3 Cheeses That Pair Perfectly With Sauvignon Blanc

Building the ultimate charcuterie board can feel like enough of a challenge. After artfully arranging all your elements, the final task is finding the right wine to pair with your cheeses — and if that wine happens to be Sauvignon Blanc, then we have some fromage-forward tips to help you select your spread ahead of time. The hallmarks of this staple dry white wine are medium-light body, lively strong acidity, and distinct crispness. Sauvignon Blanc is a popular white wine best known for its expressive tasting notes of herbaceous, vegetal green bell pepper. 

These grassy tones are thanks to a naturally-occurring chemical compound in the grapes called pyrazine. Sauvignon Blanc also features subtones of grapefruit, honeydew melon, white peach, lemon, lime, pepper, geranium, and smoke. For peak performance, serve it chilled between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Today's pro tip comes from chef Sergio Chamizo of Mareva 1939 at The National Hotel Miami Beach. To best complement Sauvignon Blanc, says this expert, opt for one of three Spanish cheeses. 

"Sauvignon Blanc is known for its vibrant acidity and citrusy flavors," Chamizo explains in an exclusive interview with Tasting Table. "Idiazábal is a great cheese that will pair with a Sauvignon Blanc. The lightly smokiness and natty flavor really complements the grassy notes of the wine." If your local cheesemonger doesn't carry Idiazábal, don't despair. Quoth Chamizo, "Also, a Manchego or Ibérico aged three to six months pairs nicely with the bright notes and floral of the Sauvignon Blanc." Here's how to build the perfect cheese board to pair with Sauvignon Blanc using these suggestions.

Idiazábal is a traditional cheese from the eponymous village in northern Spain's Basque country. The region is also home to one of our favorite desserts, Basque cheesecake. This raw sheep's milk cheese comes specifically from the milk of Latxa or Carranzana sheep, which graze on the lush pastures of the mountainous land and thrive in the Basque Country's mild, temperate climate. In short, Idiazábal cheese is as much about the natural elements that form its ingredients as it is about generations of Spanish culinary heritage. 

The impact of the Basque Country's unique terroir on the flavor and quality of the cheese has even earned Idiazábal Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Union since 1987. Although, Idiazábal is also produced in Spain's Navarre region, which is renowned for its sheep's milk cheeses. Texturally, Idiazábal is firm and dry without being crumbly, densely compact, and dotted with shallow surface holes. It's aged for at least two months for a robustly nutty yet tangy taste, which becomes stronger the longer it's aged. 

A slight kick of piquant acidity and smoky undertones add impressive depth — which showcases and emphasizes the vegetal green pepper tasting notes and smokiness of the Sauvignon Blanc. Pair this savory duo with other savory elements to build a killer charcuterie board. You could craft a Spanish-inspired salumi spread with thin-sliced serrano ham, chorizo, and fuet dry-cured pork sausage. Or, for sweet contrast, serve your Idiazábal cheese and Sauvignon Blanc with baguette slices, dandelion honey, fig jam, and quince paste, a fruity addition that livens up any charcuterie board.

Sergio Chamizo's second fromage pairing for Sauvignon Blanc is Manchego, specifically, Manchego cheese that's been aged for three to six months (aka "curado" Manchego). This lengthened aging duration brings caramel tones to the hard cheese's already buttery, nutty flavor profile. Manchego is always aged for at least two months, but it can be aged for up to two years, developing a firmer texture and gamier flavor as it matures. Raw milk Manchego is typically aged for around six months. 

This creamy, light-hued cheese can be easily identified by its ample rind imprinted with a woven zig-zag pattern. Geographic cousin to Idiazábal, Manchego hails from Spain's La Mancha region, a dry, hot climate with flat lands and high elevation that impacts the flavor of the sheep's milk from which it's made. This sheep's milk cheese comes from the namesake Manchega sheep, and like Idiazábal, Manchego cheese also has PDO status. 

Historically, Manchego carries centuries of tradition among the shepherds of La Mancha, who favored the cheese for its hearty shelf life before the advent of refrigeration. Manchego pairs well with both sweet and savory palettes, making it a versatile companion to Sauvignon Blanc's wide, often tough-to-work-with citrusy-vegetal range. To lean into this sweet-vegetal niche, pair your wine and Manchego with bruschetta served on crostini with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. You could also serve it with sliced yellow apples and Bartlett pears, or use the cheese to make an herbaceous flatbread topped with fresh basil.

As with Manchego, says Sergio Chamizo, the best type of Ibérico cheese to complement Sauvignon Blanc is Ibérico that has been aged for three to six months (aka "queso Ibérico curado"). Unlike Manchego and Idiazábal, Ibérico cheese does not carry PDO status. Instead, it serves as a prime example of the gastronomic feats that can be achieved when diverse forces collide. Ibérico hails from the warm, balmy Mediterranean climate of the Iberian Peninsula, predominantly Spain and Portugal. 

Perhaps the most unique thing about Ibérico is that it's made from a blend of cow, sheep, and goat's milk (roughly 50% cow's milk, 30% sheep's milk, and 20% goat's milk), subsequently producing complex flavors and dimensional interplay. When aged, that character becomes even deeper and more intense. The aged Ibérico that Chamizo recommends tastes tangy, buttery, and subtly funky. This cheese is overall mild, but with a slight textural crumble, oiliness, and distinct aroma that make it a mature accoutrement to a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. 

Ibérico takes more of a backseat flavor-wise compared to bolder Manchego and Idiazábal, letting complex Sauvignon Blanc star in the show. Pair pricier, multi-layered bottles with Ibérico cheese to let the nuanced notes in the wine shine. Everyman Ibérico also pairs well alongside pungent herbs and vegetables. If you have any homemade lacto-fermented veggies, now's the time to bust 'em out. For a spread built to wow, pair your Sauvignon Blanc and Ibérico cheese with charcuterie-board-perfect Castelvetrano olives (you can buy a jar of pitted Sanniti olives on Amazon), anchovies, Marcona almonds, and prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe.