7 Tips to Nail Your Next Wine & Cheese Party

• March 22, 2023
• Entertaining

The easiest party you will ever throw.

By Erin Henderson

I’ve been hosting wine and cheese parties and tastings for a very long time, and over the years I’ve discovered a very interesting trend: the simpler things are, the more we want to complicate them.

Hosting a wine and cheese is probably the easiest, and most impressive, way to entertain, but we stress about what cheeses to serve and the right wines to pair.

It’s not that complicated: select three of your favourite cheeses, one or two quality meats, a few accoutrements like olives, nuts, or spreads and a bottle of white and red and you’ve got yourself a party. (And check out our video – which has over 3-thousand views – on how to whip together a no-stress cocktail party in minutes.)

Below I’ve outlined a few of our best tips to creating a beautiful cheeseboard and delicious wine pairings with ease.

1. Select the Right Board

Once you decide on the look of the actual board – dramatic black slate, breezy white marble, cozy wood – consider the size and shape you need.

There have been more times than I care to count where I was ¾ done laying out a cheeseboard only to realize I needed more room or had too much.

These days, I lay out a quick map of my items on the intended board. Keeping the cheeses wrapped, I place them where I think I will want them to be, I might even place the bowls I intend to use for spreads and olives and nuts, to make sure everything will fit properly. This isn’t a commitment to the final style, but a fast sketch to ensure everything will sit on the board the way I want.

Depending on the board’s final resting place – nestled among other dishes on a buffet or the centrepiece of your dining table – you might also want to see how it fits where you intend to showcase it.

Bonus tip: Always provide one knife per cheese and meat to avoid smears of pungent blue through delicate Brie, or mixing meat with cheese which can be tricky for vegetarians and some religions and cultures.

2. Consider the Season

Just like we serve hearty stews in winter and fresh salads in summer, we like our cheese plates to reflect the energy of the season as well.

In autumn, we love building our boards with orange and brown hued cheeses like Beemster, Mimolette, or Guinness cheddar. In summer, a fresh board full of different styles of white cheese like pillowy Burrata, salty, grilled Halloumi, Spanish Manchego, or creamy Gorgonzola make for an airy presentation.

Bonus tip: instead of making one, big board, make two smaller ones, so when the fist is picked over and starting to look worse for wear, replace it with the fresh board for elegant entertaining.

3. Pair in Groupings

This is a terrific tip I picked up from Vantage Venues’ Executive Chef, Kyle McClure. Arrange your cheeseboard in clusters of natural pairings. In one corner place blue cheese, walnuts, and honey; in the next group cheddar, apples, and almonds.

Bonus tip: Kyle likes to keep cheese groupings on one side of the board and meat groupings on the other to avoid cross-contamination of meats and cheeses.

4. Contrast Flavours

Think salty and sweet, or acid and fat, or sugar and spice to play against each other. A tart green apple slice against rich cheddar cheese, a drizzle of sweet honey on salty triple crème, or the bite of jalapeno jelly against a sweet, young mozzarella all create interesting flavour combinations.

Bonus tip: Create visual interest by varying how the accoutrements are presented. Smear thick spreads on the board and place a paired cheese on top, chutneys dolloped on top of meat, and berries and nuts in attractive jars and bowls.

5. Play with Height and Shape

As much as you want a cheeseboard to taste incredible, you also want it to be Instagram-worthy.

To create a beautiful aesthetic, buy cheeses in varying heights and shapes. Domes, pyramids, classic wedges and rounds all work nicely against each other. Just don’t forget to slice off at least a few pieces from each block otherwise no one will want to be the first to ruin your masterpiece.  

WATCH: How to Build a Cheeseboard

6. Consider Wines as a Condiments

One of my best tips to simplify food and wine pairings is to think of the wine as you would any other sauce or seasoning you would use to enhance what’s being served.

Cheeseboards usually include accoutrements like tart green apple, toasted nuts, a sweet berry jam, or honey.

Taking a cue from those flavours, think about the wines that have the same properties: green apple can be found in Champagne and unoaked Chardonnay; wines like dry Sherry and oaked Chardonnay are often described as nutty; Gamay, young Valpolicella and Pinot Noir all have juicy red berry notes; and honey is a common flavour in Riesling – both sweet and dry.

Related: 3 No-Fail Wine Pairings, Every Time

7. Wines That Cast a Wide Net

Look, unless you’re hosting a very specific wine and cheese tasting party, I know you’re not pairing a wine for every cheese on your board.

But you can still create really good pairings, with a few delicious reds, whites, and bubblies. Place a few bottles in an ice bucket, or on a tray beside the cheese board, and let guests help themselves.

Wines that have higher acid, lower tannin, and moderate alcohol are generally your best picks. Champagnes and brut sparkling wine, Riesling, Gamay, Gewürztraminer, rosé, unoaked Chardonnay, and fruity Côtes du Rhône all work well with most cheeses.

Related: How to Host a Wine Tasting at Home