If there's one question we hear across the counter more than any other here in Santa Monica, it's some version of "what wine should I drink with this cheese?" And honestly? We love it. Pairing wine and cheese is one of the great small pleasures of eating well, and the good news is that it's far less fussy than the internet would have you believe. You don't need a sommelier certificate or a decoder ring. You just need a couple of guiding ideas and the willingness to taste as you go.
Here's how we think about it behind the counter, distilled into the basics we share with friends and customers every single day.
Rule number one: there are no rules
We'll let you in on the secret we tell everyone first: the best pairing is the one you actually enjoy. "Red wine with everything" is not a law, and neither is "white wine with cheese," even though white wine happens to be a shockingly reliable partner. The goal isn't to pass a test. It's to make two good things taste even better side by side. So pour a little, take a bite, and pay attention to what's happening on your palate. That's the whole game.
Match the weight
The most useful trick we know is to match intensity with intensity. A delicate, fresh goat cheese wants a delicate, bright wine, something crisp and high in acidity that won't steamroll it. A big, aged, nutty cheese can stand up to a wine with more structure and body. Think of it like a dinner party: you want both guests talking at roughly the same volume. When one overpowers the other, the conversation falls apart.
Acidity and bubbles are your best friends
Cheese is rich and fatty, and few things cut through fat like acidity and bubbles. This is why a glass of sparkling wine with a wedge of triple crème feels like a small miracle, and why a zippy, high-acid white makes a plate of cheese sing. When in doubt, reach for something bright and lively. A skin-contact orange wine or a chillable red like a Gamay does the same beautiful cutting work while bringing a little texture and intrigue to the table.
Our natural-wine bias (and why)
We stock our shelves almost entirely with small-production, American-made natural wines, and it's not an accident. These are wines made by growers who farm thoughtfully and let the fruit speak, which means they tend to be lower in alcohol, higher in energy, and endlessly food-friendly. A few we come back to again and again: the eminently gluggable bottles and cans from Las Jaras, the sunny, expressive wines of Martha Stoumen, and the bright, joyful reds and sparklers from Broc Cellars. You can browse the whole lineup in our wine collection, and if you're pairing for a crowd, a chilled bottle of pét-nat rarely disappoints.
A few pairings we'd pour tonight
If you want somewhere concrete to start, here are combinations we reach for without thinking twice. A fresh, lemony chèvre with a crisp, high-acid white or a skin-contact orange wine. A buttery, bloomy Brie-style round with something sparkling to slice through the cream. A firm, aged alpine or cheddar-style cheese with a medium-bodied red that has a little earthiness of its own. And a salty, crystalline aged sheep's milk cheese with a lightly chilled red or even a splash of fruity rosé. Grab whatever looks best at the cheese counter and build from there, or let us do the choosing with a rotating pick from our Cheesemonger's Choice.
When opposites attract
Sometimes the magic isn't in matching but in contrast. A funky, washed-rind cheese against a slightly sweet or off-dry wine. A sharp blue against something with a little residual sugar or a jammy edge. These push-pull pairings can be the most memorable of all, so don't be afraid to experiment. The worst that happens is you drink a lovely glass of wine and eat a lovely piece of cheese. Not exactly a tragedy.
Trust your own palate
At the end of the day, pairing is personal. What tastes transcendent to us might be just fine to you, and vice versa, and that's exactly how it should be. Start with the weight-matching and acidity ideas above, then follow your own curiosity. The more you taste, the more your instincts sharpen, until one day you're the friend confidently pouring the perfect glass at your own table.
Next time you're in the neighborhood, come say hello. We're always happy to pull a few cheeses, talk through what you're drinking, and send you home with a pairing you'll want to make again. And if you can't make it to Santa Monica, our wine and cheese are ready to ship or gather for pickup whenever inspiration strikes.