Which wine with Belgian cheese? Herve, Passendale, Maredsous…
Belgium has hundreds of cheeses, often paired with beer. Wine works beautifully too, if you follow a few simple principles.
Updated 24 October 2026
The principle: white before red
Contrary to popular belief, many cheeses get along better with white wine than red: red-wine tannins harden against fat and salt. Keep tannic reds for aged hard cheeses, and dare whites, even sweet ones, with strong cheeses.
Strong washed-rind cheeses: Herve, Remoudou
Their power needs a wine that won't be crushed: an aromatic, slightly sweet white such as a late-harvest Alsace gewurztraminer or pinot gris. A light red would be overwhelmed.
Abbey cheeses: Maredsous, Chimay, Orval…
These supple, slightly fruity semi-hard washed-rind cheeses go well with a fruity, low-tannin red (beaujolais, côtes-du-rhône) or a round white (chardonnay, pinot gris).
Mild pressed cheeses: Passendale and co
Mild and creamy, they call for an equally delicate wine: an unoaked chardonnay, a dry chenin or a light pinot noir.
Aged hard cheeses: Brugge Oud and old gouda-style cheeses
Their hazelnut and caramel notes and little crystals can take a more structured red (tempranillo, merlot) or, at the end of the meal, a tawny port.
Goat's cheese
The classic is a sauvignon blanc (Touraine, Sancerre): its freshness answers the acidity of fresh goat's cheese. With a drier goat's cheese, a Loire chenin.
One board, one or two bottles
For a varied board, a single dry, aromatic white (riesling, chenin) often pleases everyone; add a fruity red for the hard cheeses. And serve cheese at room temperature, out of the fridge an hour ahead.
Also read: which wine with Belgian food and holiday wines. Our boxes: see the plans.
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