinery.com 

Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay

It’s fair to say this wine is a crowd-pleaser: Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay is America’s No. 1 selling Chardonnay for 30 years and counting. 

Perfect for summer, it’s fruit-forward with flavors of pineapple, mango and papaya – coupled with aromas of vanilla and honey – and you may notice toasted oak and butter in the mix, too.  

Follow the principle of pairing white cheese colors with white wine colors. Here, this oaked Chardonnay is a blissful mouthful with creamy cow and sheep milk cheese. We especially love this Chardonnay when paired with cheese, dried fruit and dark chocolate as a post-dinner course.

$17; kj.com

Luna Nuda Rosé 

Cheddar lovers, grab a bottle of this modern rosé. Kerrygold Grass-fed Aged Irish Cheddar is calling your name when it comes to savoring with this vino, one which shines with strawberry and raspberry flavors. We also appreciate that it has a nice acidity and length in finish.

In general, this Italian rosé pairs well with bold, salty cheeses to mellow out its fruity flavors. Grab a bag of pretzels or crackers too, and get to clinking glasses and saying "cheers."

$18; lunanuda.com

Jøyus Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine

Looking for a fantastic non-alcoholic option? Try Jøyus. First up, Jøyus Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine is a dry, award-winning NA wine with notes of crisp green apple, fragrant fall pear and a ripe melon finish. 

A delectable Kerrygold Dubliner Irish cheese suits this wine well thanks to its assertive, slightly nutty flavor. The mild sweetness in the grass-fed cheese also picks up on the subtle pear and stone fruit notes nicely. 

If you’re a fan of rosé, pick up a bottle of Jøyus Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé, this dry non-alcoholic rosé holds a candle to the flavor profile of the real deal with waves of ripe blackberries and summer strawberries, as well as citrus blossom to round it out. This Pacific Northwest wine is a great counterpart for a lush Havarti. 

Why? The creaminess of the cheese and the dryness of the non-alcoholic sparkling Rosé work in harmony together, with the fruit notes of the wine and the tanginess of the cheese. 

If this combo doesn’t sing summer, we don’t know what does.

$25; drinkjoyus.com

Rosa Regale Sparkling Red

Dino Altomare, director of education at Banfi Wines, notes that the fruit in this sparkling red wine is hand-picked and de-stemmed and softly pressed to preserve its freshness and let the fruit and tannins be front and center. Expect your taste buds to be delighted with cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, and rose petals in this nuanced wine.

Altomare says that this sparkling semi-sweet red, allows for a fun and unexpected way to explore spicier and salty cheeses." In particular, gorgonzola with its nutty saltiness, or a pepato with its spiciness, would be perfectly complemented by Brachetto’s soft fruit palate and refreshing bubbles," he says. "The wine’s natural acidity balances the richness of the cheeses, while the succulently sweet fruit balances the spicy and salty notes."

$20; rosaregale.com

Sam’s Club Member’s Mark Champagne Brut

Fan of the big box store? Sam’s Club has a dizzying array of first-rate wines at bargain prices. 

This specific champagne from Sam’s Club went through multiple rounds of sampling, with the company’s CEO Kath McLay even testing it. 

For this champagne, the juice is sourced from different villages in Cotes-des-Blancs for the Chardonnay, Marne Valley for Pinot Meunier and Montagne de Reims for Pinot Noir with the three varietals present in equal amounts.

Your palate will dance with aromas of hazelnut and toasted brioche, followed by hints of fresh-baked bread and delicate orchard fruits, along with citrus flavors, and, of course, bubbles galore. To enhance this wine, try it with a soft, mildly sweet and salty mozzarella. Our vote is Member's Mark Mozzarella Cheese, Part-Skim Low-Moisture, which comes in a five-pound block.

$20; samsclub.com

Champagne Louis Roederer Collection 242

Headed to a wine and cheese party and looking for a lovely gift? This multi-vintage champagne led by the 2017 vintage and dominated by Chardonnay gets our seal of approval. Think: Supremely ripe and oaky notes. As you swivel it around in your mouth the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes from the Vallée de la Marne also complete the wine's peppy personality.

Enhance your champagne session with aged, nutty hard cheeses like Comté. Since the nutty flavors in the Champagne are a bit more subtle, doing so really draws them out. 

