The 3 Wine & Cheese Pairing Challenges
1. Texture - The softer the cheese the more it coats the mouth, blocking many wine sensations.
jSolution - White wines tend to have more refreshing acidity and therefore a more appropriate cleansing effect on soft or creamy cheeses.

2. Sweetness - Some mild cheeses taste slightly sweet and make dry wines seem acidic, tart and devoid of fruit. This happens whenever a food is perceived to be sweeter than a wine served with it.
Solution - In general, semi-dry and sweet wines are more versatile with cheeses than are dry wines.

3. Flavors - Very ripe, spicy or pungent cheeses have overpowering flavors that eclipse most wines.
Solution - Strong cheeses require strong wines. Red wines (packed with fruit, acidity and flavor), sweet or aromatic whites and fortified wines like ports and sherries have the best chance with extreme flavors.

Summary
Mild hard cheeses match a wider range of wines than do soft, ripe or mature cheeses. Overall, white wines go better with cheese than red wines. Furthermore, sweeter whites tend to be more versatile than drier whites. The more tannic the red the harder the cheese needs to be.