Vegetarian Cheese and Wine Pairings: Which Cheeses Are Safe

Three famous cheeses, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gorgonzola and Comté, are made with calf rennet under their protected-name rules, so a vegetarian cannot eat them. Most other cheeses have vegetarian versions, and the wine matching is the same as for any board.

Rennet is the enzyme that sets milk into curd. The rennet guide goes through the types, and the label reading guide shows where to find the answer on a pack. This page covers what matters for a board: which classics to skip, which to buy instead, and what to pour.

Vegetarian cheese: animal rennet vs microbial rennet

Vegetarian cheese depends on the source of the rennet. Per Wikipedia's rennet article, animal rennet is extracted from the fourth stomach chamber of young, nursing calves. Microbial rennet comes from molds grown in a fermenter, and fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC) is made by microbes that carry an animal rennet gene. Vegetable rennet comes from plants such as thistles. Microbial rennet and FPC cheeses are suitable for vegetarians if no animal ingredients are used, and the same source says FPC covers 80 to 90 percent of the market in the US and UK. That is a market claim, not a promise about any one pack.

So the word "vegetarian" on the label is what you want. In the US, makers may list the enzyme simply as "enzymes," which does not say where it came from, so a vegetarian statement or an ingredient such as microbial enzymes is the reliable sign.

Traditional cheeses that must use animal rennet

Cheeses that must use animal rennet are the ones whose protected-name rules name it, so no vegetarian version can carry the name. The FoodNavigator report on animal rennet says some European geographical-indication cheeses require it, naming Parmigiano Reggiano and Gorgonzola. Parmigiano-Reggiano is made of milk, salt and rennet only, according to its consortium, and the Gorgonzola page notes calf rennet is one of its three permitted raw materials. Comté is also made with calf rennet.

Manchego is a gray area. Its rules name natural rennet or another authorized coagulating enzyme, so it is not guaranteed vegetarian. Ask the shop, or choose a different sheep's milk cheese with a clear label. Protected names are strict about ingredients because the rules fix the recipe, which is why a vegetarian version of Parmigiano-Reggiano cannot exist under that name. Cheeses outside such rules, like cheddar, are free to switch rennets, and many makers have.

Vegetarian cheese substitutes at a glance

This table of vegetarian cheese substitutes shows what to buy when a classic is off the list.

Wine with vegetarian cheese

Wine with vegetarian cheese follows the same logic as any pairing: match strength, let acidity cut richness, and put sweet wine against salt. Crisp whites suit fresh and goat cheeses, sparkling wine suits creamy ones, fuller reds suit aged cheeses, and a sweet wine suits a vegetarian blue. The wine and cheese pairing guide covers the rules in depth.

Specific matches to try:

• A fresh goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc, whose acidity matches the cheese's tang.
• A vegetarian Brie or Camembert with a dry sparkling wine.
• A vegetarian aged cheddar or Gouda with a medium red such as Merlot, because the cheese is firm and savory.
• A vegetarian blue with a sweet wine such as late harvest or port.
• Fresh mozzarella or ricotta with a light, crisp white.

Keep the amounts the same as any board: about 2 ounces of cheese a person as an appetizer, 5 ounces if it is the meal, and three to five cheeses chosen for contrast. Fruit, nuts, honey and bread are all vegetarian by nature. Check the crackers, since some contain animal fats, and check the honey if you avoid it.

Vegetarian cheese and wine mistakes

The common vegetarian cheese and wine mistake is trusting a cheese's style instead of its pack. Two cheddars from the same shelf can be set with different rennets. Another is assuming that fresh cheeses are all rennet-free: paneer and many ricotta styles are acid or heat-set, but mozzarella and queso fresco are usually set with rennet and need checking.

A further trap is wine. Some wines are fined with animal products, such as isinglass or gelatin, and that is a separate question from cheese. If you avoid animal products entirely, look for wine labeled vegan or ask the producer. Please serve alcohol only to adults and offer a non-alcoholic choice too, such as the ideas in non-alcoholic pairings.

Questions about vegetarian cheese and wine

These questions about vegetarian cheese and wine come up most often.

Is Parmesan vegetarian?

Parmesan labeled Parmigiano-Reggiano is not vegetarian, because the protected name requires calf rennet. Vegetarian hard cheeses labeled for the purpose exist as alternatives.

Why are some cheeses not vegetarian?

Some cheeses are not vegetarian because they are set with animal rennet from calf stomachs, and a few protected names require it.

What does vegetarian cheese use instead of animal rennet?

Vegetarian cheese uses microbial rennet, fermentation-produced chymosin, vegetable rennet, or acid, depending on the cheese.

Does vegetarian cheese go with wine differently?

Vegetarian cheese goes with wine the same way as any cheese. The rennet changes the label, not the pairing.

Is the wine itself vegetarian?

Wine can be fined with animal products, so vegetarians who want certainty should look for wines labeled vegan.

Build your vegetarian cheese and wine board

For your first vegetarian cheese and wine board, buy a fresh goat cheese, a cheddar and a blue that all say vegetarian on the pack, pair them with a crisp white, a medium red and a sweet wine, and add fruit and nuts. Ask the cheesemonger about anything unlabeled.