3 Cheeses That Pair Perfectly With Pinot Grigio

Who doesn't love an easy hosting hack? When it comes to wine night, nothing is as straightforward as opening up a few bottles and building breathtaking charcuterie board for guests to serve themselves. Unfortunately, even these basic directives can go astray. From setting out less-than-ideal cheese options to offending discerning palates with suboptimal wines, a hurried host may commit unintentional errors along the way. Thankfully, we have experts like Chef Sergio Chamizo to point us in the right direction, specifically regarding which wine and cheese pairings you absolutely have to try next. 

Chef Chamizo is a constant force at Mareva 1939, located in Miami's National Hotel, where glasses of wine are poured freely and bottles are carefully matched to diners' preferences. To keep hosting duties a breeze, Chamizo suggests looking for three key cheese pairings to compliment a glass of pinot grigio. "Pinot grigio is a light, crisp wine with notes of green apple and pear and citrus flavors," Chamizo explains, making the white wine perfect for winter dinner parties and summer cookouts alike. But which three cheeses does the chef recommend? According to Chamizo, you will want to try Torta de Casar, Garrotxa, and Roncal.

Chef Chamizo describes Torta de Casar as "a creamy cheese with a rich flavor that contrasts beautifully with the acidity of the wine." The PDO product hails from Spain, where it is made with milk directly from Merino sheep and vegetable rennet derived from wild thistle flowers. While legend states that the small wheels of creamy cheese were first made by shepherds, it did not take long for the flavor to spread beyond the local communities. This beauty of a cheese resembles a small cake and could easily be served for dessert.

Cutting into the light yellow and orange rinds reveals a center that is both soft and spreadable. The taste is rich and full, and cheese connoisseurs may detect subtle waves of nutmeg and spice on the palate. When enjoyed alongside a chilled glass of pinot grigios, this reliable presentation can fit just as comfortably on dessert tables as on a menu of pre-dinner appetizers — and all with little effort on your part. Simply serve with toasted crostinis and some fresh fruit.

While bottles of pinot grigio offer unique expressions of flavor, there is one cheese that Chef Chamizo recommends pairing with each pour, thus preventing this significant wine tasting mistake. "Garrotxa, an earthy, firm goat cheese from Catalunya, will bring out the fruit notes of the wine," he explains. If you are someone who appreciates those quiet whispers of pear, apple, peach, or even the subtle waves of honey or ginger, then this is the cheese to help bring those flavors into the spotlight.

Not only can this goat cheese be confidently served with freshly poured glasses of white, but the bright Garrotxa is also well-known for its nutty finish. The flavor is light, with just the right amount of tartness to keep bites interesting. Any leftover pieces can be used to top plates of pasta or folded into the next morning's cheesy scrambled eggs. You can't go wrong by bringing this Garrotxa cheese home to your kitchen.

There is one more cheese that Chef Chamizo recommends for your next splash of pinot grigio. "Roncal, a firm cheese from the Pyrenees with a slightly tangy and nutty profile, pairs with the crisp acidity of pinot grigio," Chamizo concludes. This is another Spanish goat cheese, one that offers a fascinating tasting profile for those looking for some zing. Samplers may notice butterscotch and some sharper tastes balanced out by the presence of sweet herbs. These floral and earthy flavors also help build a more complex tasting profile that softens the edges of some of the zippier notes found in grassier pinot grigio varieties.

While a wheel of Roncal can be tough to cut into, the pieces themselves are brittle, so we recommend serving this kind of cheese alongside buttery crostinis or crunchy crackers, such as our gluten-free garlic and herb recipe. Round out your serving presentation with some dried fruit, salty pieces of dark chocolate, and toasted nuts. This is the kind of refreshing spread that will keep palates satisfied until the last raucous guest leaves the party.