Randy Chandler
Hosting a wine and cheese party is a fun idea for entertaining your friends and loved ones. While there are no set rules, there are some guidelines to follow to make the party planning process easier. One of the most important aspects is to select a variety of wines and cheeses that complement each other and cater to the diverse preferences of your guests. Some classic pairings include aged cheddar with Cabernet Sauvignon, goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc, and goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc or a glass of Champagne. When it comes to dessert, you can't go wrong with dark chocolate, especially when paired with a French Pinot Noir or a Cabernet Sauvignon. Alternatively, create a dessert cheese board with after-dinner cheeses, fresh berries, and fall fruits, along with dried fruits, nuts, crackers, and chocolates. This combination of sweet and savory treats is perfect for ending the meal on a delightful note.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Dessert | Dark chocolate, chocolate-covered cookie truffles, lemon macadamia nut cookies, gluten-free cookies, fruit pies, tarts, cakes, cookies, berries, dried fruits, nuts, crackers, chocolates, custard, pudding, cheese |
| Wine | Rosé, Sparkling White, Red, White, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Moscato, Champagne, Hungarian Red, Dessert Wine, Demi-Sec Sparkling Wine, Late-Harvest Riesling, Muscat, Ice Wine, Vin Santo, Malvasia di Lipari, Sweet Sherry, Tokay, Muscat Liqueur |
| Type of Party | Virtual, Dinner, Holiday, Impromptu |
| Time of Party | 4 pm, 9 pm |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Dessert cheese boards
When it comes to dessert at a wine and cheese party, cheese itself can be a dessert, especially when paired with something sweet. A dessert cheese board can be a stunning, colourful, and sweet end to a wine and cheese party.
- Triple-crème brie: This rich and creamy cheese pairs well with something that can cut through the decadence, like chocolate-covered cherries or raspberry jam and jam-filled cookies.
- Aged gouda: This nutty and buttery cheese has a great crunchy texture from its protein crystals. It pairs well with dark chocolate.
- Blue cheese: This pungent, spicy, creamy, and slightly sweet cheese pairs well with rich dark chocolate truffles.
- Comté: This sweet and nutty cheese from the Alpine region of France pairs well with dark chocolate and hazelnuts. The bitterness of the chocolate contrasts with the sweetness of the cheese, while the hazelnuts complement the nutty notes of the comté.
- Chevrot: A lightly aged goat cheese with a mildly funky flavour profile and a pleasantly chalky texture. Goat cheeses are great for dessert because of their bright, tangy flavours and palate-cleansing abilities.
Other items that can be added to a dessert cheese board include:
- Crackers: Buttery crackers, chocolate crackers, and shortbread crackers.
- Cookies: Linzer cookies, thumbprint cookies, ginger tea cookies, and pumpkin-spiced biscotti.
- Chocolate-covered strawberries and cherries.
- Fresh berries: Raspberries, strawberries, and cherries.
- Macarons.
- Honeycomb: Pairs well with blue cheese.
- Jam: Strawberry, raspberry, and black cherry jam.
- Nuts: Pistachios and almonds.
- Chocolate: A good-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate bar.
The Ultimate Guide to Serving Alfredo Pasta
You may want to see also
Chocolate and wine
If you are serving dark chocolate, a wine that is slightly sweeter than the chocolate will be more successful. There are some excellent late-harvest white wines (like ice wine) and sweet red blends that won't clash, but the real winners are the fortified wines like port, sherry and Madeira. A favourite of many sommeliers is Banyuls, a fortified wine made from Grenache grapes in southern France. If you really want sparkling wine, go with a Champagne doux or Moscato d'Asti (a higher-end Asti spumante).
For bittersweet, dark chocolate, pair with a jammy syrah—especially an Australian Shiraz—or an intense Zinfandel. Most sommeliers will warn you to avoid highly tannic cabernets and petite syrahs, but others have paired them successfully. If you are serving milk chocolate or a chocolate truffle with a ganache centre, try a light-bodied Pinot Noir or even a fruit-forward Merlot.
For white chocolate, try ice wines, late-harvest rieslings, moscato, or cream sherry.
For a chocolate and wine pairing party, it is recommended to provide several wine options for your guests to choose from. You could even serve a flight for a fun wine-tasting experience.
Cheese-Lovers' Delight: Greek Spiral Indulgence
You may want to see also
Seasonal produce
When creating a cheeseboard, consider adding seasonal fruits and dried fruits to complement the cheeses and provide a burst of flavour. For spring and summer, fresh berries and stone fruits are excellent choices. In autumn, consider dried apples, pears, or raisins, and in winter, dried citrus fruits or cranberries can add a festive touch. Seasonal jams and honey can also be offered alongside the cheeses, providing a delightful contrast of sweet and savoury.
