15 Wines To Pair With Pimento Cheese
Pimento cheese is a southern staple that draws national attention around two key events: the Kentucky Derby and Masters Weekend.
With the Augusta National’s Masters in the recent rearview and Louisville’s Kentucky Derby ahead this weekend, pimento cheese is experiencing peak limelight. It’s front and center in the cheese aisle, an add-on at restaurants and social media is alive with at-home recipes for everything from classic sandwiches to pimento cheese garlic bread .
The spotlight on pimento cheese is usually fleeting, but this creamy, tangy specialty deserves a more permanent place on your at-home menu. In fact, the key ingredients of mayonnaise, cheddar cheese and pimento create layers of flavor and texture that beckon a complementary wine to bind it all together, long after first bite.
“Pimento cheese doesn’t get enough credit for how much is actually going on in that bowl,” says Julian Uribe, food & beverage director at Ama by Brad Kilgore in San Francisco. The fat from the mayo, a tang from the cheeses and a spice “need a wine that can actually handle all of that without getting lost,” says Uribe.
In general, you’ll want to seek out a wine that can simultaneously cut through the richness yet balance the tang and heat. Omar White, wine director of Eastern Point Collective in D.C., advises a lean, bright, low in alcohol, chilled pour. “Wines that bring a subtle piquancy to cut through the spread’s richness while echoing its zip,” says White.
From white wine selections like pinot gris and grüner veltliner to chilled red Rhône varietals and sparkling rosé, below, 15 sommeliers share their favorite pairing with pimento cheese.
Grüner Veltliner
The answer to Uribe’s aforementioned “wine that can handle all [the flavor and texture]” is grüner veltliner; a saline-forward white wine with bright acidity. “It cuts right through the richness, and that classic white pepper note the grape carries just locks in with the spice in a way that feels almost too perfect,” says Uribe. He points out Prager Achleiten Smaragd 2023 from the Wachau Valley in grüner’s native Austria as the bottle he keeps returning to. “[It’s] a grüner with real concentration and depth; there's enough body and texture to stand up to the creaminess of the cheese, but the acidity never lets go.”
Petit Manseng
Given pimento cheese’s nostalgic and playful energy, White recommends choosing a wine with “a sense of fun” to match. The wine should “dance alongside the food,” says White—not overwhelm it. He recommends Petit Manseng from Virginia’s Early Mountain Vineyards for its natural acidity and lightly exotic fruit that give it a lifted, almost electric quality. “There’s a faint spice and citrus peel note that plays effortlessly against the peppers, while the wine’s freshness keeps the pairing from ever feeling heavy,” he adds.
Albariño
Albariño is a zesty Spanish white wine that makes for a perfect pairing with pimento cheese, according to John McKenna, sommelier at PARC Aspen . “The wine's high acidity cuts cleanly through the cheese's creaminess, while the saline, almost briny quality it's famous for creates a wonderful contrast with the richness,” says McKenna. “Think of it like how a squeeze of lemon transforms a rich dish—albariño does that in a glass!” For a benchmark expression, he points to Bodegas Zárate Balado 2023 , citing its “beautiful precision, complexity and a long mineral finish.”
Bordeaux Blanc
At Crown Block in Dallas, sommelier Chris Gill encounters this wine pairing daily as the restaurant serves pimento cheese dip with their bread service. “My first instinct is to reach for a sauvignon blanc, sémillon blend, such as a Bordeaux blanc,” he shares. “The subtle herbal notes, like bell pepper, naturally complement the red peppers, while the wine’s acidity helps cut through the richness of the cheese,” says Gill, pointing to the Napa Valley-based Quintessa’s “Illumination” 2023 as “a perfect example of an outstanding pairing in this category.”
Aligote
“As someone from the Midwest, I respect the duality of pimento cheese: playful ingredients with serious flavor,” says Dominic Tramelli, sommelier at Dalia in Boston. To complement this, he looks to Burgundy’s underdog grape, Aligote, especially a young (like 2024) vintage from Domaine A. & P. de Villaine Bouzeron . “It’s got naturally high acidity and bright citrus character,” he says, likening the sip to squeezing a fresh lemon on the cheese to cut precisely through the fat, while amplifying the tang. “It's humble and unpretentious, just like the dish itself.”
Malvasia
Bright and refreshing, Greece’s aromatic Malvasia grape has started appearing on more menus stateside, but it’s still flying under the radar. That’s why Marsh House ’s sommelier, Todd Johnson, describes it as a potential “hot take,” but one that’s worth exploring. “You need something juicy and salty to bring out the sweetness of the cheese mix,” says Johnson. Malvasia is typically round and textured which makes it “just what the doctor ordered,” he says, recommending Italy’s citrus-flecked interpretation with a bottle of 2022 Eolia Bianco M Salina Malvasia .
