1. GRASS FOR THE GOAT The grassy character of Sauvignon Blanc makes it just right for goat's cheese especially the light, early summer grassiness of Croghan from the Blackwater valley. Classicists will choose a Sancerre like the elegant Domaine Masson Blondelet Thauvenay 1993 (Wines Direct, 1 800 579 579, £9.45), while adventurers sample nettle and gooseberry pungency from New Zealand. Couriers Creek Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (selected Cheers, Londis, Spar, SuperValu shops and other outlets, about £9.99) is a stunner from rising New Zealand star Kim: Crawford.
2. LIGHT AND CREAMY? LIGHT AND FRUITY! A soft, rounded Beaujolais forms a natural alliance with creamy soft cheeses like Brie, Cooleeney or Carrickbyrne St Killian while they're young and fresh. Chateau de Saint Amour Saint Amour (Superquinn, Wine Cellar Raheny, Jus de Vine Portmarnock, Wine Barrel Sligo and other outlets, £10.50-£10.90), is perfect - deliciously fruity but with some body. If your cheese should mature to runny ripeness, however, you'd be better with a big Rhone.
3. AROMATICS ALL ROUND If I hadn't spied it in a wine magazine, I would never have thought of teaming an aromatic Italian white with the hard Swiss cheeses from the other side of the Alps. The fragrantly fruity yet nutty quality of Panizzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano (Terroirs, Verlings, Karwigs Wine Warehouse and other outlets, about £11.20) makes it work beautifully with Gruyere and Emmenthal. If you feel safer staying in Italy, its also a treat with creamy Taleggio or Piedmont's Tome.
4. ALSACE TO SPICE THINGS UP Remember how John McKenna swooned in the first McKenna's Ireland when Breda McSweeney of Lacken House introduced him to the thrill of spicy Gewurztraminer with Abbey Blue Brie? That was only the beginning. Glorious Gewurz also works mysterious wonders with Durrus, and even makes an honourable marriage with hard cheeses in the Alpine mould like Gabriel. Trimbach Gewurztraminer 1993 (Molloys and many other outlets, about £9.50) sails through the cheese challenge. See Bottle of the Week.
5. WEIGHT ON BOTH SIDES Now for the balancing act. Though the cheese needs red reflex is to be resisted, there's a case to be made for matching full flavoured cheese with a medium to fullbodied red wine. "I nearly always come back to St Emilion," says Milleens maker Veronica Steele. Other happy combinations, richly flavoured Round Tower with New World Cabernet Sauvignon try the minty Californian Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon 1993 (Best Cellar Coolock Farm Produce, Kellys Artane and other outlets, £9.49 £9.89), and mature, beautifully mellow Killorglin ("like last summer bottled," says Peter Ward of Country Choice in Nenagh) with Visan Cotes du Rhone Villages 1993 (widely available, about £7).
6. SAUTERNES FOR THE BLUES Jane Grubb who makes Cashel Blue admits it would never have occurred to her that sweet Sauternes could enhance her cheese, had not the Cheeseboard's Monica Murphy suggested it. I vouch for the brilliance of this pairing, tested the other day with Chateau de la Chartreuse Sauternes 1988 (Quinnsworth, £14.99). If that's a touch prodigals there's a sweet white Bordeaux substitute: Chateau Segur du Cros Loupiac (Quinnsworth, £8.79).
7. SHIRAZ FOR SMOKE "Smoked cheese can be jolly hard, to match with the right wine," warns Giana Ferguson, choosing for her smoked Gubbeen a similarly smokey, big hearted Australian. Hardys Nottage HillCabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 1993 (Quinnsworth, Superquinn, SuperValu and many other outlets, £5.99-£6.49) is the business.
8. ITALIAN DREAM TEAM Drop into Padania, Temple Bar temple of gastronomia, and Pier Fabrizio Piola will regale you with, more tantalising Italian teams than soccer ever sees. Let's start, though, with a salty, savoury selection from southern Italy - Provolone, Caciocaviillo and a morsel of Smoked Scamorza, set off to perfection by a robust; southern red like Taurino Salice Salentino 1990 (Vintage Rathmines, Blackrock, Drury St, £8.99).
9. CURL UP WITH THE CLASSICS While the evenings are still chilly and there are forever traditionalists in our midst, we should pay due respect to the most enduring marriage of all good claret and good English Cheddar. "Keen's Cheddar is our number one," says Sonia Bradford of the Big Cheese Co., "and it deserves something very special like a Pauillac." If not millionaire's Mouton Rothschild, maybe the Mouton connected Chateau d'Armailhac 1989 (Findlaters and various fine wine stockists, about £18)?
10. FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH - SWEET SHERRY! The heavyweights, finally. Blue cheeses with the strength of Hercules kill the flavours of red wine and sometimes even port. The answer? Johnny Cooke of Cooke's Cafe matches Spain's blue bruiser, Cabralles, and a sweet raisiny sherry like Lustau Emilia Muscatel Superior (Mitchells, £11.60; also in half bottles, £6.20). It's a revelation.