Blue cheese is pungent, salty and intensely savoury, with a sharp, tangy bite from the blue veining. This powerful, salty flavour pairs classically with sweet wines, whose sweetness contrasts and tames the salt and whose richness matches the cheese. Sauternes with Roquefort and Port with Stilton are legendary pairings, the sweet wine balancing the cheese's pungency. The wine must be sweet and rich; the contrast of luscious sweetness against the salty, sharp blue cheese is one of the great classic matches in all of wine.
Our sommelier's picks
Save to PinterestBotrytis sweet white
8–10°C (46–50°F)Sémillon · Sauternes, France
Sauternes with Roquefort is a legendary pairing — the honeyed sweetness tames the salty, pungent cheese.
Monbazillac offers the style for less.
Fortified sweet red
16–18°C (60–64°F)Touriga Nacional · Port, Portugal
Port with Stilton is the classic — the sweet dark fruit contrasts the sharp blue veining.
LBV Port offers value.
Sweet Hungarian white
10–12°C (50–54°F)Furmint · Tokaj, Hungary
Tokaji Aszú's apricot sweetness and acidity balance the pungent, salty cheese.
Tokaji is great value.
Late-harvest white
8–10°C (46–50°F)Riesling · Germany
A sweet Riesling's honeyed fruit and acidity contrast the salty cheese.
German sweet Riesling is superb value.
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Questions about pairing Blue Cheese
What wine pairs with blue cheese?
Sweet wines — Sauternes with Roquefort, Port with Stilton — whose sweetness contrasts and tames the salty, pungent cheese in legendary classic pairings.
Why does sweet wine suit blue cheese?
The sweetness contrasts the cheese's salt and sharpness, while the richness matches its intensity — a perfect sweet-savoury balance.
Is Port really the match for Stilton?
Yes — Port and Stilton is a timeless British pairing, the sweet dark fruit balancing the pungent blue veining.