Melbourne cheesemonger Olivia Sutton from Harper & Blohm shares her advice for upgrading your wine and cheese matches.

Wine and cheese go together like, well, wine and cheese. It’s a classic combination that’s been enjoyed around the world for centuries. And while most of us enjoy a tipple with a nibble, selecting exactly what to serve on your cheese board can be a little intimidating. The world of cheese is just as large and complex as the world of wine. That’s why it’s sometimes best to turn to the experts, like Melbourne cheesemonger, Olivia Sutton.

Olivia’s the founder of Melbourne cheese institution Harper & Blohm, where she uses her 18 years of experience to help customers discover fantastic cheeses (and serve up some epic cheese toasties). Olivia’s passionate about cheese and helping people learn more about it. When it comes to serving cheese, she has a few important tips that’ll help you get the most out of your selections.

Firstly, serve your cheese at room temperature. That means taking it out of the fridge half-an-hour to an hour before you need it. Secondly, don’t over complicate your board with too many cheeses. According to Olivia, it’s often better to serve one or two big chunks of cheese as a centrepiece. And finally, don’t pick big heavy wines to go with delicate cheeses — otherwise you won’t taste them. On that subject, we asked Olivia to talk us through her go-to cheese and drinks pairings (surprise, they’re not all wines) to put you on the path to perfectly married pairings.

Click image to shop

Goats cheese with Smith & Sheth CRU Sauvignon Blanc

“A great saying that I like to use is ‘what grows together, goes together’. Goats cheese is originally from the Loire Valley in France and so is sauvignon blanc. In terms of flavour, goats cheese has a fresh, citrus flavour and that's why it's just like sauvignon blanc. Those two are good friends. You’d never do a really fresh goat cheese with a big heavy red wine because you wouldn’t be able to taste the cheese.”

Triple creme with Clover Hill Tasmanian Cuvée

“This combination is more of a textural pairing. You’ve got the light moussey texture of the triple creme and you’ve got a light moussey sparkling wine. The bubbles in the sparkling will help to cut through the fat of the cheese. Australian triple cremes have a lot more fat to them because our grass is richer. So pick a sparkling wine that’s higher in acid if you're going for Australian pairing.”

Click image to shop

Click image to shop

French camembert with Willie Smith's Traditional Cider

“This is a classically French combination inspired by the Normandy region, where they have lots of cows and grow lots of apples. A traditional french camembert has a lot of farmhouse, rustic-type flavour to it. Those rustic flavours are very similar to traditional apple ciders. You can almost picture a farmer sitting under an apple tree with a baguette, some camembert, and a bottle of cider.”

Cheddar with Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon

“Cheddar is when you start pulling out the big red wines. When we talk about cheddar, we’re talking about English-style clothbound cheddar that are a lot different to mass produced ‘everyday’ cheddars. They’re more fruity, and well-balanced, and not as sharp. So they work really well with a cabernet sauvignon. The wine and cheese complement each other by both having a really full-bodied flavour.”

Click image to shop

Click image to shop

Blue cheese with Cockburn's Late Bottled Vintage Port

“Pairing a blue cheese is where you should be looking for contrast. Blue cheese is very salty and very strong, which is why it works well with something sweet. Sweety and salty always go well together. A classic English-inspired blue cheese match is to serve Stilton with a glass of port. That’s a great way to end a meal, with a really lovely fortified wine and strong cheese to feel satisfied.”

Washed rind with Henry Fessy Beaujolais Vielles Vignes

“Washed rinds are a more pungent, smellier-style soft cheese. That means they’ll go great with a lighter style red like a Beaujolais. The tannins in those lighter style wines won’t overpower the cheese, they’ll work in harmony instead. It tends to bring out more of an earthy flavour to both the wine and cheese.”

Click image to shop

Click image to shop

Aged gouda with The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

“Gouda is a tough cheese to match because it can vary a lot in age and flavour. Here we’re talking about aged gouda, which has been matured for about 24 months and is really hard and really complex. For an aged gouda you can go for a drink match that’s a bit bigger in flavour. I love whisky with an aged gouda. So I’d pair this with a lovely aged single malt whisky.”

While all of these pairings will get you started on the path to being a cheese and drinks aficionado, Olivia’s best advice for learning more is simple. “Eat lots of different cheeses,” she says. “If you haven’t tried a type of cheese — then go taste it.” Sounds like a good rule to live by.