Photo: Leigh Loftus
If you love to eat and entertain in equal measure, a wine and cheese party is the perfect opportunity to play hostess. On Saturday I wrote a guest post for the ladies at Big Girls Small Kitchen about how to host the perfect wine and cheese party. For those of you who didn’t see it, I wanted to share some of my tips here for anyone who wants to get their wine and cheese on this weekend.
If you’re serving wine, you’ll want to offer more than a few slices of cheese to sustain your guests through a night of Chardonnay-sipping. Serve finger foods and hors d’oeuvres that are fast, easy to prepare and won’t overwhelm your wine pairings.
Plan Ahead. When you’re planning on expanding your menu beyond wine and cheese, you’d probably rather spend your party sipping Sauvignon Blanc than sweating it out in the kitchen. To minimize stress, do the prep work ahead of time whenever possible. Decide if you’re going to plan your menu around the wines or the cheese. If the focus is the wine, choose wines first and pick the cheese and other dishes accordingly. If you’d rather emphasize the cheese, pick a few varieties to serve and pair them with appropriate wines.
Select the Cheese. When selecting cheese for a formal tasting, keep in mind that variety is key. Cheeses are typically categorized by type of milk: cow’s milk, sheep’s milk and goat’s milk. The different styles of cheese depend on a few factors: rind, color, and texture. Select a variety of cheeses and begin your tasting with the mildest cheese, such as a light, tangy chevre and progress to the sharpest or strongest cheese, like a full, ripe blue cheese.
When I buy cheese for parties, I typically buy 2-3 ounces of cheese per person, but if you aren’t serving much additional food, you might want to err on the side of caution and buy more than you think you need (and can you ever really have too much cheese? I think not).
Serve Your Cheese. Contrary to common belief, most cheeses are best at room temperature. Place your cheeses out up to three hours before your party and unwrap them to allow the flavors to full develop.
One of the easiest ways to decorate for a wine and cheese party is with the cheese itself. My favorite way to showcase cheese is on a simple wooden cutting board for a rustic look. Bonus: it cuts down on the amount of post-party dishes that you’ll have to do.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
The Wine & Cheese Party Menu:
Fresh chevre with 2009 A to Z Sangiovese Rosé
Manchego Cheese with The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio or Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc
Aged Gouda with Jacob’s Creek Pinot Noir
Parmigiano-Reggiano with Old Vine Red Zinfandel
78 Comments
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Karriann Graf
September 9, 2011 at 8:46 amWhat a great guide! Happy Entertaining!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
August 30, 2011 at 9:52 amI’m thinking of starting a neighborhood cooking club in my community and this would be a great idea for one of the theme nights! What a great post and interesting ideas… plus, I could always use an excuse to pop a bottle of Prosecco, hah! Thanks for sharing and inspiring me with something new, Maris.
Jenny at Baking Devils
August 30, 2011 at 4:53 amWhat a fabulous idea for a party. I shall plan this for one evening when I have my girlfriends over for a relaxing spa evening! Thanks this is perfect! Jenny
Shilpa
August 29, 2011 at 10:56 pmThat’s a beautiful and very informative post. I am not big on cheese as it doesn’t agree with my digestion at most times 🙂 but am still going to bookmark this for future dinner parties – great info. thank you.
-Shilpa
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen
August 29, 2011 at 8:40 pmMy favorite kind of party, great tips!
Dana
August 29, 2011 at 8:21 pmThanks for the great tips! I’m pretty sure I could live off of wine and cheese, so this sounds like the perfect type of party for me!
Katie@Cozydelicious
August 29, 2011 at 7:52 pmSuch great tips! Wine and cheese parties are such fun, and I love your pairings. I have to make those parmesan almonds!
Juliana
August 29, 2011 at 5:29 pmGreat tips Maris…wine and cheese party…sure one of my favorite kind of party 🙂
Hope you have a fantastic week ahead 🙂
Sippitysup
August 29, 2011 at 5:04 pmTwo of my favorites join together for a fantastic evening. I love you wine and cheese (is bread invited too?) GREG
Tanvi@SinfullySpicy
August 29, 2011 at 4:18 pmI dont remember holding a cheese & wine party but have been to one..its so much fun..thoroughly enjoyed your post..always nice to learn something new.
