Malbec

Asiago

Whether young or aged, asiago is a versatile cheese. Put-in-a-pint drinks that we favor with it include hard ciders and fruit beers, pilsners, pale ales and lighter Belgian ales. If wine sounds fine, then we recommend riesling, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, cabernet sauvignon and syrah. If liquor is more your speed, then both scotch and rye whiskey pair well. A nutty and assertive sake loves asiago too.

Blue

Big, bold blues as well as milder wedges go surprisingly well with all sorts of drinks. In Wisconsin, we normally pair our blues with cider or beer -- everything from fruit beers, stout, weiss beer, porter and Belgian ales get along famously with blue. In the world of wine, we recommend cabernet sauvignon, chianti, pinot noir, zinfandel, riesling, syrah/shiraz, ice wines and malbec. For higher-proof hankerings, reach for the port, madeira, tequila reposado or tequila añejo.

Cheddar

Colby

Colby is a mild, crowd-pleaser of a cheese, so it’s friendly with all sorts of drinks. If you're wanting beer, go for a pilsner, pale ale, brown ale or lager. Wines that pair well with colby include cabernet sauvignon, chianti, pinot noir, red zinfandel, champagne, riesling and malbec. If you prefer the strong stuff, tequila reposado and rye whiskey are definitely good bets.

Gorgonzola

Nothing but big flavor all-around for heavyweight gorgonzola. For beer, pair it with stout, porter and Belgian ales. Wines that match gorgonzola’s boldness include cab sauv, chianti, pinot noir, merlot, red zinfandel, riesling and malbec. If you want a sipper with your gorgonzola, we recommend port, madeira, scotch, tequila reposado, tequila anejo and definitely mescal.

Gouda

Depending on whether your gouda is young, aged, smoked or flavor infused, we tend to enjoy it with slightly sweet beverages that complement its nutty, slightly fruity flavor. Drinks that fit that bill include bock, brown ale, farmhouse hard cider, gewürztraminer, müller-thurgau, riesling, champagne or cava and all different young to long-in-the-tooth sherries.

Parmesan

Serious cheese deserves serious drinks, so we like to pair parmesan with chianti, pinot noir, malbec, syrah, champagne, prosecco and riesling. We also like the strong stuff with it including grappa, nocino, sherry and madeira.