Another idea: Savor Collection 242 with ripe, earthy, creamy cheeses like Vacherin Mont D'Or. In this case, the thick and indulgent texture of the Champagne replicates that of the cheese, and the fruity aromas of the champagne are great with the cheese. 

$60; louis-roederer.com

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Sauvignon Blanc 2020

We adore New Zealand wines. We have a feeling you’ll have similar feelings for this superb selection from Villa Maria. In the Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Sauvignon Blanc, you’ll be treated to a medley of fresh garden peas and blackcurrants with herbs like coriander, a fresh floral and citrus winner. 

On the palate are concentrated flavors of jalapeño and lemongrass, along with a finish of lime zest and a bit of gunflint. The chalky texture of the wine may even remind you of wet river stones (or you can just say it does to impress your fellow imbibers). 

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Bonus: Grapes used in the Single Vineyard wines like the Taylors Pass are sourced predominantly from company-owned and managed vineyards that Villa Maria has developed over the years.

This wine is a beautiful partner to goat cheese dishes or plain, fresh goat cheese, perhaps with a drizzle of honey or high quality balsamic vinegar. The high acidity goes well with the cheese’s inherent piquant flavor profile, while the citrus and mineral notes of the wine will bring out the earthiness in the cheese. 

$27; villamariawines.com

The Random Whine Pinot Grigio 

This company came to be after the founder Kaye Jackson used her passion and interest in wine during her journey with breast cancer, when studying wine offered her a sense of normalcy and the name is a hat tip to the fact that it is OK to whine through the twists and turns life throws at you. 

The brand is also committed to donating a portion of its proceeds to various programs that support women pre- and post-breast cancer diagnoses. The Random Whine Pinot Grigio (Pinot Grigio, Symphony, Malvasia Bianca) embodies a crisp, dainty white peach and orange blossom flavor amplified by Symphony – a fragrant, floral grape. 

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To accompany the acidity and freshness of this white wine, nosh on mild goat cheeses, fresh mozzarella, mild cheddars, brie or gouda. It’s a pretty versatile wine for pairing.

If you tend to prefer red wine, check out the Random Whine Red blend (a multi-vintage blend of Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, and Merlot; $31) that showcases cherry, plum, and stone fruit flavors and very mellow tannins. As a supporting act to this medium-bodied libation, elevate its fruity, herby and slightly spicy notes with a smoked or sharp cheese. A go-to is a smoked gouda or sharp cheddar.

$29; therandomwhine.com 

Aldi Sunshine Bay Sauvignon Blanc

This smooth Sauvignon Blanc is just begging for some of Aldi’s Emporium Selection Goat Cheese ($2) to wash it down this summer. The wine has a distinct taste of fresh, green grass and citrus and the cheese is the perfect nibble with this beverage thanks to its tangy profile with the fresh goat milk. 

$8; aldi.com 

Aldi Exquisite Collection Côtes de Provence Rosé

If rosé is right after your warm weather heart, meet your new partner in crime. The supermarket’s Côtes de Provence Rosé has a standout minerality, and fruit lovers will be pleased to pick up on the watermelon and strawberry swirls of deliciousness. 

Its dairy dream? Emporium Selection Havarti ($3), which has a mild taste that doesn’t compete with the palate-grabbing wine.

$10; aldi.com

Aldi Peaks & Tides Chardonnay

Coastal Chardonnay? Yes, please. One thing that makes this juice special is that Aldi’s Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is aged for eight months in French Oak. The result is ripe fruit flavors and citrus notes that you’ll come to crave as a sundowner treat. Grab a plate and put out some of Aldi’s 

Emporium Selection Brie ($4). It’s got a velvety smooth texture and rich butter layers, that are precisely what an oaky Chardonnay deserves come dining time.

$10; aldi.com 

Wines of Sicily (Sicilia DOC) 

Wines of Sicily (Sicilia DOC) represents more than 500 wine producers in Sicily, with most wine priced between $15-$30, and all of divine quality for the price point. 

These days, reach for Grillo, which has a fruity aroma, with hints of white peaches and grapefruit along with aromatic herbs. If you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, Grillo will be a wine world discovery you relish.

When hunger sets in, accompany your Grillo with buratta (perhaps in a pasta dish). It’s a marvelous friend to Grillo’s sun-dappled, verdant. If you’re not already familiar with wines of Sicily, the upcoming holiday is your perfect excuse.

From $15; winesofsicily.com

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