Kate
August 29, 2011 at 1:49 pmYum! I love wine and cheese too. I love eveyr type of cheese and seem to never tire of it!
Nadia
August 29, 2011 at 12:55 pmMy favorite kind of party! However, it’s also my vice, too, because I consume 5,000 calories of cheese. Great tips, I always leave the cheese out at room temp. 🙂
Alexandra (Veggin' Out in the Kitchen)
August 29, 2011 at 6:24 amYou always have such great tips! Other than the fact that I’m a little too young for wine, a wine and cheese party sounds like so much fun! Maybe I could make it a cheese party 😉
<3 <3
Melissa@IWasBornToCook
August 28, 2011 at 7:29 pmI love wine and cheese parties. Great tips!
Maria @ Scandifoodie
August 28, 2011 at 1:32 pmI love love cheese and will keep these tips in mind for future – thanks!
EA-The Spicy RD
August 28, 2011 at 10:10 amLove your ideas Maris, and can’t wait to try some of your wine and cheese suggestions! Those goat cheese pistachio dates are calling my name too!!!
Nutmeg Nanny
August 28, 2011 at 9:20 amGreat tips! I love throwing parties but rarely ever do. It makes it hard when we live so far away from all our friends.
chopinandmysaucepan
August 28, 2011 at 8:22 amI agree this is one of the easiest and most fun way to entertain friends! I would throw in a few sausage rolls and meat pies too 🙂
Gina (The Candid RD)
August 28, 2011 at 6:05 amWhat a great resource to have!! Thanks for this post!
I have never thrown a wine and cheese party, but that doesn’t mean I Won’t ever 🙂 Great tips. I am also spoiled because I work with cheese mongers (spelling??) and wine experts, but still, this is super helpful.
A Plum By Any Other Name
August 27, 2011 at 4:54 pmMaris, you always have great advice! I never though parmigiano reggiano would pair so well with cheeses but it’s one of my favorites. Glad to know it goes with red as well as it does with white! I had it with sparkling wine in Parma in Italy (I know … ) and I’ll never forget the “ah ha” moment I had. It was love at first sip.
Heavenly Housewife
August 27, 2011 at 1:57 pmA wine and cheese party is a great idea! At my house, I’d call it a “whine and cheese party” though LOL, cause thats the way this housewife rolls. I’m loving the sound of those pistachio and goat cheese dates, YUM!
*kisses* HH
Lisa
August 27, 2011 at 12:10 pmMaris, I love a cheese and wine party – in fact, it’s probably the only time I drik (barring social situations where I’m nervous and need to relax with a sippy or 20 lol. If I were to pick any wine and cheese soiree, it would be yours (warning, though..I bogart the blues cheeses:) On another note..yep, you and I go way back..2008 to be precise. I still have one of the sauces I won in one of your giveaways! LOL
peachkins
August 26, 2011 at 8:13 pmsounds great. I’m planning to have a cheese and wine mini-party soon and it’s my first time. This is a great help. Thanks Maris!
newlywed
August 26, 2011 at 7:35 pmYou have the best entertaining tips! Keep em coming!
Yudith @ Blissfully Delicious
August 26, 2011 at 6:52 pmI LOOOOOOVE cheese and wine parties 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tips.
Susan
August 26, 2011 at 5:02 pmThis is my favorite kind of entertaining! I’m going to check out that recipe for Parmesan Almonds…
Sawsan@chef in disguise
August 26, 2011 at 2:45 pmI love your entertaining posts Maris..such great tips
Kelly
August 26, 2011 at 2:11 pmI agree. Too much cheese is rarely a problem. I love this post since wine and cheese, especially together, are two of my favorite things. Great post as always Maris.
Aparna E.
