Cheese Fondue Wine Pairing

It is that time of the year again... Cheese fondue a wonderful Swiss creation/invention. You find several recipes for cheese fondue on traubenliebe.com. The important question always is which wines to pair with cheese fondue? This can be as easy and difficult as you wish. Experiment and learn. Wein and cheese do not always work well together. It is a common mistake to pair the right wine with the wrong cheese and visa versa. Melted cheese proposes another challenge as the texture and taste change with the temperature. 

Why Does Cheese Melt?

A little more about the science of melting cheers. At the end of the day cheese is an emulsion of dairy fat and water, held together by a net of proteins. When cold the fat in the cheese remains solid. When the temperature rises some cheese start to “live” already at room temperature. Raise the temperature to 75 degrees Celsius and the casein protein bonds slowly break down turning the cheese in a lava like sauce. In short this is what happens in a cheese fondue. Adding liquids such as wine and beer improve the melting process as long as there balance of water and fat is in balance for the fondue experience you want to create.

Back to wine…  There are rules but then again very often rules are there to be broken. At the end of the line you can drink what like however there are certain wines that provide a better taste experience. Here is a small list of wines that work with cheese fondue

White Wines

In general you can take light white wines that have spent no time in oak. Chasselas the all-time classic and a pretty safe bet. With Riesling make sure the wine does not have too much acidity. There are lots of wonderful Rieslings from Südtirol and of course the Mosel valley. Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder) is delightful and fresh. Petite Arvine is a true delight and works exceptionally well. Even whites with more acidity can play well with cheese. A Saint-Véran is one of these made from 100% Chardonnay. And the all time favorite and adds an additional festive note to the Fondue evening Champagne and Crémant. When available try the non dose (no added sugar when degorging the bottles) and stick to dry champagne.

Red Wines

For red wines, I recommend that they should be light, fresh and not have spent any time in oak. Because of the fat in cheese you can experience the light young Pinot Noir like for example Sancerre rouge or Gamay from Beaujolais or Dôle very well. Serve these a little more cooled and serve them with enough time to breathe. A poulsard from the Jura is wonderful as well.

When you stick to the rule of fresh, light and no barrique you should be fine in many cases. There are a lot of wonderful combinations to discover. This is a recommendation and not the law! Go out and enjoy some experimentation, only them you learn!