Introducing Alistair Cooper: Master of Wine

Introducing Alistair Cooper. A Master of Wine who joined the cheesegeek family talking about his favourite wine in the world and why, top cheese and wine pairing's and more.

Alistair Cooper joins cheesegeek

As of April 2021 there are only 418 Masters of Wine in the world, 210 of which are based in the UK (go Britain)! It takes at least three years to complete and you have to have at least three years’ experience in the wine trade and a preexisting wine qualification to even apply, sounds pretty easy right? Essentially it’s the ultimate accolade in the wine world and we are very lucky to be working with Alistair Cooper, class of 2017, wine extraordinaire and all round great guy. Ali will be overseeing our wines going forward, helping to curate pairings, tasting notes and presenting at our hosted tastings.

Besides being a Master of Wine, Alistair is an independent British wine writer, judge, consultant and educator with over 20 years of experience in the industry. We sat down with him to chat about all things wine and cheese, and to find out what makes him tick.

Q:What is your favourite wine in the world and why? A: Hmm - now that is a tricky one to answer! Probably the finest wines I have ever tasted were a 1959 Gevrey Chambertin from Domaine Rousseau and an 1877 Madeira. But some of my most memorable wines have been far more about the environment, experience and company than the wines themselves. Most recently, a simple glass of Provençal Rosé with my family at Easter in the sunshine after so much time in lockdown was just amazing.

Q: Have you got a favourite English wine? A: What we do best in England is fizz - and there are so many to choose from. Gusbourne, Nyetimber, Wiston Estate and Harrow and Hope to name but a few.

Q: What is your top cheese and wine pairing? A: Pairing Cornish Kern with a slightly oaky Chilean Chardonnay is stunning, together they create this popping pineapple party in my mouth.

Q: Why do you think cheese and wine is such a celebrated pairing? A: Quite possibly because they are the two finest foodstuffs known to man. Behind both wine and cheese individually there is always an element of balance to consider, and when put together they can (when correctly paired) elevate each other to new, even higher levels. Often wine will play a cleansing role for your palate, allowing you to have another mouthful of delicious cheese without it becoming too weighty or fatty.

Q: How did your beginnings in the wine industry start? A: My interest in flavours comes from my mum for sure. She’s a great home cook, and growing up around amazing smells and food was a big part of growing up. Family meals were always important in our household, and I think wine is an extension from that. Languages have definitely helped me in my wine journey [Ali studied Modern Languages at University], spending lots of time in France when younger meant being around food and wine. And then many years in South America it was the same. But it was more of a happy accident, in fact it was my dad who suggested it after university as he saw my fledgling interest in wine and thought it dovetailed well with languages. I didn’t think a career in wine in the UK was a thing, but I’m very grateful to him that he did!

Q: Any advice for people who want to become an MW? A: Be prepared to lose all forms of a social life for several years. If you have a partner, ensure that they are understanding that you will not be around to help much. Be prepared to fail, as you will certainly fall at points along the study process. It is a very humbling process!

Q: Is there anything unexpected about being a MW? A: Well it wasn’t really unexpected, but it seems to make you a target to being asked to identify wines blind. People love catching you out! People also seem to suddenly get very scared about serving you wine and apologising in advance - I am not a wine snob at all, so they needn’t worry!

Q: What’s the frame of mind you get in when tasting a wine? A: It’s important actually to make sure you eat neutral foods (including the night before) wherever possible. It is also important to judge wines objectively and remove your own preferences/prejudices etc. I have certain nemesis grape varieties but still have to taste and score them objectively. Wines that I wouldn’t choose to drink but that are still really great examples of their type…!

Q: Do you have a top wine tip? A: Don’t serve whites too cold or reds too warm! If you have a white wine, take it out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before opening. And pop your red IN the fridge for 20 minutes before drinking if it is stored at room temperature. Also - experiment with wines! Try different wines and get out of your comfort zone, an easy (and cheap) way to do this is through wine tastings or visiting your local independent wine shop. It’s easy to reach for the same bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon or Rioja each time, but you might find wines that you love even more.

