Which wine with cheese fondue? Christmas dinner wine advice

Wine advice

Prices are indications per bottle; they vary by shop.

Smart up to €10

White from Savoie

Apremont or Abymes (jacquère)

Light and fresh, the classic fondue wine.

Grüner veltliner

Austrian grüner veltliner

Fresh with a peppery note.

Generous €10 to €25

Swiss chasselas

Fendant from Valais

The wine fondue is drunk with in Switzerland.

Dry riesling

Riesling trocken from the Pfalz or Rheingau

Crisp acidity cuts through the cheese.

All out from €25

Riesling grand cru

Alsace riesling grand cru

Powerful, dry and fresh.

Top chasselas

Dézaley or Calamin (Lavaux)

Depth from the terraces on Lake Geneva.

Why this wine?

The cheese is salty and rich in umami, and the wine in the fondue brings acidity. A sharp dish needs a wine with enough acidity, or the wine tastes flat. Choose a fresh, dry white, ideally from the Alps.

What matters here

Salt makes wine softer and fuller, and less bitter or astringent: salty dishes are easy to match.
Umami makes wine taste more bitter, more astringent and less fruity. Young, fruity, low-tannin wine works best; salt in the dish helps.
Acidity in food softens the acidity of the wine, which then seems sweeter and fruitier. A sharp dish does need a wine with enough acidity.

Better not

A soft, low-acid white or a heavy oaked chardonnay: next to the sharp fondue it tastes flat and heavy.

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Wine with cheese fondue