Additionally, when pairing wines with cheeses and desserts, consider choosing wines that complement the season. Light and refreshing wines like rosé and sparkling whites are perfect for spring and summer parties, while richer, fuller-bodied wines like Chardonnay or Pinot Noir can be a wonderful choice for autumn and winter gatherings.
By incorporating seasonal produce into your dessert offerings, you can create a unique and memorable experience for your guests, showcasing the best flavours of the season. Whether it's fresh berries in the summer or warm apple pie in the autumn, your dessert choices will be sure to impress.
The Ultimate Guide to Serving Brie Cheese
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Wine and cheese pairings
When hosting a wine and cheese party, there are no set rules to follow. However, there are some guidelines and pairing basics that can help make the party planning process easier and elevate the dining experience for your guests.
Firstly, it is important to consider the time of day of the party. Wine and cheese parties are not meant to have complete meals, so it is best to host them either before dinner, such as at 4 pm, or later in the evening around 9 pm after your guests have eaten dinner.
Secondly, it is a good idea to select a variety of wines and cheeses that can be paired together, offering different textures, appearances, and flavour varieties to cater to the diverse preferences of your guests. Some may prefer lighter, fruitier wines, while others may enjoy bolder, more robust flavours. For example, you could serve a light-tasting Rosé or Sparkling White wine, as these wines go well with most cheeses. If you are serving a different wine with each course, a spritzer is a wonderful way to lighten things up. You could also include some simple sweets such as no-bake chocolate-covered cookie truffles, lemon macadamia nut cookies, or any gluten-free store-bought cookies/biscuits.
If you are serving a cheese course, some classic pairings include a soft goat cheese with a Sauvignon Blanc, a local white, or a Sancerre. A harder goat cheese could be matched with a Chardonnay or a Pinot Noir. For a medium cow's or sheep's milk cheese, a Pinot Noir is again a good choice, while a harder cheese could be paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, or a Barolo. Blue and strong cheeses go well with sweet wines such as a late-harvest Riesling or a Port.
For dessert, dark chocolate is a perfect choice, paired with a French Pinot Noir with berry undertones or a Cabernet Sauvignon. For apple and other fruit pies and tarts, try a late-harvest Riesling or a demi-sec sparkling wine. A Sauternes or vin santo might also aid your sweet tooth, especially with berries. For melon, Muscat is great, especially Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise.
The Art of Serving Brie Cheese
You may want to see also
Dessert wines
For a classic pairing, try a sweet wine with a sharp, salty blue-veined cheese. For example, a French Roquefort cheese pairs well with a sweet white wine like Sauternes or a late-harvest California Sauvignon Blanc. Another classic combination is a mature tawny or vintage port with Stilton cheese. If you're looking for something a little different, try Spain's Cabrales blue cheese with a dry Oloroso sherry or a mature red Rioja.
For hard goat cheeses, you can pair them with a dessert wine such as a Hungarian Tokaji, a late-harvest Riesling, or a Port. A medium cow's or sheep's milk cheese goes well with a Pinot Noir, while a hard cow's or sheep's milk cheese pairs nicely with a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Zinfandel.
If you're serving actual desserts, there are also dessert wines to match. For creamy desserts like crème brûlée, a cream sherry, Madeira, or a sweet Muscat are good options. For fresh berries, try a semidry German Riesling or a Monbazillac from France. Fruit pies go well with an off-dry Riesling from Washington or Oregon, while tiramisu pairs beautifully with a sweet sherry, ruby port, or a sparkling Asti from Italy.
So, there you have it! A guide to dessert wines to perfectly complement your wine and cheese party.
The Ultimate Way to Serve Humboldt Fog Cheese
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Some dessert options to serve at a wine and cheese party include:
- A dessert cheese board with after-dinner cheeses, fresh berries, dried fruits, nuts, crackers, and/or chocolates.
- Simple sweets such as no-bake chocolate-covered cookie truffles, lemon macadamia nut cookies, or store-bought cookies/biscuits.
- Dark chocolate, which pairs well with a French Pinot Noir with berry undertones or a Cabernet Sauvignon.
There are a few ways to pair desserts with wines at a wine and cheese party:
- Offer a variety of wines and cheeses with different textures, appearances, and flavor varieties to cater to diverse preferences.
- Match local wines with local cheeses.
- Pair soft goat cheese with a classic or rosé Champagne, a local white, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Sancerre, or a Chablis.
- Serve a light-tasting Rosé or Sparkling White wine, which goes well with most foods.
Here are some tips for hosting a wine and cheese party:
- Wine and cheese parties are not meant to have complete meals, so it's best to host them before dinner or later in the evening after guests have eaten.
- Prepare snacks ahead of time by making trail mix, dips, and dessert bites.
- Gather a large platter or cutting board and multiple small dishes. Add dips, spreads, and seeds to the small bowls, then fill in the remaining space with smaller foods and cover any gaps with fruit or garnishes.
