The four pairing rules
Match the weight, let acid cut fat, pair salt with fruit and sweetness, and remember that what grows together goes together. Plus how honey, fig jam and quince paste bridge a tricky match.
14 classic matches
Sparkling, white, rosé, light reds and bold reds, each with the cheese that makes it sing: Champagne and triple-cream, Sancerre and goat's cheese, Rioja and Idiazábal, Malbec and Manchego and more.
Build your board
Choose three to five cheeses, serve them from light to strong, pick one wine for each and put the condiments on the side. Host with confidence at home or behind the bar.
What you'll learn
✓ The four rules behind every good match: weight, acid and fat, salt and fruit, and "what grows together goes together" ✓ How to match sparkling, white, rosé and red wines with fresh, soft, hard and aged cheeses ✓ Why tannin and fat get along, and why big reds can clash with soft bloomy-rind cheese ✓ How honey, fig jam and quince paste bridge a wine and a cheese ✓ The milk, origin and flavour of 14 classic cheeses, from burrata and feta to Comté, Manchego and aged Gouda ✓ How to build and serve a wine and cheese board, light to strong, with confidence
Who it's for
Food and wine lovers, hosts who love a good cheese board, and hospitality staff who build boards and recommend pairings. No experience needed: just curiosity, and three or four wines and cheeses if you'd like to taste along. No jargon, no snobbery: just Liquid Lively Fun – One Glass at a Time™. You must be of legal drinking age (18+ or the legal age where you live) to take part in the tastings.
What's included
18 short lessons
Video lessons with Christian Esser plus easy lesson notes and a home tasting activity for every pairing, about 90 minutes in total.
3 printable guides
The 14-pair wine and cheese chart, a cheese-board shopping list and board-building guide, and an AWS tasting note card.
Final quiz and AWS certificate
A 14-question final quiz (70% to pass, one free retake). Pass it to receive your AWS Wine & Cheese Explorer certificate.
Your instructor: Christian Esser
Christian Esser is the founder and Director of Education of the Academy of Wine & Spirits in the Cayman Islands. He is a Wine & Spirits Educator, holds a viticulture degree from Lincoln University in New Zealand and was Wine Director at the Grand Old House in Grand Cayman. For more than a decade he has trained hospitality teams and wine lovers across the Caribbean and beyond. In 2026 the Academy won two LUXlife Hospitality Awards: Best Luxury Beverage Education Provider and the Hospitality Training Excellence Award (Caribbean & USA). His goal is simple: to make wine clear, practical and fun.
Curriculum
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Not your average cheese class
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Wine and cheese pairing: the four rules
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Why condiments matter
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Prosecco and Asiago
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Champagne and triple-cream cheese
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Sauvignon Blanc and fresh goat's cheese
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Oaked Chardonnay and aged Comté
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Rosé and burrata
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Rosé and feta
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Beaujolais and Camembert
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Pinot Noir and Gruyère
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Merlot and Havarti
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Chianti and Pecorino Romano
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Tempranillo and Idiazábal
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Syrah and aged Gouda
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Malbec and Manchego
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Cabernet Sauvignon and aged Cheddar
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Bonus: Syrah and Comté
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Culinary confidence: build your board
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Final quiz
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take? About 90 minutes in total. Study at your own pace, on any device, and pause whenever you like. Do I need to buy wine and cheese? It's more fun to taste along: pick three or four pairs from the shopping list. You can still complete the course by reading and watching. Is there an age requirement? Yes. You must be 18 or older, or of legal drinking age where you live, to take part in the tastings. Please taste responsibly, and check cheese labels for allergens and raw milk. Do I get a certificate? Yes. Score 70% or more on the 14-question final quiz to receive your AWS Wine & Cheese Explorer certificate. If you don't pass the first time, you get one free retake. What's next? Continue with AWS Level 1 in Wines: as a Wine & Cheese Explorer graduate you save 10% with code WINECHEESE10. Our companion course AWS Wine Explorer™ is the perfect partner.
Pour a glass and build your board
90 minutes, 14 classic pairings, printable guides and your AWS certificate. Wine and cheese made clear, practical and fun.
$29.00