Blue cheese
Blue cheese's bold, pungent, and salty character requires beverages with sufficient sweetness and body to balance its intensity. Sweet wines create a pleasing contrast to the cheese's saltiness, while rich, complex beers with caramel notes or fruity flavors complement its earthy, tangy qualities.
Recommended Wines
Broadbent Tawny Porto 10 Year
This 10-year Tawny is the sweet spot in the Porto aging spectrum – old enough to have developed beautiful complexity but young enough to retain vibrant fruit character. The decade of barrel aging gives it that characteristic amber color and nutty profile that makes Tawny Porto so beloved. Bartholomew Broadbent, the founder of the company, comes from serious wine royalty – his father Michael Broadbent was one of the world's most respected wine authorities. This family connection to the fine wine world ensures their Porto selections meet exacting standards. This 10-year Tawny makes a perfect end to a special meal or a wonderful companion to a good book and a comfortable chair. Unlike Vintage Port, once opened, it will stay fresh for weeks – though it rarely lasts that long!
H&H - Sercial 10-Year Old Madeira
If wines were people, Madeira would be that fascinating elder who has survived everything life has thrown their way and emerged stronger for it. This 10-year-old Sercial from the renowned Henriques & Henriques (H&H) is the driest style of Madeira, making it the perfect introduction to this unique fortified wine category. Madeira's production process is fascinatingly backwards – the wine is intentionally heated and oxidized, practices that would ruin most wines but transform Madeira into something magical and virtually indestructible. This bottle has been aged for a decade, developing remarkable complexity while maintaining a freshness that seems to defy logic. Once opened, it will last for months (even years) without deteriorating – though good luck keeping it around that long. Sip it as an aperitif, pair it with a cheese course, or enjoy it as a contemplative nightcap – this is a wine that demands attention but rewards it generously.
Frico by Scarpetta Lambrusco
Forget everything you think you know about Lambrusco – this isn't your grandparents' sweet fizzy red. Scarpetta's version captures what real Lambrusco is all about: a joyful, food-friendly sparkler that's both refreshing and surprisingly complex. The Scarpetta team (Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey and chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson) created Frico to showcase authentic Italian wine experiences at accessible prices. Their Lambrusco is the perfect party wine – versatile enough to pair with everything from charcuterie to pizza, and guaranteed to intrigue both wine geeks and casual drinkers alike. It's the bottle to reach for when you want to change someone's mind about red bubbles or simply enjoy something that's seriously fun without being simple.
CUNE Brut Cava NV
This Spanish sparkler proves that you don't need a Champagne budget to enjoy quality bubbles. CUNE's Brut Cava delivers all the celebration without the financial hangover – made in the traditional method with secondary fermentation in the bottle, just like its French cousin. CUNE (pronounced 'COO-nay') is primarily known for their exceptional Rioja wines, but their venture into sparkling wine shows their versatility and commitment to quality across styles. This Cava spends 12 months aging on the lees, developing those complex bread-like aromas that blend beautifully with the bright fruit notes. Perfect for turning Tuesday night into a celebration or upgrading your weekend brunch game beyond basic mimosas.
Recommended Beers
Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue)
Chimay Blue is a rich and complex Trappist beer with notes of dark fruits, caramel, and spices. It has a full body with a silky mouthfeel and a pleasantly warming alcohol presence that develops beautifully with age.
Rochefort 10 Trappist Ale
Rochefort 10 is a world-renowned Trappist ale with rich, complex flavors of dark fruits, chocolate, and caramel with a warming alcohol presence. It's often considered one of the finest examples of the Belgian Dark Strong Ale style with deep mahogany color and exceptional depth.
Boon Oude Kriek Mariage Parfait
A traditional Belgian fruit lambic made with 400 grams of cherries per liter and aged for at least three years in oak barrels. It offers intense cherry flavors balanced with oak and wild fermentation characteristics, resulting in a complex sour ale.
Oude Gueuze Tilquin à L'Ancienne
Oude Gueuze Tilquin à L'Ancienne is a traditional Belgian gueuze created by blending 1, 2, and 3-year-old lambics, then undergoing bottle conditioning. It features complex sourness with notes of citrus, oak, and funk, with a dry, champagne-like finish.
Recommended Wine Varietals
These wine varietals pair beautifully with blue cheese. Browse our selection to find wines made from these grapes.
