Exploring French, Italian, & Spanish Wine and Cheese

Check out our guide to the top must-try wine and cheese selections from France, Italy, and Spain.

Wine & Cheese Around The World: France, Italy, & Spain

The best things in life are cheese. Cheese boards are a classic crowd-pleaser; from a dinner party appetizer, to grazing during a girl’s night in. Don’t be afraid to mix and match your wine and cheese pairings from different countries. Let’s explore various types of vino and formaggio from around the world without leaving the country—no passport required!

French Wine and Cheese

When looking for authentic French cheese, check the packaging to ensure that the following abbreviations are printed on the label: ‘AOC’, ‘AOP’, or ‘IGP’. The French government requires its producers to indicate these letters on packaging to ensure production quality.

The meaning of these abbreviations are as follows: AOC stands for Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, which translates to ‘controlled destination of origin’. AOP or Appellation d’Origine Protégée translates to ‘protected destination of origin’. Lastly, IGP stands for Indication Géographique Protégée, which translates to ‘protected geographical indication’. Tip: The French word for cheese is fromage.

French Cheeses:

• Brie (Soft)
• Camembert (Soft)
• Neufchâtel (Semi-Soft)
• Morbier (Semi-Soft)
• Mimolette (Hard)
• Abbaye de Belloc (Hard)
• Comté (Semi-Hard)
• Chevres (Semi-Hard)

French Wines:

• Bordeaux
• Burgundy
• Syrah
• Mourvèdre
• Chenin Blanc
• Champagne
• Crémant
• Sparkling Blanc de Blancs

Italian Wine and Cheese

Italy is known for many classic cheeses; parmesan, mozzarella, and asiago, just to name a few. In a country that is filled with delicious wine and cheese offerings, you’ll always find something new to try. Whether you’re making a charcuterie board or putting together a wine and cheese gift basket, you’ll never get bored of the endless pairing options for Italian wine and cheese.

Just because a cheese is from Italy, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it alongside a fine wine from a neighboring European country! We highly recommend indulging in some of the less-familiar types of Italian cheese. Tip: The Italian word for cheese is formaggio.

Italian Cheeses:

• Mozzarella di Bufala (Soft)
• Mascarpone (Soft)
• Fontina (Semi-Soft)
• Taleggio (Semi-Soft)
• Pecorino Romano (Hard)
• Grana Padano (Hard)
• Ricotta Salata (Semi-Hard)
• Pecorino Toscana (Semi-Hard)

Italian Wines:

• Montepulciano D’Abruzzo
• Sangiovese
• Chianti
• Nebbiolo
• Prosecco
• Trebbiano
• Falanghina

Spanish Wine and Cheese

One of the world’s most famous wine quotes comes from a Spanish proverb, “It is better to have bread left over than to run short of wine.” While Spain may not be the most famous cheese producing region that first comes to mind, the country produces over 150 different types of cheese!

There are four different categories for Spanish cheese: fresco, semi-curado, curado, and viejo. Fresco is cheese that hasn’t been aged; semi-curado has been aged for 2 to 3 months, curado has been cured for up to 4 months; and viejo has been aged longer, making it a sharp cheese. Tip: The Spanish word for cheese is queso.

Spanish Cheeses:

• Panela (Soft)
• Tetilla (Soft)
• Manchego (Semi-Soft)
• Murcia Al Vino (Semi-Soft)
• Mahón (Hard)
• Idiazába (Hard)
• Cabarels (Semi-Hard)

Spanish Wines:

• Garnacha
• Albariño
• Tempranillo
• Rioja
• Verdejo
• Cava
• Monastrell