How to Have a Wine and Cheese Tasting

If you have to whip up something fast for a party, there is nothing easier to put together than a cheese board— who doesn’t love cheese! Pair the cheese with a couple of wine selections for an instant party!

A wine and cheese tasting can serve as both food and entertainment. Guests will love discussing what wine pairs best with what cheese and debating the best wine for the price. You will all love finding new favorites for your next get together. Try a mix of old favorites with new finds for both the wine and the cheese offerings.

For some reason, selecting cheese is almost as intimidating as selecting wine. Since both wine and cheese can be expensive, and because there are so many options, there is some fear of making a mistake. Have no fear. Most stores have experienced help to guide you and many will let you sample before making a purchase. For a “tasting,” this means sampling, offer five different cheeses to try, depending on the size of the crowd which include:

• 1-Sheep’s milk cheese (Manchego)
• 1-Goat’s milk cheese
• 1-Cow’s milk cheese
• 1-Soft cheese like Brie
• 1-Bleu, Roquefort, Stilton, Camembert or other “smelly” cheese

The following are tried and true parings:

Manchego/Spain This hard sheep’s milk cheese from La Mancha, Spain is a top choice. Everyone loves it and it pairs nicely with Spanish almonds, olives, Serrano ham, or chorizo. Serve with a Spanish red wine like a tempranillo or tempranillo blend. Osbourne Solaz is very good and very affordable, usually under $10 a bottle. Another nice option is Atteca at around $15 per bottle.

Goat Cheese/Belle Chevre/Elkmont, Alabama Serve a goat cheese recipe on your cheese board. Goat cheese with chopped toasted pecans is about as easy as it gets. Serve it in Belgian endive leaves; your guests will rave. Other serving options are pears, honey, and wild mushrooms, but you can serve goat cheese with almost anything. Pinot Noir pairs well with ripe or aged goat cheese. Try the Kendall-Jackson Pinot Noir for about $12 or the Wild Horse Pinot Noir for about $18. More goat cheese recipes are available from Belle Chevre.

Parmigiano Reggiano/Italy Most people think this famous cow’s milk cheese is just for cooking or grating over pasta, but it is wonderful alone or with crusty bread, dipped in good balsamic vinegar, and with olives. It has a complex nutty flavor and dense, slightly grainy texture. Slightly salty, it pairs well with Prosecco, the Italian sparkling wine. Try Riondo, about $11 per bottle or serve with a medium bodied Italian red, like Chianti. Another option is Ruffino’s Chianti Classico Aziano (around $12.99)

Saint Andre/France This semi-soft, smooth triple cream cow’s milk cheese is a favorite. Very rich and creamy with a soft, buttery, almost spreadable texture, this cheese is best served with a fresh baguette and pear or apple slices. You could serve it with fruit in place of a dessert course. Pair it with a sparkling wine or Champagne. Get the Krug if you have no budget; otherwise try Antech Blanquette de Limoux Grande Reserve, around $15.

Bleu D’Auvergne/France Bleu cheese is strong in both taste and aroma. From the D’Auvergne region in the South of France, this bleu cow’s milk cheese features a deep blue veining throughout, like most bleu cheeses but possesses a creamier texture and softer taste than many other bleu cheeses. Sauternes or other sweet wines, like Muscat or Riesling pair nicely with bleu cheese. Try Torbreck the Bothie Muscat, around $16.99.

Presentation is everything for a wine and cheese party. A gorgeous selection of ripe fruit, crackers, French baguette, and other accompaniments look as good as they taste when they are artfully presented. Ask if the wine shop will give you the top of a wooden wine crate. Use it to serve your cheese board. Guests will love this unique idea, and you’ll love the price: free!

Because you will get calls after the party from someone asking for the name of “that cheese I loved,” provide guests with a list of the cheeses as they are leaving. Try this party the next time you quick solution for entertaining. Your guests will love it.

(Article by Martie Duncan of MartieKnowsParties.com. and Photos by Arden Photography.)