Use parchment under the meat for an easy way to label so guests know what they are choosing.

Welcome the summer season with a Wine & Cheese Party

It’s okay to learn hosting along the way.

Of course, it was amazing and we lingered over each morsel as wine flowed and glasses met in agreement.

Use parchment under the cheese for an easy way to label so guests know what they are choosing.

Wine and Cheese Parties Stir Conversation and Exploration.

“Oh, you have to try this sausage with that mustard.” Or, “I love this wine paired with that cheese.”

There was lots of Mmm to go around as we shared favorite pairings, making mental notes for future feasting.

Leave spreads and jams in jars for guests to easily identify.

A highlight to the evening ~ mussels in white wine and garlic.

Create an invitation for a casual party.

Wine & Cheese Party Invitation created on Punchbowl.com

For our next party we took a more casual approach, popping a cork to celebrate the arrival of warmth and sunshine.

A casual evening out on the deck.

A copy of the email we sent out just days before … spontaneity is a good thing. 

7 Tips for Hosting a Wine & Cheese Party

1. Bless, rather than impress.

Chances are good your friends will already be impressed you’re even planning a wine and cheese party and pleased to be on the invite list.

Keep it simple and sane for everyone’s sake so you can all relax and enjoy.

With specialized diets and allergies popping up everywhere, so ask a few questions in advance. The last thing you want to do is knock yourself out on a beautiful bread basket only to find out half the people coming can’t have gluten.

Choose one favorite item for each guest to have on the table with special consideration for allergies.

If I know a friend likes spicy food, I’ll go for a sample of spicier sausage. Someone else likes candies pecans, I include those too.

2. Select a maximum of 6 types of cheese.

Six types of cheese provides a nice variety of soft, semi-soft, semi-hard, firm, aged, and milk types (cow, sheep, goat). If you’re not already familiar with the various types, don’t hesitate to ask for a sample before you buy.

For a list of cheese by type, texture, color, milk, or country, as well as buying and storing guides, check out Cheese.com.

3. How much cheese to buy?

Don’t overdo (like I did) and end up with cheese-for-days. But how do you know how much cheese to buy?

What else will be served? If there is an assortment of nibbles on the table like olives, bread, crackers, nuts, vegetables, and meat, figure about 1/2 ounce per person, per cheese.

If guests are encouraged to bring food items, give direction as to whether it needs to be prepped before they arrive.

4. Ask guests to bring their favorite wine or non-wine beverage to share (no matter what it is).

It’s important to reassure guests there is no pressure to bring something unique or exotic. This guarantees everyone will be happily sipping at some point.

Ask where they first discovered it and why they like it, sometimes the story is better than the wine.

As the host, provide one white and one red per 6 people, as well as having a couple in reserve.

If you are providing all the wine, plan 1/2 bottle per person, plus 2 extra.

5. Set the table with three glasses per person.

1 for white wine, 1 for red wine, and 1 for water. Take care to pour a small amount for a first taste.

Once a guest indicates it is wine they like, offer more. (You shouldn’t need a dump bucket unless you are hosting a wine tasting. See #6 for more on that.)

If you don’t have enough glasses, consider borrowing rather than buying for one event, and don’t worry about everything matching.

Store a couple of bottles of sparkling cider in the fridge for anyone abstaining or done with wine. Pear is a popular stand-in for white wine and cherry is a pleasing substitution for red.

6. Don’t try to be a wine expert if you’re not.

Your guests will feel more comfortable exploring flavors and sharing if the experience is authentic. Trying too hard can come off as pretentious.

However, learning about wine tasting together can be loads of fun. Whether following an on-line guide for a DIY wine tasting or hiring a sommelier for the evening, a wine tasting is great when guests are not well acquainted.

Food & Wine and Epicurious both offer guides for organizing a more educational affair.

7. Plan a dish or wine to highlight.

Spend a little more on a particular vintage or choose a recipe that stands out. Once we made mussels in a white wine, another time we served shrimp cocktail as the centerpiece for the table.

I don’t mention specific wine recommendations because I don’t want you to get caught up there.

There are loads of resources for suggesting wines and it would be worth your time to spend about 10 minutes checking them out.

However, in an interview with New York City restaurateur, Danny Meyer, in the July issue of Food & Wine, he was asked what was the most extraordinary wine he’d ever tasted.

I loved his response:

“I think it’s dangerous to expect wines to be extraordinary! The best bottle you’ve ever had in your life could be a simple Pigato, if you’re sitting in the right spot on the coast of Liguria, eating the right fried little fish, with the right person. That could be the perfect wine, because context is just as important and anything.”

My favorite tool for planning such festivities—a cheat sheet for shopping!

=> Click on the photo of the list to DOWNLOAD OR PRINT.

 

More party menu ideas:

Shrimp & Prosciutto with Smoky Honey-Mustard Sauce
Easy Crab Legs
Bacon Wrapped Dates with Herbed Goat Cheese 
Pear and Goat Cheese Appetizer
Prosciutto Wrapped Caprese Salad
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Date Fudge Truffles with Sea Salt
Double Chocolate Truffles