Alsatian Pinot Gris
An Alsatian Pinot Gris matches the richness of pimento cheese “with real texture and depth, while its ripe orchard fruit softens the salt and spice,” says Ryan P. McLoughlin, head sommelier at Sea Island Resort in Georgia. Pimento cheese recipes can vary, but when it leans smokier, especially when bacon is incorporated, this pairing really shines. “The wine’s subtle smoky, nutty notes naturally echo the savory side of the cheese,” says McLoughlin, suggesting Trimbach Pinot Gris Réserve as his perfect pairing.
Melon De Bourgogne
“When grown in the proper terroir,” prefaces Alex Wettersten, beverage director at Cavallo Point in Sausalito, “a complementary creamy and zesty style grape like melon de Bourgogne” is an ideal match for pimento cheese. Wettersten points to winemakers in the western Loire Valley who balance the baseline of saline minerality, bright acidity and notes of lime and stone fruit with extended time on the lees to offer a slightly creamier texture. A must-try bottle is from Domaine de l’Ecu.
Blanc de Noirs Champagne
“Pimento cheese and biscuits are a Derby table non-negotiable—at least in my Southern-raised world,” says Joseph Puente, sommelier at The ‘Quin House in Boston. For his pairing, he looks no further than a blanc de noirs champagne, a sparkler made from 100% red grapes. “Its full palate weight matches the richness of the pimento cheese, while the red fruit character acts as a bright, refreshing reset after every bite,” explains Puente. His pick is from the Grower category: Marie Courtin Resonance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut .
Bugey-Cerdon
Fizzy and semi-sweet from just outside Savoie in France, this specific style of sparkling rosé is crafted from gamay and poulsard grapes. “It smells like chalk and strawberries, and it's inherently low in alcohol—a bonus if you are pimento-ing for breakfast, as I often do,” says Matt Stamp, master sommelier and owner of Compline in Napa. “Pimento's creamy, peppery kick is best with something that's sparkly and has a bit of sweetness,” he adds, mentioning go-to producers as Renardat-Fâche and Patrick Bottex.
Brut Rosé
For another bubbly rosé wine option, try a brut style of a classic pinot noir and chardonnay blend, which Matej Manev, sommelier at Marlow East in New York City, describes as “a masterclass in balance.” He especially enjoys Schramsberg Brut Rosé for “its high concentration in pinot noir that provides a red-fruit backbone and enough weight to stand up to a thick, sharp cheddar base.” Meanwhile, the chardonnay in the blend adds a bright, refreshing texture. “It is a refined experience that makes casual food feel gourmet—the wine equivalent of wearing a tuxedo to a backyard barbecue,” says Manev.
Rosé
Still rosé is also an option, according to Anthony Aviles, director of food and beverage at The Rittenhouse in Philadelphia. There are some parameters, though, as he advises a richer style of the wine like Château d’Esclans Rock Angel . “It is full-bodied with bright red fruit notes and complements a rich cheese like pimento perfectly,” says Aviles.
Rhône Blend
Growing up in Georgia, Kevin Born, sommelier at Rich Table in San Francisco, often monikered pimento cheese as “Southern caviar,” for which the natural pairing was sparkling wine. For something more fun and off the beaten path, however, Born likes to reach for a chillable red. “I most associate pimento cheese with sunshine and picnics, and I think a nice lighthearted red is the perfect match,” says Born. Right now, he’s particularly enjoying the bright fruitiness and hint of tannins in Pastoral Melange , a low-extraction expression of grenache, mourvedre and carignan from Sonoma-based winery, Two Shepherds.
Syrah
When Ruth Verijnikova, sommelier at Auld Alliance in Georgia thinks about pimento cheese, bacon is the first thing that comes to mind. “I would go maximum bacon in a glass,” says Verijnikova, which she says translates to aged Côte-Rôtie, like that from Bernard Levet. “It's unexpected and complements pimento cheese perfectly with its wild, savory meat and ashy notes,” says Verijnikova of the syrah from the prestigious region in Northern Rhône.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Genaro Gallo, sommelier at The Lodge at Dawn Ranch in Sonoma approaches his pimento cheese pairing through a molecular lens rather than a traditional one. “Here, I like to focus on shared compounds,” says Gallo.
His pick of cabernet sauvignon “is not the obvious direction” on paper, but it makes sense when you taste it. “Both cabernet sauvignon and pimento peppers contain methoxypyrazines, which show up as green, herbal, slightly peppery notes,” he explains. “You get that moment where the wine and the food are speaking the same language.” A producer he loves for this pairing is Heitz Cellar for its classic Napa structure with lifted herbal tones.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
