Preparing a cheese tray requires a few steps.
The key to pairing wine and cheese is that you don't want one to overpower the other. The general rule is that full-bodied, heavy wines go better with strong cheeses while light-airy wines are a better match with lighter-flavored cheeses. Set out the cheese trays and suggest wines that might pair well with the cheese. Offer these wines and let guests decide for themselves what their personal preference is.
Instructions
1. Purchase three to five different types of cheeses. You want about two to three ounces of cheese per person if it's an appetizer and about six to seven ounces per person if it's a main meal. Purchase as much wine and a variety of wine as needed. You want enough wine so that each person is able to pour two ounces of each variety into his glass when tasting a particular cheese. You'll want at least one selection of white, a full-bodied red, a dessert wine and a sparkling wine. You also need mild crackers and bread.
2. Chill the sparkling wine overnight and white wine for about three hours beforehand. Place the red wine into the refrigerator about 30 minutes before the party.
3. Prepare your cheese an hour before guests arrive. This will allow the cheese to sit at room temperature for better flavor.
4. Cut soft-ripened cheese into wedges, semi-hard cheeses into cubes and blue cheeses into chunks. Leave soft cheeses like Brie in their round form. Set knives next to the cheese to allow guests to spread the cheese onto bread.
5. Put out three different cheeses per tray. Divide the trays by what types of wine they might complement. Set out a variety and aim for one soft ripened cheese (brie), one semi-soft cheese (smoked mozzarella), and one harder cheese (gouda) on each. When arranging, don't place pungent cheeses next to mild cheeses. If you have a larger tray, set out five different types.
6. Arrange crackers or slices of bread on the tray. Garnish the tray with seasonal fruit like grape clusters or dried fruit. You can also garnish the tray with nuts.
7. Put place cards at each cheese and write what type of wine that type of cheese might go well with.
8. Serve cheese plates according to what type of wine is available. For example, set out a goat cheese tray and serve a sauvignon blanc or pinot gris. Full-flavored cheese can complement a full-bodied wine like a merlot. Blue cheese might pair well with dessert wines. Light-flavored cheese can be paired with pinot gris or a riesling.
Tags: well with, about three, cheese might, cheeses into, different types