How to throw a Cheese and Wine Party

Will be holding one at my place in November, thus I've been doing a little research on my Cheese and Wines. These tips are some of the more useful ones I've gathered. If anyone has additional pointers, please do share.

Decorations

A wine and cheese party should be somewhat elegant but not too gaudy. You could have simple white tablecloths with white candles. Perhaps decorating the table with grapes and grape leaves or something seasonal such as fall leaves if the party is in the fall or holly, pine boughs and ornaments if it’s at the holidays. A summer party might be cute with light floral bouquets. Fruit – especially grapes go great with wine and cheese so you could have a 3 tiered centerpiece or large antique bowl filled with grapes and other fruit on the tables too. If you choose one large table a big centerpiece would be a nice focal point, you could even use and old architectural urn filled with ice and wine bottles or a large tiered platter with various tidbits on it.

You’ll want to have labels for each cheese that states the name and general flavor – you can expand on that by adding the origin and maybe some history if you feel ambitious. Each section of cheese could have it’s own cutting board and cutter – A cute idea would be to use the cheese boards that are made out of flattened wine bottles to cut the cheese on.

Wine And Cheese Party Pairing Tips

• White wines match best with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.
• Red wines match best with hard cheeses and milder flavors.
• Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses.
• The more pungent the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.

• If you’re a cheese adventurist, meaning you go for the stinkiest of cheeses, pick a big wine to back it up. Try a French Bordeaux or a buxom California Cab. Ports and dessert wines are your best choice if you like mold-donned or blue-veined cheeses.

White Wines	Recommended Cheeses
Champagne or sparkling	Brie, Camembert
Chardonnay	Mild Cheddar, Gruyere, Provolone
Gewurztraminer	Swiss, most German cheeses
Loire Valley wines	Goat Cheese
Riesling	Gouda
Sauternes	Roquefort, Blue
Sauvignon Blanc	Goat Cheese

Red Wines	Recommended Cheeses
Amarone	Gorgonzola, Parmigiano-Reggiano , Asiago
Cabernet Sauvignon	Camembert, Sharp Cheddar, Blue
Port	Stilton, Gorgonzola
Shiraz	Sharp Cheddar

Final Words

• Purchase your cheeses in large wedges for an ideal presentation.
• Cheeses should be served at room temperature. Pull them out of the fridge a couple hours before your party.
• Serve most wines fairly cool — whites between 50-55 degrees and reds between 60-65 degrees.
• Let your reds breathe 15-20 minutes after you open them.
• Make handwritten name cards for all your cheeses and use a pretty upside-down fork display the card upright in the cheese.
• Display cheese on a pretty china platter, a wood cheese board, or even a slab of marble.

Links: Guide to Wine and Cheese Pairings, How to throw a Wine and Cheese Party

Enjoy!