What wine pairs with raclette?

Here are 3 recommended wine pairings for raclette. Click the button below to explore all options on the Verso app.

Apremont

white · Jacquère · Savoie · France — 9–10°C

Classic Savoyard pairing: the lively acidity and minerality of the local wine cut through the melted cheese.

Fendant du Valais

white · Chasselas · Valais · Suisse — 10–11°C

Swiss Chasselas, understated and mineral, cleanses the palate after each bite of cheese.

Gamay de Savoie

red · Gamay · Savoie · France — 13–14°C

A light, fruity Savoie red that complements without competing with the star of the meal: the cheese.

Raclette: one ingredient, one wine

Raclette is, above all, melted cheese — typically raw-milk Savoy raclette — served with small potatoes and charcuterie (ham, salami, viande des Grisons). An ultra-rich, umami-heavy, slightly salty dish. The wine has one job: to cleanse the palate between each bite. So acidity, minerality, not too much alcohol. No oaked red, no Champagne (the bubbles are too aggressive on hot cheese).

Savoyard wines: the regional pairing

Geographic logic: raclette comes from Savoy, so do its wines. Four local grapes to know:

Jacquère (Apremont, Abymes, Chignin) — the basic Savoyard grape. Lively, citrus, flint. The historic raclette wine. £8-12.
Roussette de Savoie (Altesse grape) — more complex, honey, flowers, hazelnut. For more sophisticated raclette. £12-18.
Chignin-Bergeron (Roussanne) — round, apricot, pear. Fuller-bodied, perfect on charcuterie. £14-22.
Mondeuse (light red) — for those who can't handle only white. Cherry, pepper, alpine lightness. £12-18.

Beyond Savoy: alternatives that work

If you don't have Savoyard wine at hand:

Fendant du Valais (Chasselas, Switzerland) — raclette's Swiss cousin. Neutral, mineral, refreshing. Regional logic. £12-18.
Burgundy Aligoté — sharp, unoaked, defats well. Good value.
Dry Alsace Pinot Gris — rounder, more aromatic. Can weigh down if the raclette is very rich.
Dry Riesling (Alsace or Germany) — lemon-petrol, acidity holds against the hot cheese.
Beaujolais (Brouilly, Côte-de-Brouilly) — for a light red that doesn't overload the palate.

Avoid: Bordeaux (tannins clash on hot cheese), Côtes-du-Rhône (too high in alcohol), Champagne (bubbles attack on hot raclette — prefer a Crémant de Savoie or d'Alsace if you want bubbles).

White or red with raclette?

White wins 80% of the time with raclette. The acidity defats, minerality contrasts, the cold glass refreshes after hot cheese. But a light red (Mondeuse, Gamay de Savoie, Brouilly) works for those who don't drink white — provided it's served chilled (13-14°C) and without harsh tannins.

Serving tips

Serve white at 9-11°C (48-52°F) and red at 13-14°C (55-57°F) (lightly chilled). For 6 people having raclette, plan one bottle per two people — it's a meal where you drink to breathe between rich bites. Avoid very old or complex wines — raclette flattens subtlety, so drink young and fresh.

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