Cheese and wine share the same essential qualities: both are shaped by place, both reward patience, and both are better in company. Before the next board goes out, here are ten things worth knowing about one of the oldest foods in the world.
At a Glance
- Topic: Cheese history, science, and wine pairing context
- Key Takeaway: Like wine, cheese expresses terroir, rewards aging, and pairs best when matched by intensity and character
- Best Paired With: Private Reserve Chardonnay for creamy styles; Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for aged and bold styles
1. Cheese Is Older Than Recorded History
Cheese-making predates written language. Evidence suggests the practice goes back more than 7,000 years, with the earliest cheese thought to have been discovered accidentally when milk stored in animal stomachs curdled due to naturally occurring enzymes. What began as an accident became one of the most diverse food traditions in human history.
2. There Are Over 1,800 Types of Cheese
Cheddar, Brie, and Gouda are the starting point, not the destination. More than 1,800 distinct types of cheese are produced worldwide, each shaped by the milk source, bacterial culture, aging environment, and the traditions of the region where it's made. The variety is as wide as wine.
3. Cheese Is a Source of Vitamin K2
Fermented cheeses like Gouda and Brie are good sources of vitamin K2, a nutrient important for bone health that may also play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease. Aged cheeses tend to have higher concentrations as fermentation progresses.
4. The World's Most Expensive Cheese Comes from Serbia
Pule cheese, made from the milk of Balkan donkeys, can cost more than $1,000 per pound. The price reflects the extreme scarcity of Balkan donkey milk and the labor involved in producing it. It is considered one of the rarest cheeses in the world.
5. Some Cheeses Are Aged for Decades
Most cheeses age for weeks to a few years, but certain specialty cheeses can age for decades. Long-aged Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gouda develop crystalline structures in the paste, concentrated umami, and complex flavor depths that shorter-aged versions cannot replicate. These are the cheeses worth pairing with equally structured, age-worthy wines.
6. Cheese Is Highly Diverse in Texture
From fresh cheese curds (which squeak) to aged Parmigiano (which crumbles and crystallizes), cheese spans the full textural range of any food category. Moisture content, bacterial culture, and aging time all influence texture, making the physical experience of eating cheese as variable as its flavor.
7. Mice Don't Actually Love Cheese
The association between mice and cheese is largely a product of cartoons and folklore. In practice, mice prefer foods high in sugar and carbohydrates. The image stuck, but the preference didn't.
8. Cheese Was Once Used as Currency
In ancient Rome, cheese was considered a valuable commodity used to pay soldiers and workers, and in some regions as a form of rent. Its durability, caloric density, and widespread appeal made it a practical form of exchange before coinage became universal.
9. Cheese Can Have Terroir
Like wine, cheese can express the specific character of where and how it was produced. Roquefort, aged in the caves of Combalou in southern France, and Gruyère, made from the milk of cows grazing specific Alpine meadows, each carry flavors that are tied directly to their place of origin. This is terroir, and it applies to cheese just as it applies to Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
10. The World's Largest Cheese Weighed Over 57,000 Pounds
In 2010, Wisconsin cheesemakers set a world record with a Cheddar cheese wheel weighing more than 57,000 pounds, created to celebrate the state's dairy industry. It remains one of the more impressive feats in food production.
Cheese and Wine Pairing: A Quick Guide
The principles of cheese and wine pairing follow the same logic as any food and wine match: shared intensity, complementary flavor, and acidity to keep the palate fresh.
| Cheese Style | Wine Match | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Creamy (Brie, triple-cream) | Private Reserve Chardonnay | Shared richness; acidity cuts through fat |
| Tangy (goat cheese, chèvre) | Private Reserve Chardonnay | Citrus acidity mirrors the cheese's brightness |
| Aged (Gouda, sharp Cheddar) | Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon | Nuttiness and salt amplify dark fruit |
| Bold (blue, aged Parmigiano) | Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon | Intensity matches intensity |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does wine pair so well with cheese?
Wine and cheese are natural partners because their flavors and structures are often complementary: the acidity in wine cuts through the fat in cheese, tannins in red wine soften against the protein, and shared flavor compounds (fruity, nutty, earthy, savory) create resonance between the two. Both are also fermented foods shaped by their environment, which gives them a similar conceptual foundation.
What is terroir in cheese?
Terroir in cheese refers to the way the environment in which the milk-producing animals graze influences the flavor of the final product. Cheeses made from the milk of animals grazing specific pastures, drinking particular water sources, or exposed to specific bacterial environments carry those characteristics into the cheese. Roquefort and Gruyère are frequently cited examples of cheeses with strong terroir expression.
What is the oldest type of cheese?
The oldest archaeological evidence of cheese-making dates to approximately 7,000 years ago, found in ceramic shards in Poland containing traces of milk fat consistent with cheese production. Some of the oldest named cheese traditions trace to the Middle East and North Africa, where livestock were domesticated and dairy cultures developed early.
SHOP PRIVATE RESERVE CHARDONNAY
Want a complete guide to building the perfect cheese board with Beringer wines? Read our Holiday Cheese and Wine Board 101.