Finally, are there any wine trends that you think will happen over the next few years? A: Canned wines are really taking off, and I think that’s a good thing. Also more high quality bag in box wines, I think they are great and far more environmentally friendly than bottles.

A note from our founder, Edward Hancock

The importance of great wine when it comes to great cheese cannot be understated! Wine remains, and will continue to remain, the second pea in the cheese pod, and is the product most of our customers seek out and expect from us, all the way from discerning cheese and wine lovers to complete beginners equipped only with enthusiasm.

Our wine products must stand out, not just in their own right as world class, but also when they interact with our mind-bendingly good cheese. When we get this right, as evidenced by the incredible success of The Ultimate last year, it provides our customers with something truly spectacular. With this in mind, it is with huge pleasure that I welcome with open arms, and the promise of as much cheese as his dreams desire, Alistair Cooper MW.

Ali will not only improve our wine offering immeasurably (and our long term pipeline of wines), he will also provide that stamp of authority that every single wine our customers drink will have passed the most vigilant (and qualified!) scrutiny. Expect to see commentary from him on our cheese and wine boxes, blogs, and there will even be opportunities for him to present alongside me at Cheese and Wine tastings as well.

Ali is not only hugely knowledgeable, he is also very approachable, personable and brings a real accessibility to wine that is so in line with our culture at CG

Back to blog

October's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

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cheesegeek Bibury
Bibury
Semi hard

A sheep's milk cheese made with milk from the flock at Sheaf House Farm just up the road in Gloucestershire. Made only seasonally from late March, Bibury comes to life in Autumn. Classic notes of meadow flowers and hay along with white chocolate and a fondant texture that is very appealing.

 

cheesegeek Swift Reserve
Swift Reserve

3 total reviews

HARD

A scintillating 9-month aged gouda style cheese. 

If there was ever a Goldilocks gouda, then this is it. Just young enough to be supple, buttery, nutty sweet and unbelievably moreish, yet old enough to have developed a slightly weathered earthiness and rich complexity. We reckon this tastes like liberally buttered jacket potato skins. Oh, and finish is a joy to behold, long, sweet and delightful.

To top it off Swift Reserve pairs perfectly with coffee (yes, coffee). Transport yourself to the Med and enjoy a wedge of cheese with your morning caffeine. Keeping you fuller for longer and tasting shockingly good, it'll soon become part of your breakfast routine. Exclusive to cheesegeek.

Look out for the Swift Black coming soon to one of London's most exciting coffee specialists!

cheesegeek Quicke's Mature Cheddar
Quicke's Mature Cheddar
HARD

Mature, and not in a dull, doesn't like to leave the house way. Quicke's Mature is just fully developed. Quicke's the makers date back to 1540s so they know how to make goooood cheese. Handcrafted using grass-fed cow milk, this well rounded cheddar is typically matured for 12-18 months (hence the name) and brings you a variety of flavours from brothy to buttery to freshly mown grass and baked potato flavours. Always with the characteristic cheddar tang.

cheesegeek Washington
Washington

2 total reviews

SOFT

British cider-washed soft cheese

An unforgettable soft cheese, washed in cider. 

A testament to British cheesemaking, and a nod to continental cheesemaking. Washington is a washed rind cheese destined for great things. When slightly younger, the flavours are fresher and crisper, with just a hint of fruitiness. Ripened on, it develops deep, savoury, meaty flavour, a bit like those famous continental pongers like Epoisses. However, the cider wash brings an astonishing fermented fruity funk, balancing the savoury flavours perfectly, all playing out amidst the most tantalising creamy, decadent, luxurious texture. A modern take on history, and a cheese for the ages.

cheesegeek Perl Las
Cornish Blue
BLUE

Designed to be eaten as a young cheese, Cornish Blue is a very different product from traditional English blue cheeses. Its flavour is mild and creamy, with a dense texture and buttery richness, instead of the ‘salty tang’ common of other traditional blue cheeses it has a gentle sweetness.

