Generally, soft cheeses are mild and should be matched with mild white wines. Tannic wines are generally inappropriate for this cheese. Young Beaujolais, soft and fruity Pinot Noirs and Gamays are fine as they contain very little tannin. Old red wines are also fine.

A champagne, or dry sparkling wine, is fine with an ewe's milk cheese while a fruity, full-bodied Pinot Noir sparkling wine may blend well with a chunk of Parmiggiano Reggiano.

Semi-soft cheeses tend to be more assertive and could stand well-made rose wines, light reds and cask aged, flavorful white wines.

Hard cheeses are aged and generally possess stronger flavors. These cheeses require full-bodied, deeply flavored wines that can complement and enhance them.

Blue veined cheeses are generally regarded as the nobility of the cheese world and possess a more flavorful taste, creamy texture, tang and may be crumbly.

Wine and cheese combinations, much like all other aspects of wine, are a purely personal decision. That said, there are some combinations that are naturally pleasing to the vast majority of consumers. Usually one drinks red wine with hard cheese, and white wine with soft cheeses. The chart below is just a guideline - be sure to keep an open mind and find out what is best suited to your own palate!

The Recipe for the Party
Along with some crusty artisan breads and seasonal fruit to complement, you'll have a blueprint for success without much effort. Just follow this basic format:

• Three to four cheeses
• Two different wines, one red, one white plus sparkling water and/or fruit juice
• Fresh fruit - pears, apples, seedless grapes
• Crusty artisan bread
• Walnuts, perhaps candied, if desired

Tips for Serving the Cheese

• Serve cheeses at room temperature. Remove them from the refrigerator and arrange on trays or platters 30 to 60 minutes before you plan to serve. Leave plenty of room between cheeses, or, better, present each cheese on its own plate. Have a knife and a small server with each cheese.
• Arrange small plates, knives, and napkins for your guests.
• Harder cheeses, such as the Parmigiano Reggiano in the World Class Cheese Selection may be difficult for your guests to cut. Why not cut it into small bite-size chunks ahead of time? There are special knives with rounded points that actually pry away small bites. You can, however, use a sturdy chef's knife, but do be careful.
• Cover cheeses loosely with plastic wrap until your guests arrive.

Any time of the year is appropriate for a wine and cheese party, particularly during holiday parties, where the need for a fast yet festive food and wine pairing is in order. But which cheese to serve with which wine?

Tips for Serving the Wine

• Most people prefer their white wines chilled. Red wines are generally served at cool room temperature. So, if your red wines have been in a warm room you may want to chill them for about 10 minutes before uncorking.
• It's a good idea when serving red wine not to serve it on a white linen tablecloth! If you do use a cloth, place the red wine on a coaster.

Wine and Cheese Pairing Table
Wine and cheese combinations, much like all other aspects of wine, are a purely personal decision. That said, there are some combinations that are naturally pleasing to the vast majority of consumers. Usually one drinks red wine with hard cheese, and white wine with soft cheeses. The chart below is just a guideline - be sure to keep an open mind and find out what is best suited to your own palate! Double-click on the headers to sort the table accordingly: