Jam and cheese pairing guide: what goes with brie, cheddar, goat cheese, and more

Jam and cheese pairing is the easiest way to make a cheese board look like you tried. You don't need a special knife or a class. You need a good cheese, a good jam, and a little sense of what goes with what. That's the part I can help with.

I've been putting wine infused jam next to cheese for years, first at my own table and then at every tasting I've done since. This guide covers what jam goes with brie, which jam belongs next to sharp cheddar, why goat cheese and raspberry are such a good match, and how to lay out a charcuterie board with jam so people actually eat it.

Why jam and cheese work together

Cheese is salt and fat. Jam is sugar and acid. Put them together and each one makes the other taste more like itself. The salt in the cheese sharpens the fruit. The sweetness in the jam rounds out the cheese. That's the whole science, and it's why a spoonful of jam next to a wedge of anything gets eaten before the crackers do.

Wine infused jam takes it one step further. Wine already knows how to sit next to cheese. When the wine is cooked into the jam, you get that pairing built in. A Merlot jam brings the same depth to cheddar that a glass of Merlot would. A Moscato jam does for brie what a sweet white does at a wine bar.

What jam goes with brie

Brie is soft, buttery, and mild. It needs a jam that's sweet enough to stand out but gentle enough not to bully it.

Raspberry Moscato is the one I reach for. Moscato is a sweet, floral wine, and it keeps the raspberry bright instead of jammy-heavy. Spread the brie on a plain cracker, add a small spoonful, and you've got the bite people remember.

If you want to go a little richer, warm the brie in the oven for ten minutes and spoon the jam over the top while it's still soft. Serve with sliced baguette. This is the appetizer I make when I'm having people over and don't want to think.

Camembert takes the same treatment.

Goat cheese and raspberry jam

Goat cheese is tangy and a little earthy. Raspberry is tangy and bright. You'd think two tart things would fight, but the Moscato in the jam settles it down and the pairing turns creamy and sweet.

Spread goat cheese on a toasted crostini, top with Raspberry Moscato, and add a few crushed pistachios if you have them. This one disappears fast.

Raspberry Moscato also works with any soft, spreadable cheese: cream cheese, mascarpone, or a whipped ricotta.

Sharp cheddar and blackberry jam

Sharp cheddar wants a jam with some weight to it. A thin, sweet jam gets lost.

Blackberry Merlot is built for this. Merlot brings a little grip and a deep fruit flavor, and blackberry is bold enough to hold its own against an aged cheddar. This is the pairing that wins over people who say they don't like sweet with savory.

Try it with a Vermont white cheddar, an English cheddar, or a smoked cheddar. Cut the cheese into cubes, put the jam in a small bowl with a spoon, and let people help themselves.

Blackberry Merlot is also the jar for aged gouda and manchego. The nuttier the cheese, the better it works.

Blue cheese and jam

Blue cheese is the loudest thing on the board, so it needs a jam that can talk back.

Blackberry Merlot again. The dark fruit and the wine cut the funk of the blue without covering it up. Spread a little on a walnut cracker, add a crumble of gorgonzola or Stilton, and drizzle with honey if you want it extra.

If your crowd is nervous about blue cheese, this is how you get them to try it.

Fresh and mild cheeses

Fresh mozzarella, burrata, and mild farmer's cheese are soft and milky. They want something light and fruity that won't overwhelm them.

Strueberry Blanc is my pick here. It's strawberry and blueberry with Sauvignon Blanc, so it's crisp and fresh instead of heavy. Tear burrata over a plate, spoon the jam alongside, and finish with a little olive oil and cracked pepper. It's a summer plate, but it works in any season.

Strueberry Blanc is also the jam I put with a baked brie when I want something brighter than raspberry.

Quick pairing chart

• Brie and camembert: Raspberry Moscato
• Goat cheese, cream cheese, ricotta: Raspberry Moscato
• Sharp cheddar, aged gouda, manchego: Blackberry Merlot
• Blue cheese, gorgonzola, Stilton: Blackberry Merlot
• Fresh mozzarella, burrata, mild cheeses: Strueberry Blanc
• Baked brie, two ways: Raspberry Moscato for rich, Strueberry Blanc for bright

How to build a charcuterie board with jam

The jam is the anchor of the board, not a garnish. Give it space.

Start with two or three cheeses across the range: one soft, one hard, one bold. Put each jam in its own small bowl with its own spoon, and set it next to the cheese it pairs with. People follow the layout. If the jam is next to the cheese, that's what they'll eat together.

Add crackers and sliced bread, something salty like cured meat or olives, and something crunchy like nuts. Fill the gaps with fresh fruit or dried figs.

If you're using all three Jam Vino flavors, you've got a board that covers every cheese in the case. That's the reason the Deluxe Set exists.

Frequently asked questions

What jam goes best with brie? A sweet, light fruit jam. Raspberry Moscato is my pick because the Moscato keeps the raspberry bright and the sweetness matches brie's buttery texture. Strueberry Blanc works if you want something crisper.

What cheese goes with blackberry jam? Sharp cheddar, aged gouda, manchego, and blue cheese. Blackberry has enough depth to stand up to strong cheeses, and Blackberry Merlot adds the same grip a glass of red wine would.

Does wine infused jam taste like wine? It tastes like the fruit first, with the character of the wine underneath. The wine is cooked into the jam, so you get depth and a little complexity, not a boozy flavor.

Can I use jam on a charcuterie board? Yes, and you should. Put each jam in a small bowl with its own spoon and place it next to the cheese it pairs with. Jam is the fastest way to make a cheese board taste finished.

How much jam do I need for a cheese board? One 7-ounce jar covers a board for six to eight people with some left over. For a larger gathering, use two or three flavors so there's a match for every cheese.

Shop the pairings

Every pairing in this guide comes from one of three jars. Raspberry Moscato for the soft cheeses, Blackberry Merlot for the sharp and bold ones, Strueberry Blanc for the fresh and mild. The Deluxe Set has all three, which is the easiest way to build a board that covers the whole case.

[Shop the Deluxe Set] [Shop Raspberry Moscato]