November's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftsmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

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cheesegeek 200g Rutland Red
Rutland Red
HARD

**Just voted 8th best cheese in World** One of the few remaining Red Leicester cheeses made in Leicestershire, Rutland Red is made in a special dedicated cheese room at Long Clawson Stilton makers. This beaut is so buttery and nutty sweet with a finish reminiscent of a creme brulee and a striking deep red colour that is unmistakable on a cheeseboard making it a firm favourite at cheesegeek. We're not the only ones to think so as Rutland Red just won 8th best cheese in the world (over 5,200 entries!) at the most prestigious 2025 World Cheese Awards. Red Leicester is a classic on any cheeseboard and is also one of our top picks to cook with, Cauliflower Cheese we're looking at you!!

cheesegeek Cornish Kern
Cornish Kern

6 total reviews

HARD

From Lynher Dairies, the makers of Cornish Yarg and Garlic Yarg, we welcome Cornish Kern—a stonker of a cheese. This beaut is off the chart with flavour. Encased in black wax, it is made in the style of a Gouda, however, the utilisation of Alpine starter cultures gives the cheese multiple dimensions. It has a real fruity twang, something like from an old sweet shop, except cheesy. Think exotic dried fruits, salted caramel, toasted hazelnuts and almonds, and although savoury, it simply tempts and teases you with a little bit of nutty buttery sweetness. All the flavours just linger beautifully in your mouth for the perfect amount of time. Its crumbly, crisp and slate-like texture simply arouses one's senses to another planet. An absolute worldy cheese....literally.

cheesegeek Burford
Burford
Semi hard

King Stone Dairy's longest aged, largest cheese. Originally conceived as a way to capture the sweet complexity of Summer pastures, Burford is now made year round and reflects the seasonality of the milk at Manor Farm. Flavours of charcuterie, hazelnut and hints of tropical fruit.

 

The Cheese Geek 250g Tunworth
Dozmary
SOFT

A bold soft cheese inspired by the wild beauty and legend of Bodmin Moor. Named after the mystical Dozmary Pool said to be the resting place of King Arthur’s Excalibur, it carries the same sense of drama and heritage.

It has been developed as a richer, more flavourful evolution of the Cornish Camembert, Dozmary is oozy, buttery, and bursting with character.

The Cheese Geek Cashel Blue
Crozier Blue
BLUE

Crozier Blue is an Irish sheep's milk cheese modelled loosely on a Roquefort, that has a rich, full and well-rounded flavour. It is gently salty with a distinctly rich creamy texture, offset by a touch of spice.

December's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftsmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

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The Cheese Geek Old Roan Wensleydale
Yoredale

4 total reviews

Made at Curlew Dairy by husband and wife Ben & Sam, Yoredale (formerly Old Roan) represents one of the only truly traditional, raw milk Wensleydale cheeses still made in the UK. As well as being a stonker of a Wensleydale, we were rather captured by the Yoredale's journey. The milk travels a whole 5 metres (or 500cm) from milking parlour to processing room. Then, having been matured for 3-4 months it makes its way to you...via us! Unlike block Wensleydale, the manual, handmade, small batch nature of this traditional clothbound Wensleydale results in so much more complexity. It has the tell tale bite in the centre, but carries an incredible stoney, mineral earthiness closer to the rind, where you also start getting the most wonderful breakdown in the cheese. There are more hidden themes here than The Matrix, and it is a great nod to traditional cheesemaking

cheesegeek Lincolnshire Red
Lincolnshire Red
This beaut gives you everything a great Cheddar should, but on top of that, another layer of deep burnt butter, nutty happiness. It has an intense moist yet creamy texture, with a delicate and elegant buttery flavour that matches with a lingering clean flavour. Theres no denying that this Lincolnshire Red is a promising winner on any cheese board.
The Cheese Geek Keen's Cheddar
Keen's Cheddar

4 total reviews

Along with Westcombe, Pitchfork, and Montgomery’s, Keen's is one of the last traditional raw milk artisan Somerset Cheddars. This is due to the fact the criteria are so much stricter than those for West Country Farmhouse Cheddars. The production process uses raw untreated milk from their grass-fed herd, with pint starters rather than powder, traditional animal rennet, and a clothbound maturation of at least 12 months.

