Finding the perfect wine for a cheese is a very noble pursuit, but far more useful as a dinner finale is finding cheeses to go with the dregs of whatever you happened to be drinking with the meal. With that challenge in mind, here are three templates that will help you make the best of those remaining sips.

The Bubbly Plate

Leftover bubbly is often hard to come by, but in the rare instances you have a couple of glasses left, you’re in for a treat: sparkling wine is the most refreshing companion to cheese available. Richer styles tend to be the most versatile, and Crémants from Alsace, often made from pinot blanc, tend to offer some of the best values out there; likewise, richer cheeses tend to be the best pairings, a balance to the high acidity inherent in sparkling wine and the cleansing effect of the bubbles.
The wine:
Wolfberger Crémant d’Alsace Brut, Kysela Père et Fils ($14)
The cheese:
Renaissance Ricotta, Narraganset Creamery
Pierre Robert, Fromagerie Rouzaire
Red Hawk, Cowgirl Creamery

The Red Plate

Forget the naysayers who say only white with cheese. When there’s a bit of wine left in the bottom of the bottle, there is certainly cheese to go with it. Just think richer, denser, older. Fruitier reds such as Syrah or zinfandel have the upper hand over drier, more tannic wines such as cabernet sauvignon.
The wine:
Boom Boom! syrah, Charles Smith Wines, Washington State ($15)
The cheese:
Rupert, Consider Bardwell
Clothbound Cheddar, Grafton Village Cheese
Invierno, Vermont Shepherd

The White Plate

It’s hard to go wrong with a savory white and cheese. Not only are the flavors transparent enough to let the cheese show off all its flavor detail, but whites also have little tannin to clash with the salt in cheese and enough acidity to counter its richness. Just keep in mind: the lighter the white, the lighter the cheese.
The wine:
Calera, Central Coast Chardonnay ($18)
The cheese:
Camembert, Old Chatham Sheepherding Company
Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Uplands Cheese Company
Otentique, Juniper Grove