Master the upsell with these perfect drinks pairings for artisan cheese

Don’t know what tipples to recommend to your customers to drink with their cheese? Find out what our cheese experts love to pour a glass of when they tuck into cheese.

Gemma Ackroyd, The Cheeseboard Harrogate
A lot of people think that red wine with cheese is the classic pairing but actually I love a glass of white Chardonnay with a soft gooey brie. The acidity of the wine cuts right through the fattiness of the cheese and it marries beautifully.

Daniel Williams, Godfrey C. Williams & Sons
English wine. My current top pick is the Artelium Blanc de Blancs 2015 with Sharpham Elmhirst. This WineGB 2022 Supreme Champion from Sussex has a vibrant mousse and lemon posset palate that combines beautifully with the triple-cream freshness of the Devon cheese.

Avril Molloy, La Rousse Foods
Sparkling Apple Juice, especially with cheddars and hard cow-milk cheese, French Sauvignon Blanc with soft goat cheese.

Michael Thompson, Mike’s Fancy Cheese
We run monthly beer and cheese nights in our neighbouring pub the Sunflower bar, so for me, it’s beers and cider over wine anytime!

We are lucky to have a lot of local breweries starting up around us so we get a different one each month to pair 5 beers and 5 cheeses. You can get a full range of hoppy IPAs, some good ales, and nice big stouts but my favourite one we did this year was with Otterbank brewery who specialises in mixed fermentation wild beers and the funky flavours go so well with cheese.

Heather Copley, Farmer Copley’s
It really depends on the time of day and setting but as a rule, a daytime cheese coupled with Favola Prosecco is always a winner. As a treat, I may open a bottle of Moutard, and if I’m driving, I will enjoy a glass of Royal Flush Real Sparkling Tea.

Clare Jackson, Slate Cheese
I always enjoy a glass of chilled rosé wine with cheese. Made in Kent, Railway Hill from Simpsons Wine Estate is a delicate Provencal-style rosé – a delicious match for fresh goat’s cheeses. Red berry notes and its hint of acidity create a sublime strawberries and cream combination with Driftwood or Golden Cross.

Rory Mellis, I.J. Mellis
A glass of not-too-heavy red wine, the kind that you should be drinking with cheese, like a Gamay, a Beaujolais or a new world Malbec. The idea is to not let the wine overpower the cheese. We serve some of our favourites in our Cheese Lounge.