The result is a strong, tangy cheddar with a mellow depth of flavour, occasionally blueing throughout. A standout traditional cheddar that is keeping its place firmly in the classic cheese world.

cheesegeek Rollright
Rollright

26 total reviews

If Cheese = Xmas and Xmas = Vacherin then you could be forgiven for assuming Xmas would be cancelled this year due to LSD (not that one) and its impact on supply of Vacherin this year.

But fortunately, thanks to a lesser known but equally mighty British cheese called Rollright, Xmas might just be saved after all.Made in Gloucestershire, it is wrapped in spruce imported from the continent, just the same as is used on traditional Vacherin, and it is made with milk from a single herd of rare breed cows that actually feed on grass even through the winter.

It is great baked, equally great spooned, but crucially it will give you everything you've come to know and love about a Vacherin, and arguably more.

Rollright. Saving Christmas 2025

cheesegeek Long Clawson Stilton
Long Clawson Stilton

5 total reviews

The heavyweight of all cheeses, Santa's favourite cheese, and Christmas on a plate... it's Stilton.

After months of blind-taste tests, we settled on Long Clawson as our Stilton of choice. But don't just take our word for it, Long Clawson won Super Gold at the 2021 World Cheese Awards, effectively crowning it the World's Best Stilton.
With it's beautiful blue veins (yes we're calling them beautiful) and bold flavour, we're so glad there's Stil-tons of this cheese in our fridge.

January's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftsmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

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The Cheese Geek St Helena
St Helena

4 total reviews

Blake Bowden (cheesemaker extraordinaire) at St Jude has developed the divine St Helena, using raw Montbeliarde milk from the herd at Fen Farm. St Helena has an inviting, supple texture so reminiscent of a classic St Nectaire/Tomme. It is unmistakably rich, with milky and nutty sweet vibes that just keep you coming back for more. But, the washed rind, and the raw milk bring another dimension beyond that. It has those farmy, tangy notes that catch your attention, earning respect as well as delectation. Take a Bow-den, Blake (yikes).

The Cheese Geek Devonshire Red
Devonshire Red

3 total reviews

This mild Devonshire Delight is bursting with flavours. There's hints of lemony, zesty freshness as well as nutty and savoury notes. This clothbound process gives Devonshire Red a rich crumbly texture, resulting in a divine hard cheese.
The Cheese Geek Etivaz
Jura Mountain Cheese

A classic hard cheese with aromatic spiciness and a strong flavour - a true mountain cheese which is also well suited to a creamy fondue.

cheesegeek Maida Vale
Maida Vale

9 total reviews

Village Maid are cheesemakers that just know what they are doing... they make the wonderful Wigmore, Waterloo and Spenwood. Winner of best cows milk cheese at the recent Artisan Cheese Awards, Maida Vale is made in a similar style to Waterloo, except it is washed during maturation in IPA. So whilst the cheese is inherently buttery, creamy and rich on account of using Guernsey cows (notoriously creamy milk), the IPA brings into the mix a nice little tangy punchy kick that just keeps you thinking. As with all cheeses like this, the majority of that kick will come from the rind, so you can compare the taste of the centre cheese vs the rind...quite a difference!

cheesegeek Cashel Blue
Cashel Blue

5 total reviews

BLUE

This is the perfect blue cheese for those who want complexity but not the sharp saltiness, minerality or general strength of a Stilton or bolder blue cheese. Cashel Blue is more soft-honey than nutty, and has little salty sharpness with almost no minerality to speak of compared to a Barkham Blue for example. The finish is super clean with just a hint of saltiness at the end. What it all adds up to, is a scenario where some of the more subtle flavours aren't scared to come out and say hi... honey, some hazelnut and straight up creamy goodness.