How To: Seasonal Cheese + Wine Pairings for Your Holiday Party
Who doesn’t love a nice cheese board at a party? They are easy to put together and all the work can be done ahead of time. The bonus is that they are visually stunning and can serve as the focal point of your tablescape. They can also be customized to suit the season and the dietary restrictions of your guests.
Winter Cheese Board Ideas
Add seasonal accompaniments like homemade apple butter, pumpkin seeds, or a dip made with squash
Use deep red fruits like blood oranges, pomegranates and figs to make your charcuterie board feel rich and warm
Use herbs for garnish - rosemary, thyme, sage - the green hues of these herbs will complement the rich reds of your seasonal fruits perfectly
Pair with red wine and channel your inner Game of Thrones character
Step One: Choose Your Cheese
Choose 2-3 kinds of cheese of varying type so that dish has dimensionality and variety of flavor
Aged: Havarti, Sharp Cheddar, Parmesan
Soft: Brie, Chevre
Blue: Camembert, Blue Cheese, Roquefort
Firm: Mimolette, Manchego
Step Two: Add Your Accompaniments
Crackers or bread, or a little of both
Fresh Fruit - seasonality is key here. During the fall and winter you’ll find amazing pears, figs, apples, and grapes
Olives - if desired
Charcuterie - thinly sliced prosciutto, salami, turkey or try a pate
Nuts / Seeds - pumpkin, pistachio, hazelnuts, and walnuts are all particularly cozy
Honey - a little drizzle can go a long way
Bee Pollen - if you’re feeling frisky and out of the box
Apple Butter - can be made at home, or purchased from your local grocers
Jam / Preserve - Fig Preserves are in season and pair well with soft spreadable cheeses like brie
Step Three: Garnish
Grab a big wooden board or platter and start bringing your creation to life! It’s generally easiest to place your cheeses first, then adding crackers, toasts, and cured meats. Fill in the gaps with nuts, fruits, and fresh herbs for an effortlessly elegant look. Be sure to have separate serving utensils for each of the cheeses and spreads, as well as a small dish for olive pits.
Step Four: Open The Wine
We could probably talk about just the wine portion of this pairing all day, but in general choose one or two different types of wine, based on the number of cheeses you choose
Below are a few basic rules of thumb
Pair Wines + Cheeses with equal intensity
Match super funky cheeses with sweeter wines
Sparkling wines are incredible with soft, creamy cheeses
Location, location location, when in doubt wines and cheeses from the same region generally go well together
White Wine Pairings
Crisp, dry and young bottlings (Pinot Blanc, Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc, young Chardonnay)
Off-dry wines for salty cheeses like feta
Red Wine Pairings
Very young, fruity, unoaked red wines (Loire Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir)
Crisp, dry rosé.