August 26, 2011 at 9:18 amAwesome tips girl!! I did a wine tasting party theme for my sister’s bridal shower years ago. If I could do it all over again, I’d follow a lot of these tips!
Lindsay @ Pinch of Yum
August 26, 2011 at 8:11 amMy coworker recently brought some semi-fancy cheeses to a lunch get together and it was so perfect. Just bread and cheese. That’s all we had for an “appetizer” and it was soo so good! Great post!
vianney/sweetlife
August 26, 2011 at 8:01 amgreat tips!! I love having wine and cheese parties, great excuse to try out new wines!!
stopped by guest post!! great post!!
Joanne
August 26, 2011 at 6:35 amToo much cheese = so not a real thing. Not enough cheese – ALWAYS THE CASE. Fabulous post!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
August 26, 2011 at 12:36 amWine and cheese is perfect for an impromptu get-together. Nice pairings!
Bee
August 25, 2011 at 10:33 pmI love wine, I love cheese, I love food, I love friends. Now if I only had my own place, this would be something I’d do on the regular, haha.
Courtney
August 25, 2011 at 9:29 pmWe do this quite a bit, though we call it “Stinky Cheese Night.” Such a fun way to spend an evening with friends.
5 Star foodie
August 25, 2011 at 9:06 pmExcellent wine & cheese pairings and great tips!
Kay
August 25, 2011 at 9:00 pmYum love wine and cheese parties!
velva
August 25, 2011 at 8:43 pmThis is very good advice for someone who wants to host a wine and cheese party. Great post.
Velva
P.S. I loved that you shared a photo of the blue cheese, I wish folks would not shy away from this fabulous cheese.
katelin
August 25, 2011 at 6:20 pmmy party this weekend isn’t just wine and cheese but both will definitely be present. i seriously cannot wait to buy cheese, haha.
Linda
August 25, 2011 at 5:26 pmI so agree this is the way to entertain! I love having guests bring a wine I have not tried, one they love and the conversation and fun just revolves all around the drinking and eating!!
Caroline
August 25, 2011 at 4:24 pmWine and cheese parties are my favorite kind. I probably have a few too many of these…if that’s possible? Ha! I agree, finger foods are perfect for these types of parties.
kankana
August 25, 2011 at 2:49 pmI have never hosted party with wine and cheese. It would be a nice idea. I love drinking wine .. cooking with wine. One of my favorite pairing is Parmigiano-Reggiano with Old Vine Red Zinfandel
Shari @ The Daily Dish
August 25, 2011 at 1:15 pmYum! I love wine + cheese parties. They’re definitely my favorite.
Delishhh
August 25, 2011 at 12:48 pmLove wine parties – we host one annually, but it is a wine tasting party. We usually have a theme for example Merlot and $15. You bring a box of your favorite Merlot for $15 and there are 12 couples. Each person goes around and tastes each bottle and then they are ranked. But the best part is that they get to go home with a box of 12 different merlots. It’s a blast.
Claudia
August 25, 2011 at 11:02 amI had to visit and oh my – this is the way to go – my favorite way to entertain. Small bites and beautiful pairings!
emily (a nutritionist eats)
August 25, 2011 at 10:32 amLiterally my two favorite things. 🙂
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray
August 25, 2011 at 10:02 amYou make me want to throw a party….tonight! Want to come? 🙂
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective
August 25, 2011 at 9:04 amSuch delicious fun! …until the next morning. 😉
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
August 25, 2011 at 8:36 amfun post! Can’t wait to check out some of these wines
Rosa
August 25, 2011 at 8:35 amI love cheese and eating them with some good bread for breakfast or dinner (a tradition here in Switzerland).
Cheers,
Rosa
Lynne @ 365 Days of Baking
August 25, 2011 at 7:49 amGreat tips, Maris!
Wine + cheese + girlfriends = one GREAT evening!
Marina
August 25, 2011 at 6:17 amI love cheese 🙂 I would love to have a party like that.
Sherilyn @ Wholepromise
August 25, 2011 at 5:44 amWonderful wonderful tips to turn anyone into a fabulous host or hostess! Great post as always.
