Cheese & wine: the beginner’s guide.

Cheese & wine with the JARI community.

How to choose, how to pair, without going wrong: ask the community and the JARI pros.

The cheese families.

• Soft, bloomy rind: Camembert, Brie — creamy, mild.
• Soft, washed rind: Époisses, Munster — powerful, pungent.
• Uncooked pressed: Reblochon, Morbier, Cantal — melting.
• Cooked pressed: Comté, Beaufort — nutty, perfect to start.
• Goat: crottin, bûche — fresh, tangy.
• Blue: Roquefort, Fourme d'Ambert — salty, veined. A balanced board = one from each family.

Where to buy: cheese & wine shops.

• Fromagerie Laurent Dubois (47 ter bd Saint-Germain, 5th) — a Meilleur Ouvrier de France: ask for a long-aged Comté, they'll let you taste.
• Fromagerie Barthélémy (51 rue de Grenelle, 7th) — supplier to the Élysée: the creamy Saint-Félicien, truffle brie.
• Androuet Mouffetard (134 rue Mouffetard, 5th) — a historic house, ready-made boards and good advice.
• La Dernière Goutte (6 rue de Bourbon-le-Château, 6th) — a passionate wine merchant, tastings, perfect to start.
• Le Verre Volé (67 rue de Lancry, 10th) — a cave à manger: buy your bottle and drink it on site.
• Septime La Cave (3 rue Basfroi, 11th) — the natural-wine benchmark, to take away.

Buying at a cheese shop.

At a real fromager, they let you taste and advise. State the ripeness ("bien fait" = ready) and the timing ("for tonight" / "in 3 days"). One piece per person, mildest to strongest on the plate.

Wine without stress.

At the caviste, give your budget (€8–15 already buys a very good wine) and your tastes: Burgundy (pinot noir, chardonnay), Bordeaux (fuller blends), Loire (fresh, affordable), Rhône (round, warm). On the label: appellation, vintage, estate.

Pairing, the simple rule.

A wine and a cheese from the same region often match (Comté + Jura wine, goat cheese + Sancerre). A crisp white beats a tannic red on many cheeses. Add bread, fruit (grapes, figs, walnuts): the perfect apéro.

Building a board.

3 to 5 cheeses from different families, out 30 min before, fresh bread, a little honey or fig jam, dried fruit.

Bringing some home to Korea.

Choose vacuum-packed hard cheeses (Comté, Beaufort) that travel well; check the customs rules before you leave.

JARI tip.

Don't be shy — cheesemongers and wine merchants love to share. For a tasting glass.

Useful links.