As with wine, tea qualities can vary depending on terroir – where it’s grown, the soil, the weather. And like wine, think of tea in categories of light to dark. Use the favorites you already know; if you like Sauvignon Blanc with brie, try a white tea with brie. Basic pairing principals hold true, sweet with salty, and like to like.

Start with high quality ingredients. This is the time to pick your favorite teas.Curious of which cheese to select? Cheese offers a balance to the astringencies found in many teas. The texture of the cheese becomes highlighted and its buttery, milky notes come forward with the warmth of the tea. Select a broad range, and remember to seek out cheese seasonally available and those made in your locale.

There are countless options – jump in and discover your new favorite combination.

• Silver Needle White Tea with a soft brie
• Bai Mu Dan White Tea with figs (fresh or dried) and manchego
• Savory Green Tea with goat cheese (enhances the creamy notes in both)
• Sencha Green Tea with asiago (grassy notes of both come forward)
• Dark Pearl Formosa Oolong with an aged Gouda
• Organic Darjeeling with Comte
• Ceylon Black Tea with provolone
• Keemun Black Tea with aged cheddar
• Lapsang Souchong Black Tea with blue cheese

Great pairings not only bring out flavors in both the tea and cheese, but you begin to notice flavors not apparent in each alone. And, thanks to the tea, the cheese lingers long in the mouth.