Angie@Angiesrecipes
August 25, 2011 at 5:31 amLove wine tasting party!
bellini
August 25, 2011 at 4:26 amI have been considering a wine and cheese party so this comes at just the right moment.
Keely aka The Richest Girl in Bondi
August 24, 2011 at 11:26 pmWonderful tips (and totally agree that you can never have too much cheese). Always a welcome sight to see a cheese platter at a party.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
August 24, 2011 at 10:52 pmGreat tips-who doesn’t love a nice wine and cheese party! 😀
mandy
August 24, 2011 at 10:15 pmI love wine and cheese parties. This summer there has been so much wine and cheese consumed its a bit ridiculous.
Baking Serendipity
August 24, 2011 at 9:45 pmWine and cheese is one of my favorite girls night centerpieces 🙂 I love this post!
Greg
August 24, 2011 at 8:29 pmAwesome, awesome, awesome post. It’s like a bonus wine Wednesday. This is such a fun thing to do and if you read this, you can’t go wrong.
Anne@frommysweetheart
August 24, 2011 at 8:10 pmMaris…this is such a wonderful post! I love all of your suggestions, but especially for the wine pairings! I am thinking of doing a post in the fall for a savory-sweet cheese board (cheese and fruits and nuts, etc)…..I may have to consult you before I do! LOVED this post! : )
Blond Duck
August 24, 2011 at 7:27 pmI am a cheese fiend.
Vanessa
August 24, 2011 at 6:54 pmA wonderful idea! I LOVE cheese.
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
August 24, 2011 at 5:33 pmI love wine and cheese parties. I love all things wine and wine testing and tasting. So fun!
juniakk @ mis pensamientos
August 24, 2011 at 5:07 pmand i totally bought a wooden cheese board a month ago! good to know that they can be left out prior and they are best served at room temp!
juniakk @ mis pensamientos
August 24, 2011 at 5:05 pmwine and cheese party is always a hit. 😀 i wish i could still eat either/or!
Kate (What Kate is Cooking)
August 24, 2011 at 4:47 pmIt’s seriously my dream to host a wine and cheese party! Or a nut butter party 🙂
Roz
August 24, 2011 at 4:33 pmThis is great Maris. If we lived in the same city, you would SO be on the guest list for my wine and cheese parties!!! 🙂 Have a good Wed.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
August 24, 2011 at 4:28 pmI always like your entertaining post. I’m not used to it and my husband is sometimes too easy going and he’s not too helpful when I ask “what do you think of this..and that…?” I don’t drink alcohol much, so it’s hard for me to prepare cheese which goes with specific wine. I can start off from this list. 🙂
Liz
August 24, 2011 at 4:26 pmOh, such great tips! This would be perfect for my book club. Off to look at some of your links~
Lisa @ Tarte du Jour
August 24, 2011 at 4:04 pmGreat tips Maris! I love a good wine and cheese party… simple but fun entertaining!
Sue/the view from great island
August 24, 2011 at 3:40 pmThis is our favorite way to eat, we don’t even need a party. Your Pistachio Goat Cheese Dates will now be a part of our next wine and cheese night, great post!
Sarah (everydaysapicnic)
August 24, 2011 at 3:34 pmI never used to be a big cheese fan, but as my tastes have matured I like it more and more, especially paired with some fruit.
Alana D
August 24, 2011 at 3:11 pmOooohhh I can’t wait to have one of these! thanx for the tips!
Lauren@LittleYellowKitchen
August 24, 2011 at 2:51 pmI literally JUST stopped in the middle of Minnesota to get cheese (chocolate cheese and maple cheddar!) and I picked up some wine in Toronto that I’m dying to get into. This post was perrrrfect timing for the pairing that will take place at my campsite this evening! P.S. This road trip is keeping me from staying up to date on blogs but I’ve missed some awesome stuff on yours! Can’t wait to catch up on it all 🙂
Erica
August 24, 2011 at 2:28 pmSo fun! I’m actually going to a wine party this weekend! I’m bringing two dishes!